How I Read Jesus' Birth Story When I'm Pregnant

When you stop and think about Jesus’ birth, I mean really think about it, it’s crazy that God chose to come to the world this way. Jesus was in Mary’s womb for 9 months (really 10 months, let’s be honest, every week counts when you’re pregnant). And while surely absolutely adorable as every newborn is (by design no doubt), Jesus was also utterly dependent on everyone around Him to not just stay alive but to thrive. Jesus had the humblest of beginnings.

If you’re aparent or you’ve been around especially new moms and dads, you know thatwanting the best for your children starts the instant you find out you’repregnant. It’s the reason why new parents are always moving into a new home 2weeks before their baby is born. Oh, that was just us?!

And there was Jesus, far from home, and born in the only place where there was room in that town: in a barn. With animals. And sleeping in a box that animals ate their food out of.

As a mom, wanting the absolute best for my son(and our other son on the way) doesn’t stop at birth, it’s a daily desire.And like any parent,(except that God’s the only perfect parent) God wants the absolute best foreveryone born in God’s image – us.  Andwanting the best for us didn’t stop with Jesus’ birth, it’s a daily desire.

Jesus’humble birth was as much about who God is as it was about God’s love for allthose created in God’s image.

If Jesus hadn’t come to us this way, Jesus couldn’t have been acquainted with us in every way possible. It was the start of the humblest life ever lived and the greatest gift God could offer. And it was lived by our Savior, Lord, and King, who invites us to follow in His humble footsteps and continue the work that He started 2,000 years ago of bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.

This story was originally published in Hope Presbyterian’s Crossings Newsletter for their Winter 2020 edition.