Tag Archives: Birth of Jesus

Advent

The Birth of Jesus

O Lord Most High, Your plans are wondrous and beyond our understanding!
From eternity You ordained salvation, clothed in the frailty of man.
In the fullness of time, Your Word became flesh,
Dwelling among us, full of grace and truth.

Blessed are You, O God, who chose a humble virgin,
Mary, highly favored, to bear the Light of the world.
Her soul magnified You, and her spirit rejoiced in Your salvation!
For You have regarded the lowliness of Your servant,
And through her, all generations shall call You blessed.

From the courts of heaven to the manger’s hay,
The King of Glory descended to earth.
Not with trumpets nor royal fanfare did He come,
But with the cry of an infant, swaddled in humility and love.

Shepherds keeping watch by night saw the skies split with glory,
The angelic host proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill to men!”
O Lord, how marvelous are the works of Your hands,
That lowly shepherds would first behold the Lamb of God.

Wise men journeyed from afar, guided by the brilliance of a star.
They brought treasures fit for a King:
Gold for His majesty, frankincense for His divinity,
And myrrh, a foreshadowing of His sacrifice.
O Lord, even creation testifies to Your glory,
For the heavens declare the birth of Your Son.

In the town of Bethlehem, as the prophets foretold,
The Bread of Life was laid in a manger.
There was no room for Him in the inn,
Yet the earth could not contain the greatness of His glory!

O God of mercy, You sent Your Son into a world of darkness,
To shine as the true Light that gives life to all men.
The Word who spoke the stars into being
Became an infant, resting in His mother’s arms.

We lift our voices to You, O Lord, in awe and wonder.
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.
His name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

O holy night, O radiant dawn of salvation!
Let the earth rejoice and the heavens proclaim,
For Emmanuel, God with us, has come.
Blessed be the name of the Lord forever!

Amen and amen.

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Advent, Humility

Humility in the Manger

Luke 2:6-7 While they were there [in Bethlehem], the time came for her to give birth, and she gave birth to her Son, her firstborn; and she wrapped Him in [swaddling] cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no [private] room for them in the inn. 

Beloved, let us reflect deeply on the profound mystery of godliness revealed in Jesus Christ: “He was revealed in human flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16, AMP). The eternal Son of God humbled Himself beyond human comprehension: “Although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God, [He] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped…but emptied Himself [by assuming the form of a bond-servant]” (Philippians 2:6-7, AMP). Consider this divine paradox: the Ancient of Days became an infant of days to draw near to you.

In His humble birth lies a piercing truth: “The Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us” (John 1:14, AMP). The One who declared, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool” (Isaiah 66:1, AMP), chose a manger for His first earthly bed. Do you grasp the weight of this? The Creator of the cosmos wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a feeding trough—this is the humility of our King.

The Call to Follow Christ in Humility

Hear the unchanging call of Christ: “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls” (Matthew 11:29, AMP). The stable preaches an eternal sermon: “God opposes the proud but continually gives the gift of grace to the humble” (James 4:6, AMP). Beloved, if you would seek Christ, you must walk the path of humility He has laid before us.

To those chasing wealth or status, consider: “For you are recognizing the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [His astonishing kindness, His generosity, His gracious favor], that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9, AMP). Let the divine condescension of Christ move your heart to abandon pride and worldly ambition.

The manger proclaims a hard but beautiful truth: “Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith [and as believers, to be heirs of the kingdom]?” (James 2:5, AMP). You cannot cling to pride and truly seek Christ. Instead, come as the shepherds did—simple, humble, and willing to bow low.

The Hope of Christ for the Broken

To the unworthy and weary, take heart! “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17, AMP). The stable speaks across centuries: Christ came for those who know their need for Him. The message of Christmas is one of hope for the humble and the broken: “Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever]” (Matthew 5:3, AMP).

Let this truth transform you: “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places…I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2, AMP). But the path to this glory begins at the lowly stable. Jesus Himself said, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12, AMP).

Come to the Manger and Be Transformed

Beloved, this same Jesus who lay in the manger now reigns at the right hand of God: “He is at the right hand of God [that is, the place of honor and authority], with all angels and authorities and powers made subservient to Him” (1 Peter 3:22, AMP). Will you not come to Him? Lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles, for here is the paradox of our faith: “Whoever finds his life [in this world] will eventually lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]” (Matthew 10:39, AMP).

Come with the faith that trusts, the humility that bows, and the love that surrenders all. For “to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God” (John 1:12, AMP). Just as He left heaven’s glory for a manger’s straw, He promises: “The one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out” (John 6:37, AMP).

Will you come? Will you bow low before the manger and surrender all to Him who gave everything for you?

A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself to become a servant for our sake. Teach us to walk in His humility, to lay down our pride, and to come to You empty of ourselves. Help us to see the beauty of the manger and the glory of Your grace poured out for us. Transform our hearts and draw us closer to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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