The first Christmas
Good day beautiful people
I hope you had a blessed Christmas reflecting on Christ’s great sacrifice. The fact that the King of kings and the Prince of peace gave up His divine privileges by taking on human flesh so that we can experience life everlasting, is something worth celebrating.
Philippians 2:7 ~ “Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,”
Today’s short write up is centred on the day Christ came into the world as a baby in a manger. (Just to clarify no one knows the exact date this glorious event took place, yet I believe that as Christian’s we can agree on the fact that Christ was conceived via supernatural conception and is God in flesh appearing, and His birth is a historical event which did take place).
Luke 1:31-35 ~ “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.”
So, some lessons I’ve learnt regarding the birth of Christ as of 2023…
1. Just because Mary was carrying baby Jesus didn’t mean that she was exempt from facing difficulties. There was no room for Joseph and pregnant Mary in the inn. Who knows, people may not have wanted to put up with a pregnant mother and the hassle of having to help when she would eventually go into labour.
Luke 2:7 ~ “She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”
2. Mary and Joseph couldn’t afford a lamb for the purification ceremony post giving birth to baby Jesus, but what they could afford was turtle doves/pigeons. They weren’t exactly the most wealthiest of couples from a financial perspective.
Luke 2:21-24 ~ “Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord “either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Leviticus 12:8 ~ “If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean.”
3. Also, it is likely that Joseph had to give up his job as a self employed carpenter to protect and look after Jesus. Their life became very tough and things got worse but God miraculously provided for them through the Magi brining gifts…They had to flee Bethlehem and go to Egypt so that Christ’s life would be preserved as Herod was determined to kill all baby boys who were a threat to his kingdom.
Matthew 2:13 ~ “After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Lastly, we as Christian’s mustn’t forget that as followers of Christ we are called to suffer for Him.
1 Peter 2:21 ~ “For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.”
I hope you could take something away from todays post. God bless and have a wonderful new year.
Love from
Christian Lady After God’s Own Heart 💜
