The Scandal of the Birth of Jesus

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.

Matt. 1: 18-25

Isn't it interesting that when God chose to enter the world through his son, that he came amidst a scandal? The fulfillment of prophecy required a special entrance into the world; but, why in a way that must have induced rumors, whispers and shame? It took angelic intervention to save this marriage.

Perhaps it is a message from God that things are not as they always appear. Sometimes the work of the Spirit operates at the lowest point of our humanity in ways that we cannot see; except, through the eye of faith. Isaiah 53:2 says:

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

The Messiah came as a suffering servant. He was nothing special to look at. He was not one of the beautiful people who stood out in a crowd. He was like one of us. Sometimes God uses the most common and lowly to teach us his eternal truths. The world was to be saved by a peasant born in a manger in Bethlehem to a virgin Jewish girl betrothed to a descendant of David. What an unbelievable story! And, this is only the beginning.