He Came to Change the World: 7 Day Advent GuideSample

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but he was considered a Nazarene, a person from Nazareth. Nazareth was an obscure, insignificant place at the time of Christ’s birth. It was close but not adjacent to a major roadway where caravans would pass. Jesus grew up in a small valley where most people relied on agriculture to support their families. The area had a bad reputation because of its moral weakness and crude Galilean dialect. Jesus was born to what could be referred to today as a “hillbilly” lifestyle. Could Joseph’s dialect have contributed to his being given a stable instead of a room at the inn? How surprised were the wise men when they were led to present valuable gifts to the humble child? Jesus could have been born to anyone God chose—and he was. The concept of “social standing” is not a new one. That concept has existed in every culture in some form or another. The Christmas story tells of kings, a humble family, and those who belonged to the lowest social order: the shepherds. Kings chose to honor the Christ child, while another king wanted him killed. All manner of people were gathered in Bethlehem because of a census, but only One was there to fulfill prophecy. The shepherds would have remained unnoticeable by the average person, but each of them is still honored today. Christmas is a good time to take stock of your “social standing.” Does your position in the community mean that you count in certain circles, but you haven’t yet been counted as “present” by the Christ child? Are you offering gifts to a long list of friends and family but not to the One whose birthday is celebrated? It has always been true that a fast-paced social life makes it hard to find those quiet moments to think about the real meaning of Christmas. How sad it is that while people were eating, sleeping, and socializing in the inn, the king of Kings was being born a few yards away. And they missed it. Jesus chose a humble birth and a humble family. He chose shepherds to be first that day. He chose kings to be last. And he chose all of this to prove he would choose all of us. No one is too “low,” and no one is “high” enough to deserve an audience with the Christmas child. But he became one of us so we could be one with him. Take some time to give up something social for something spiritual. All of us will be “standing” someplace—let’s choose a field where angels appear to show us the glory of God. Humble yourselves, and he will lift you up (1 Peter 5:6). And may that be what we consider good social standing!