BORN TO SAVE THE WORLD

by Gwen Herat

Jesus is the promised Saviour through whom God fulfilled the promises he made to his people in the Old Testament. It began with the birth of Jesus which all Christians know and believe in. He hails from the line of David who was a descendant of Abraham. From Abraham to King David, Jesus’s birth is recorded to the end of fourteen generations where he is the Messiah that God sent to redeem the world.

His mother Mary was to marry Joseph but when he found that she was already pregnant, he was worried and planned to break off the marriage. While he was engaged in this thought, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said ‘Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy spirit that she has conceived.

She will have a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’

Now, all this happened to make what the Lord said through the prophet come true. A virgin will become pregnant and have a son and he will be called Emmanuel’ (Mathew 1. 18-23)

After the Angel Gabriel brings the glad tidings to Mary, he also announces that her relative, Elizabeth has also conceived in her old age six months before her because with God no declaration will be an impossibility. Soon after Gabriel leaves Mary, she goes to visit her husband Zechariah.

Mary’s trip was a long one, perhaps three to four days, but finally when she arrives at Elizabeth’s house with greetings, she is filled with the Holy Spirit and tells Mary, ‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

So how is that this privilege is mine to have the other of my Lord come to me. For, look as the sound of your greetings fell upon my ears, the infant in my womb leaped with great gladness.’ On hearing these words from her cousin, Mary responded with heartfelt gratitude:

‘My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit cannot keep from being overjoyed at God my Saviour; because he has looked upon the low position of his slave girl. For look from now on all generations will pronounce me happy... Holy is His name’

Mary decided to stay with Elizabeth for about three months and was a big help during the final weeks of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. It was a blessing that these two faithful women both carrying a child with God’s help, came together at the blessed time of their lives.

Elizabeth who was on the verge of having her baby had to say goodbye to Mary whose baby was due in about six months. She had a long and tedious journey to make that would last three to four days before she reached him.

Soon after Mary leaves, Elizabeth gives birth to a boy. According to God’s law a baby boy in Israel must be circumcised and his father has to name the boy. Zachariah who was dumb because he did not believe what the angel told Elizabeth who would have a child in her old age, miraculously opened his mouth and names the baby John.

As we know baby John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth who was to baptise Jesus when they were adults. John went out to the people and preached about the coming of the Messiah.

Many did not wish to listen to him and his voice was that lay in wilderness. John was only six months older to Jesus and they were cousins. God had picked John to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.

When finally Jesus appeared at the bank of river Jordan to be baptised by John as many were gathered, John pleaded with Jesus saying he was not worthy even to remove the straps in the sandals he wore, let alone baptise him.

Jesus insisted and walked into the river where he was baptised and the Holy Spirit appeared. John continued his mission of praising the Son of Man in the wilderness because he loved Jesus so much and for that he paid a supreme penalty. He was thrown into the prison and beheaded.

This was all God’s plan. One had to sacrifice for the other to survive but He too paid the price on the cross to save sinners.

From the birth in the manger to the harrowing journey to the cross, Jesus never rested his thirty three years.

Manger

During this time, the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus had decreed everyone to return to Bethlehem to be registered. Joseph takes Mary who was heavy with Jesus but they did not find a place to rest except for a kind inn-keeper who allowed them to use the stable. Here Jesus was born among animals. Mary wrapped him in strips of cloth and lay him in the manger.

Away from this site, a group of shepherds in a field saw a gleaming bright light. It was unusual in that type of night but they rose to face it leaving their flock aside.

They were afraid but it was God’s glory and the angels told them, ‘Have no fear, for look; I am declaring to you good news of a great joy that all the people will have because there was born to you today a Saviour who is Christ the Lord in David’s city and there is a sign for you; you will find an infant bound in cloth bands and lying in a manger.’

Suddenly many more angels appeared and sang, ‘Glory in heights above to God and upon earth peace among men of goodwill.’ When the angels disappeared, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see what God has made us known.

They went in a hurry and found Jesus just the way the angels had directed them to and their hearts were filled with joy.

Instead of returning to Nazareth, Joseph and Mary remained in Bethlehem until Jesus was eight days old as they had to circumcise him according to God’s law to Moses.

Celebrate

It was a custom for a baby boy and he was named Jesus as angel Gabriel had directed.

There was yet another law according to God, given to Moses that says a young ram must be offered to the temple in Jerusalem by the mother after giving birth to a baby son after 40 days. It was a purification offering to the temple.

But Joseph and Mary could not afford a ram; instead they offered two small birds. This was an option if the parents could not afford because they could offer two turtle doves or two pigeons.

This act is very significant to Christians. Here again, the humility of Jesus is revealed after being born in a manger.

Christians around the world celebrate Christmas with much pomp and glory. Of course, it is a time of giving and receiving but if we pause to think of the spiritual side of the birth of Jesus, we must take into consideration Mary’s plight of not affording a ram as an offering and her precious son born, wrapped in strips of cloth and not warm blankets but her heart filled with sacred love.

Let us think of the poor and the infants who suffer, and extend to them what God has blessed us with.

Let our hearts open out to them as Jesus wants us to.