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Born in a Stable
29
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, good will toward men!”
Oh that today the human family could recognize that song! The
song the angels sang will grow louder to the close of time and echo
to the ends of the earth.
As the angels disappeared, the shadows of night once more fell
on the hills of Bethlehem. But the brightest picture human eyes
ever saw remained in the memory of the shepherds. They “said to
one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that
has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they
came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in
a manger.”
They left with great joy and told everyone they met the things
they had seen and heard. “And all those who heard it marveled at
those things which were told them by the shepherds.”
Heaven and earth are no wider apart today than when shepherds
listened to the angels’ song. Angels from the courts above will
accompany those in the common occupations of life who respond to
God’s leading.
In the story of Bethlehem is hidden “the depth of the riches both
of the wisdom and knowledge of God.”
Romans 11:33
. We are
amazed at the Savior’s sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven
[18]
for the manger. Human pride stands rebuked in His presence.
Yet this was only the beginning of His condescension! It would
have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take
human nature even when Adam stood in innocence in Eden. But
Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four
thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam, He accepted the
results of heredity. We can see what these results were in the history
of His earthly ancestors. He came with just such a heredity to share
our temptations and give us the example of a sinless life.
Satan hated Christ. He hated the One who pledged Himself to
redeem sinners. Yet into the world where Satan claimed the right to
rule, God permitted His Son to come as a helpless baby, subject to
the weakness of humanity, to meet life’s dangers just like everyone
else, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it—at
the risk of failure and eternal loss.