1240. No Man Was Ever Born As Christ Was Born

No Man Was Ever Born As Christ Was Born

"Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel" (Isa_7:14).

There is a fourfold sense in which the birth of Christ is distinct from that of any other man.

1. His birth was heralded as none other was ever heralded. When an heir to the throne is to be born, it is frequently announced by the king and queen, and the whole realm is keyed with the anticipated birth.

The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, however, was heralded four thousand years before He was born. In the garden, God said: "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head."

The birth of Christ was heralded not only by the Father Himself, but by the prophets of old. How beautiful do the words read, "Unto us a Child is born, and unto us a Son is given"! How gracious are the words: "A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son." Thousands, yea, millions lived in anticipation of the birth of Christ.

2. His birth was honored as none other was ever honored. The Lord Jesus Christ's birth was one of shame and ignominy in so far as the masses were related to it. When He was born, He was laid in a manger for there was no room for Him in the inn. "He came unto His own and His own received Him not." "He came into the world * * and the world knew Him not."

In spite of the fact that Jesus Christ was disowned and dishonored by men in His birth, yet His birth was honored more than the birth of any man.

Let us go together through the night shadows and watch the shepherds as they feed their flock. Suddenly an angel appears, saying, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord." Then, suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Let us go to the East and follow the wise men, as, guided by the star, they make their way toward Bethlehem's manger. Let us behold them as they bring their gifts and bestow them upon the Infant Child. Let us watch them as they worship Him.

None other in the annals of history has ever been honored and acclaimed of God, in their birth, as was Christ.

3. His birth was hated as none other was ever hated. We read in Revelation 12 a passage which has reference to the Church in its future application, but as a passage which also looks backward to the birth of Christ.

"And there appeared a great wonder in Heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

"And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

"And there appeared another wonder in Heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

"And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born" (Rev_12:1-4).

There is no doubt that satan brought every force to bear against the infant Christ. He sought to slay Him before He was born, and he sought to slay Him as soon as He was born.

When the decree went forth from Herod ordering the slaughter of the innocents, the one purpose was to make certain the death of the infant Christ. God, however, sent an angel and warned Joseph, saying, "Take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt; and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." This wrath of Herod was none other than the wrath of satan. "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."

4. None other was ever holy born as Jesus Christ was holy. The angel Gabriel said unto Mary, "Therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

Of every other who has ever lived, we read: "In sin did my mother conceive me." Jesus Christ was born of God, and He was holy.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR