From the Pulpit: It doesn’t look like much, but ...

“It doesn’t look like much, but…” Have you heard that said before? People will typically say something like that when the appearance of something doesn’t match the incredible value hidden within. It could be a book with a tattered cover, but the story contained in that book is priceless. It could be a restaurant with a broken-down look, but the food is the best in world. “It doesn’t look like much, but…”

As the Christmas season approaches, that statement could be the theme. The birth of Jesus did not look like much. In fact, to anyone who observed it, it would have looked rather unfortunate. A baby was born in a stable, near animals, and laid in a feeding trough. There were no nurses or beds or pillows. There was hay and animals and the smells of animals. This baby was not born to royalty or anyone remotely important, but he was born to a teenage virgin attended by her carpenter fiancé. 

Jesus’ birth didn’t look like much to the casual observer, but in reality, it was God taking on flesh. It was the Almighty, eternal, and all-knowing God humbling himself to the point of being contained in the body of that little baby born on Christmas. The miracle of the incarnation would be reason enough to celebrate Christmas, but there’s even more to it. 

The reason for this incarnation gives us the greatest reason to celebrate. The God of the universe was not going to sit back and let people that he loved be lost to sin and death. Jesus came to earth on Christmas so that he could save you from your sins and save you from eternal death.

It may not have looked like much on that first Christmas evening, but in reality, that baby was God in the flesh and the Savior of the world. Let that be your hope all the time and let that be your heart’s focus this Christmas season. It is not about the lights, the gifts, or the parties. It is about your Savior come to earth to save you. Have a blessed Christmas!