Are you sitting comfortably….then I’ll begin..
The greatest story ever told began to take shape long before the world was even formed. God had a plan to rescue humanity from the punishment of death it was facing, and knew the only way they could be saved was to send his son, Jesus to live and die in our place.
So…roughly 2000 years ago, an angel appeared to a young teenager named Mary, announcing that she would carry the saviour of the World, and she would name him Jesus! Of course, this stunned her! Can you imagine the thought of that? Not only would she be carrying a baby, but this was no ordinary baby…this was God!!
9 months passed and it was the time where the ruler of the land had called a census. Every male had to go back to the town of his birth. Mary being so pregnant went along with her husband Joseph to the town of his birth, Bethlehem. The problem was, however, there was simply no where for them to stay. After much knocking, and searching, they eventually came across a small stable at the back of an inn. It was in this stable, surrounded by animals and no doubt an horrific stench, that the son of God, Jesus would be born.
Take the time just to consider the sacrifice God made. God the creator of all, humbled himself to a human womb for 9 months and then was born into this world by one of his own creation, not in a palace, as one would have expected, but in a stable, a manger.
News of his birth spread, with shepherds and wise men attending the stable, bringing gifts and worship. Angels sang and Heaven rejoiced as the master plan of God had been initiated. It was such a joyous occasion. Jesus grew, and he began performing miracles and teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.
But the story continues further: The seemingly innocent baby, would be the one who would save all mankind from the punishment of their sin. This baby would one day be bruised, beaten and tortured, nailed to a cross with a crown of thorns upon his head. This Jesus would die a brutal death.
During this Christmas season, I encourage you to consider the baby Jesus, to think about how humbling it will have been for him, but also to look further down the story and see this same Jesus, hung upon a cross, so that you and I could live today!
And this, my friends, is the greatest story ever told!
Written by Joseph Perry
TweetMe: @JosephNperry
joseph[at]itsmilkandhoney.com