Our well-intended desire to teach children the Jesus story through manger scenes and nativity plays can sometimes leave impressions that we carry into adulthood.

It’s important to remind ourselves of “the facts on the ground” when it comes to the arrival of Jesus Christ some 2,000 years ago.

Hint: It wasn’t all tinsel, colored lights, sappy songs, and piles of presents.

Jesus wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms.

As noted in John 1:11, “He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him.”

Innkeepers refused His parents, so He was born in a cold, smelly barn, the son of a poor teenaged mom and peasant dad who couldn’t afford a room at the Holiday Inn.

While a few shepherds, holy men, and angels welcomed Jesus, the rest of the world remained clueless.

There was someone who knew this day was coming and was dead set against letting this infant grow to maturity. The Devil, knowing his control over the Earth was at stake, persuaded most earthlings to go along with him. Still does.

Jesus’ arrival was a “good news, bad news” scenario for many. A few days after His birth, a devout man of God would say of Jesus, in Luke 2:34-35, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and as a sign to be opposed and a sword will pierce your (Mary’s) own soul — to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Even King Herod wanted this peasant child dead, forcing the family to rush off to Egypt to protect His life. He was cruelly hunted and constantly on the move until the coast was clear.

Jesus didn’t just “pop” into existence in Bethlehem that day.

This wasn’t Jesus’ first visit to Planet Earth — He created the place after all!

Scripture declares in Colossians 1:15-17, “He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

That last sentence describes Him as the “cosmic stickum” keeping every atom in the universe from flying apart.

Before space, before time, before the first subatomic particle, He existed eternally — in dazzling glory amid unapproachable light in devoted community with God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit — in perfect unity and oneness, undisturbed peace, boundless joy, unquenchable love and unlimited power.

Eons ago, 13.8 billion years ago?, His gracious heart burst forth in celebration, creating the angels and heavenly beings along with the mind-boggling heavens and breathtaking earth as their perfect habitations.

As He generously shared His heavens with His created beings, one of the most beautiful and powerful angels rebelled against His benevolent rule. God exiled this Evil One to Earth, sending hosts of treasonous angels with him. 

Jesus came, not to live, but to die for you and me.

Yes, His birth is important, but without His death, we’d all be marooned on this fallen, broken planet, stuck in our sins. But (be glad for that “But”) wait until you read this, from Philippians 2:5-11:

“… as He (Jesus) already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bondservant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. For this reason, also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name, which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Humanely speaking, in the face of humanity’s persistent rebellion, it would have been understandable if Jesus had remained amid the glories of Heaven. But His overflowing grace powered the most magnificent rescue operation in history.

Now that is something to celebrate!

How About You?

Rather than turn the occasion of Christ’s incarnation into a gaudy display of conspicuous consumption, how about spending some time on your knees thanking Jesus for providing your one and only lifeboat off the sinking ship of this world?

“I (Jesus) glorified You on the earth by accomplishing the work which You have given Me to do. And now You, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself,
with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.”
— John 17:4-6