Once upon a time in a land far away, a baby was born into a poor family. Having little money, the mother had no choice but to give birth among animals in a stable. But this was no ordinary child. No, this baby was born to be a king. Both his mother and father were of royal blood, so their child was the legal heir to the throne of their country.
The current king was so afraid of this child that he sought to kill him, but he failed thanks to angels intervening on the child’s behalf. The baby lived and grew to be a respected and admired young man, full of wisdom and knowledge (Luke 2:52). When he became an adult, he traveled throughout the land bringing hope and healing to all who would believe in him.
Despite how this all sounds, it is no fairy tale. The baby in our story is, of course, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God and the Savior of the world. He was no ordinary child who grew up to become no ordinary man. Jesus came to die, to save a world that had lost its way. It had been a long night of darkness since God last spoke to His people (Amos 8:11). Hope was running on fumes, and their discouragement was turning into desperation. Into such bleakness came the promised Messiah, born into humility, destined to die, but promising to return in glory, splendor, and ultimate power (Isaiah 9:6–7; Matthew 24:30). This child is the hope of the world (John 3:16; John 1:29).
When Jesus was twelve years old, He spent time teaching and debating the religious scholars in the temple (Luke 2:46–47). No ordinary child could ever do such a thing. Imagine the amazement of those teachers of the law as this boy no doubt was challenging their misunderstanding of the Scriptures. It was something He would continue to do throughout His brief life on earth (Matthew 7:28–29; Matthew 22:23-29). Jesus is truth and is always about the truth. Unlike you or me, as God, He cannot lie (Titus 1:1-2; Hebrews 6:17-18). And His truth is simple: He is the way, He is the truth, and He is the only way to eternal life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
If not for the birth of Jesus, we would all be dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1–5). Except for the birth of Christ, life has no meaning. If God had never come to earth as a man, then man would have no hope of ever seeing God (John 1:18; John 14:6). Our entire purpose is to live our lives giving glory to God for His magnificent creation and for the unspeakable gift of redemption through His Son (1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 1:7). Without Jesus, everything is meaningless (John 15:5).
Jesus was no ordinary child, and He offers no ordinary life. If you chase even the finest things this world has to offer, you will lose your life (Matthew 16:25). There’s nothing extraordinary in that. If you will give up everything the world tells you that you need, everything you find so desirable in this life, then you will discover the extraordinary and eternal life Jesus offers instead (Luke 9:23–24). His birth may have been ordinary, but this child was anything but. He came so we can join Him when we die (John 14:2–3; Philippians 1:23). He lived so that we might find eternal life in Him. His blood satisfies the debt for every sin we ever did or will commit (1 John 1:7; Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18–19; Revelation 7:13-14).
The greatest expression of love in all history was God sending His Son Jesus to be born as a human. His birth should be a reminder of what His coming to earth means for us. He didn’t have to live as a man; He didn’t have to die; and He didn’t have to save us. But He did because of His immense love for us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). Jesus was no ordinary child; what else would we expect from such an extraordinary Savior? His birth provides our hope, and His resurrection promises life eternal to all who will believe and call Him Lord (John 11:25–26; Romans 10:9–10). This child was, is, and forever shall be, the King and Savior of all the earth (Revelation 19:16; Acts 4:12).