The Real Deal

Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (ESV)

To be found in human form can in and of itself be an altogether humiliating thing. Now when we think of the birth of Jesus, we think nativity scene. We think glorious things; a glowing child, washed clean, clothed in baby gap with a stylish comb over, laying gracefully in a tempurpedic crib. Before we buy into the pathetic reenactment of our day, lets look to the real happenings of that day via the Scriptures. “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manager, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

Last time I checked, when a child comes out of its mothers womb, he is a bloody mess. One must assume this to be true of this day as well. A bloody mess, assumedly cleaned then wrapped in swaddling cloths; which literally just meant strips of cloth. More degrading then this He was laid in a manager. This does not mean a crib for babies rather a crib for eating. Our Savior upon His birth, found in human form, bloody, wrapped in strips of cloth was then to be laid in a feeding trough, a place most commonly known to the foul mouth of an animal. His place of birth did not look like your local neighborhood Macys. Nor was it accompanied with the sweet smell of hot cider and gingerbread cookies, while soothing tunes of “may your days be merry” play in the background. This was the real deal, smelly, dark and musty, the lowest of lows, the place our Savior was born.

This verse in Luke ends in saying there was no place for Him in the inn. This would not only be an underlying theme throughout the rest of His lowly life, but it is the theme of every generation. People want nothing to do with Jesus and therefore have said there is no place for Him in their life. Today we have gone so far as to ban Him from whole countries, our educational systems, our media sources and even the pledge of our own Nation. His birth would mark a humiliating trend that will continue on until the day of his second coming.

Enough of His birth, let us talk a little bit of His death. When I say a little, I mean just that. I am convinced there a parts of the upcoming events we will never grasp. Crowned in thorns, spat upon, mocked, clubbed, beaten, no longer possessing human semblance or form of mankind, it was then He bore His own cross. Now on the subject of the cross. A death more humiliating then most. Hung for all to see though not guilty. The mystery of it all, is though he bore physical pains unbearable to most, he bore the wrath of God. “That is he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

That God would will for His Gospel to be written in human form, to me is that God would will an intimate relationship. For we do not have a lofty High Priest, rather we have a lowly High Priest. One who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, that we may look to Him, a very present help in a time of need.