She brought forth her firstborn son

What a momentous event is recorded in these verses for our consideration today! Mary’s ‘firstborn son’, is also ‘Jesus’, the ‘Saviour, which is Christ the Lord’. Yet He comes in humility, ‘wrapped . . . in swaddling clothes’, and there is an early hint of the rejection that will characterize His life, ‘There was no room for them in the inn’.

The Lord Jesus is the focus of this passage. Yet the inspired writer also draws attention to other personalities involved. They contrast greatly: an immensely powerful individual in the imperial capital; a poor couple from Nazareth; a group of shepherds from Bethlehem; and a multitude of angels from heaven itself! We can learn something about God from each of them.

Caesar gives us an insight into the government of God. In making his edict that ‘all the world should be taxed’, v. 1, never did he imagine that he was setting in train the events that would fulfil the prophecy that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem, Mic. 5. 2. How comforting it is to know that God is over all, and that even ungodly men can unwittingly be used to carry out His purposes in human history!

In Joseph and Mary we see something of the guidance of God. Having trusted Him, and made themselves available to be used by Him, they could look to Him regarding the details as to how His great plan would be worked out. What a blessing it is to know that, if we are depending on Him, and obedient to His word, He will guide us, and ensure that we are in the right place, at the right time, to fulfil His will for us.

The shepherds illustrate the grace of God. He first made known the coming of the Saviour, not to the great and mighty of this world, but to these humble men. How lovely is their response to His gracious message: they hastened to find the baby, they told others about Him, and they gave glory to God! Our response to His grace should be thus, too.

In the angels we see the glory of God. The account of their visit begins with His glory being seen visually, and ends with glory being ascribed to Him verbally. Truly,as we consider these things, we like them can say, ‘Glory to God!’