The Christmas story is interesting because it reveals a lot about God which often gets missed.
Many have said that is is just a made up story, but when you know God, you know that this is exactly how he works.
He uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and the weak things of this world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:27)
The jewish leaders were expecting someone to arrive. A Messiah who would save them, so you can imagine that they were expecting a great warrior to come out of the people. What God sent was a baby. And not only a baby, but a baby from a poor family.
This baby contained the fulness of God, yet grew to be a humble servant of mankind. Jesus demonstrated meekness, kindness, and willingness to meet peoples needs. Not a warrior in the sense that we or those at the time understand it, but a spiritual warrior, overcoming the enemy, (Satan), by taking away man's punishment for sin by dying in place of them on the cross.
God chose Mary, a young ordinary girl. And Joseph, an ordinary man. Both from a small insignificant village, not rich, not powerful, just ordinary.
I imagine Mary and Joseph to have been of good character, and faithful to God. Not necessarily perfect, but faithful.
Mary must have been of good character to take on a role which could have led her to be stoned to death! An unmarried mother was unacceptable in those days! Yet she trusted her God to keep her safe and bring into being what her had told her. (I wonder if I would have been so willing?).
And Joseph must have been hurt by her announcment of pregnancy, and quite within his rights at that time to demand she be punished, yet he was trying to divorce her quietly. He too took on the role God asked of him and looked after Mary well.
It must have been extremely stressfull for both of them. They would have been teased and humiliated by comments of those around them, probably even their friends! Then to top it all, just as she was due, they had to travel to Bethlehem for the cencus which the romans were demanding, so that they would know who everyone was and where they came from.
This needed to happen so that the scriptures could be fulfilled. I wonder if Mary and Joseph fully understood that at the time?
The journey would have been difficult, and at the end of it, exhausted and desperate, there were no rooms available to stay in just for a couple of nights. So they ended up in a barn, with the animals.
How lowly did God go to bring us salvation!
He could have quite easily have bought Jesus into a palace, surrounded by servants and never wanting anything. But this is not how he works.
And what would Jesus have learned if he had been pampered? Not how hard life can be. Not how painful work can be. Not how desperate some people are. He would not have experienced the things God wanted him to, and he would not now Have Jesus sitting at his right hand interceding and explaining for us when we make mistakes.
No other god makes himself so lowly.
No other god loves people so much that he would send part of himself to come to earth and mingle with the lowest of the low just to save them from their own sins.
No other god gives life as a free gift, nobody can earn it! it is freely given by our creator out of love for us.
All we have to do is accept it.
What a great friend we have in Jesus!
So when you are giving and receiving gifts this Christmas. Remember the birth of our Saviour, a free gift from God, and take it with gratitude!
This is how I understand my God.
Look for yourself!