The First Days Baby Jesus

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Christmas day reminds us of the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. We celebrate his birth because it is the fulfillment God's promise to finally redeem mankind from sin. God's promise were written down in old testament scriptures.

Being the son of God, Jesus could have been born to a royal family. His childbirth could have happened inside the comfort of a palace and attended by royal physicians. Instead, he was born into an ordinary family. His actual childbirth was pitiful when Joseph and Mary, because of their circumstances, had to give birth to Jesus inside a stable in Bethlehem. 

In usual circumstances for an ordinary family from that period, childbirth is usually done inside the safety and comfort of the parents' house. God could have arranged for a more comfortable place for Mary to give birth to Jesus. But that was not the case.

Luke, one of the gospel writers, recounted Jesus' childbirth in Bethlehem (Luke 2: 1-7). Verse 7 says when Mary gave birth to Jesus, she wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. That story had been immortalized in all of the Christian world through the Nativity scene. 

God's promise was clear from the start. The promise was not about redeeming Israel from Roman rule. It was not about overthrowing a tyrannical ruler and establishing a benevolent kingdom. It was not about political power or military power. God's promise was sending his beloved son to redeem mankind from sin. The Nativity scene delivers that point. There were no trappings of wealth and power.

It was already dangerous for the baby Jesus during his first days in this world. Herod, who was the king at the time, learned that a baby had been recently born and would become a king one day and was out to replace him. 

Herod wanted to maintain his grip on power. He was determined to kill the child once he gets to know the baby's whereabouts. Matthew, another gospel writer, recounted that evil plan about Herod's desire to kill the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:13).

Apparently, it seems that seen and unseen forces that favors mankind to be perpetually slaves to sin were out to cut short Jesus' birth. Man's sinful nature had ran wild when Herod's insecurities about power pushed him to kill the baby Jesus. 

Unable to locate the exact location of the baby Jesus, he ordered the killing of young boys two years old and below living in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16-18).

But God did not allow his promise to be unfulfilled. With the help of an angel, Joseph, Mary and the child Jesus escaped and sought refuge in Egypt.

The first days of the baby Jesus was not easy. As a baby, his life was already threatened. There were no soldiers to protect him like a king. He remained vulnerable as a baby and until adulthood. 

He would grow up in ordinary surroundings with ordinary parents without power and wealth. Yet, he held the key to our salvation.

Today, we enjoy the Christmas season which is a season of joy. It is the time to spend happy moments with family and friends. It gives us a break from the stresses of the Covid-19 pandemic and others stresses in life. 

More importantly, the season renews us with a sense of hope. The baby Jesus symbolizes hope. That gives us more reason to appreciate the sacrifice and hardship of a baby born in a manger in Bethlehem.

The familiar lines of the song during Christmas fittingly expresses our appreciation for the coming of the baby Jesus.

Joy to the world! The Lord is come
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing

Merry Christmas everyone!





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