Bethlehem, where Jesus was born was a humble little town in Judah.
Mathew 2:6: “And thou Bethlehem . . . out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.”
Micah 5:2: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be LITTLE among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Jesus pre-existed before His birth.
Nazareth where Jesus lived after they returned from Egypt, was an insignificant town. It only had one spring of water. The word Nazareth comes from “Nazer” and means “separated or branch.” Jesus was called the “branch of Jesse.”
When the disciple Philip found Nathanael he said: “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:4, 46).
God humbled Himself to have His Son raised in Nazareth. Even the people of Nazareth didn’t believe anything good could come out of Nazareth.
Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus was a humble carpenter from Nazareth, although he was a just man. (Matthew 1:19).
Jesus was rejected in Nazareth because they could not understand from where He received his wisdom and mighty works. The people said: “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brothers, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him? (Matthew 13:53-58).
Because of their lack of faith and not believing in Jesus, he did very few miracles in Nazareth. Nothing never expected anything great to happen there. They felt bad that He performed mighty miracles, and they did not.
However, the angel Gabriel visited Joseph and Mary in Nazareth (Luke 16-38). We read Mary’s response in uke 1:46-55). Verses 48, 51, and 52 say: “For he has regarded the LOW ESTATE of his handmaiden, for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed . . . He hath SCATTERED THE PROUD in the imagination of their hearts. HE HATH PUT DOWN THE MIGHTY from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.”
Jesus, the Son of God and the glory of Heaven, was born in a manger.
Luke 2:7: “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
NO ROOM IN THE INN FOR THE SON OF GOD TO BE BORN! The maker and creator of Heaven nd earth! How humble can you be? Born in a manger, a trough for animal’s food!
This is the way God planned, before the foundation of the world, for His only Begotten Son to be born. Why? To teach the world that the God we serve loves and greatly desires humility, especially from His own people.
God showed the glory of His birth to the shepherds, not the high and mighty (Luke 2: 28-21).
The account of Jesus’ birth is all about humility. So why are we so full of pride?
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell