The birth of Jesus was miraculous in every sense of the word. Beyond the mind-blowing revelation that Jesus was God incarnate (from the Latin verb incarnare, which means to make flesh: John 1:14, Hebrews 2:17, John 14:11) is the precise fulfillment of ancient Old Testament prophecies encapsulated in the Nativity (Latin verb nasci, which means to be born). Incredibly, God became fleshly so that we could be Spirit-filled and eventually become redeemed spiritual beings. The life of Jesus fulfilled over 300 ancient prophecies, often written thousands of years before His birth. Mathematically speaking, the probability of those precise prophecies happening by chance is a statistical impossibility.

God became fleshly so that we could be Spirit-filled and eventually become redeemed spiritual beings.

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The life of Jesus fulfilled over 300 ancient prophecies, written thousands of years before His birth. Mathematically speaking, the probability of those precise prophecies happening by chance is a statistical impossibility.

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When the Prophetic Collides with the Present

According to the prophets, the Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), in the city of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), and He would be a direct descendent of King David (Isaiah 7:13-14; 9:6-7, Jeremiah 33:15, Psalm 2:7). Each of these amazingly specific predictions were fulfilled in the early pages of the New Testament. Of course, this was Divinely orchestrated to give us confidence that Jesus was indeed the promised Savior. It’s easy to get lost in the wonder of it and forget that Mary and Joseph were intensely human. But they were human, full of doubts, fears, desires, needs, and insecurities. Yet, they were chosen by God to participate in the sacred unfolding of the salvation story.

Think for a moment of the odd combination of joy and fear that must have filled Mary’s heart when she realized she was pregnant with the Messiah even though she was still a virgin. Who would believe such a story? Not only that, she was already engaged to Joseph. Would he believe what the angel told her about a miraculous pregnancy? Even if he trusted her story, would he be willing to live under the social stigma of marrying a pregnant woman? These would undoubtedly have been terrifying questions for young Mary. We know how the story unfolded, but she didn’t have the benefit of hindsight. All she could do was let God work it out.

Joseph must have entertained worries of his own. Would the social stigma impact his business and ability to provide for his family? How could he be an adequate father for the Messiah? How would this affect his relationship with Mary? How would their extended families react to all of this? The questions were probably endless. But the biblical account makes it clear that Joseph was a good and kind man who genuinely wanted to do the right thing. He trusted God when it was hard and willingly shouldered the burden of responsibility.

Prophetic Precision

Interestingly, at the beginning of the story, there seems to be an error. The prophet Micah foretold the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but Joseph lived a solid ninety miles from there in Nazareth. By today’s standards, ninety miles doesn’t seem like a big deal, but that was a challenging seven-day journey in those days. But God doesn’t make mistakes, and thousands of years before it happened, God knew Caesar Augustus would call for a mandatory taxation and census (Luke 2:1-5). And, because Joseph was of David’s lineage, he was required to travel to Bethlehem with his very pregnant wife, Mary.

Think of how precisely the prophecy came to pass. Mary didn’t give birth just before leaving Nazareth. She didn’t give birth on the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. No. Jesus was born exactly where predicted. And as countless Christmas plays have awkwardly yet beautifully depicted, the exhausted couple couldn’t find a room (Luke 2:7). Apparently, all they could find in their desperation was a barn. In that barn, the King was born.

We’re All Innkeepers

As many have derisively noted, the Bible never mentions an innkeeper. But it stands to reason if the tired couple couldn’t find a room (no doubt they tried very hard to find one), at least one innkeeper said there just aren’t any rooms available right now. Thousands of years later, we’re all innkeepers deciding whether we will make room for Jesus. Will we partake in the miracle of the Messiah, or will we send the promise away? The King of kings won’t force His way into our lives. He doesn’t confiscate our free will. He asks permission and goes where He is wanted. For now, at least.

We’re all innkeepers deciding whether we will make room for Jesus.

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Will we partake in the miracle of the Messiah, or will we send the promise away? The King of kings won’t force His way into our lives. He doesn’t confiscate our free will. He asks permission and goes where He is wanted. For now, at least.

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The Birthing of the Miraculous

Joseph and Mary didn’t find themselves sequestered in a barn in a strange city because God abandoned them. No. They experienced hardship because of their willingness to be intricate players in the big picture of God’s unfolding story. Some view Marys and Josephs struggling under the weight of God’s plan as miserable failures. But the Nativity is a powerful reminder that this isn’t true. God’s plan transcends shabby barns, painful processes, human frailty, and fearful conditions. Miracles are birthed in terrible settings. But the environment doesn’t matter once the miracle arrives. The Messiah, God incarnate, suddenly steps into our world because we allowed Him to rearrange our story. Jesus’ entrance was imperfect because we are imperfect, and our world is tragically flawed. The light came to penetrate the darkness and erase the furtive comforts of shadowy places.

God’s plan transcends shabby barns, painful processes, human frailty, and fearful conditions. Miracles are birthed in terrible settings. But the environment doesn’t matter once the miracle arrives.

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Jesus’ entrance was imperfect because we are imperfect, and our world is tragically flawed. The light came to penetrate the darkness and erase the furtive comforts of shadowy places.

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Little did Mary and Joseph know as they swaddled baby Jesus in a manger that magi were traveling from the east to see a newborn king. They also didn’t know that King Herod would hear from these same magi that prophecies surrounding a Jewish king were unfolding. He promptly ordered the execution of all male boys two-years-old and younger in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas (Matthew 2:16-18), fulfilling yet another ancient prophecy (Jeremiah 31:15). When the magi found Jesus, they came bearing meaningful gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their gifts weren’t randomly chosen: Gold represented kingship, myrrh represented deity, and frankincense was the symbol of death (an embalming oil).

When the magi found Jesus, they came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their gifts weren’t randomly chosen: Gold represented kingship, myrrh represented deity, and frankincense was the symbol of death (an embalming oil).

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Why Did the Magi Visit?

That’s usually how the sermon is preached. The curtain falls, the play ends, the kids take off their bathrobe costumes, but the magi’s visit was more than just a breathtaking acknowledgment of Jesus’ kingship. Certainly, it was much more than an example for us to give our best gifts to one another or Jesus, for that matter. Remember, this scene wasn’t intended for us alone. Mary and Joseph were human beings that desperately needed encouragement, confirmation, and provision. The plan of God led them to a manger and danger of death.

After the magi left, an angel warned Joseph in a dream that he must flee with his little family to Egypt or be killed by Herod (Matthew 2:13-14). The trip to Egypt would be long, expensive, and perilous. God knew that doubt, discouragement, and displacement would flood their hearts. So, in His infinite wisdom and love, He sent magi to worship, as confirmation their baby was indeed a king. God sent royal men to a lowly barn encouraging the couple to remember their surroundings weren’t indicative of their calling. And, He sent wealthy men with expensive gifts as a provision for their physical needs.

God’s plan still takes us into dangerous, uncharted waters. God even asks us to do hard things and obey without understanding the bigger picture. We still suffer rejection, hardship, pain, and uncertainty. Often, God’s promises require sacrifices that seem impossible to give. Understandably, we sometimes wonder if God really is with us. But if we remain faithful, God still sends the exquisite gifts of encouragement, confirmation, and provision. And, usually when we least expect it.

God’s promises require sacrifices that seem impossible to give. We wonder if God really is with us. But if we remain faithful, God still sends the exquisite gifts of encouragement, confirmation, and provision.

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