Luke 2:7, commentary and pictures

God used the decree of Caesar to bring Mary to Bethlehem, where, with no room in the crowded inn, she bore her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger in a rude stable for animals. Though outwardly a frail, helpless infant dependent on his mother, he was the divine Son of God, the Majesty of heaven, whose glory was veiled by humanity. His birth in David's city fulfilled the prophecy that from Bethlehem would come the ruler in Israel whose goings forth are from eternity. God honored his birth above all others by angels who watched over his parents, announced him to shepherds, and worshiped him, while the great and learned who expected an earthly prince did not know of him and the world he made had no room for him. It was the plan of redemption for him to lay aside royal glory and enter the lowest poverty and temptation, thereby sanctifying every stage of human life, revealing God's sympathy for the lowliest, and beginning a meek, self-denying life that calls his followers to the same humility.

Birth Setting and Details

God worked through the enrollment decree of Caesar Augustus to bring Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, David's city, because she was of David's lineage and the Son of David had to be born there, even as Cyrus had once been used to free the captives. The journey was for the census ordered by Augustus, placing the birth in Bethlehem as prophecy had foretold.

In the city of their own royal line Joseph and Mary were unrecognized and unhonored, and weary and homeless they vainly sought a resting place for the night. They walked the whole narrow street from the city gate to the eastern end, yet the crowded inn and lodging had no space for them. The wealthy and honored found welcome and comfort while the weary travelers were turned away.

With no room in the inn they took refuge in a rude shelter, stable, and coarse building used for animals and cattle. There Mary wrapped the child in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. He was cradled with only his parents as guardians, with no royal guard or honored attendants, his parents being uneducated peasants.

The birth is discussed in connection with Christmas, but the date of the birth is not known.

Veiled Glory in Humility

The King of glory entered human life in deep humiliation and uninviting surroundings, born in a lowly shed and stable and laid in a manger for a bed with beasts surrounding him. He came in poverty and obscurity to humble parents, with no earthly display, riches, or honor, and with no trace of luxury, ease, selfish gratification or indulgence. His glory was veiled, and he did not rely on earthly attractions to draw followers, but people were to be drawn by heavenly truth and accept the Messiah on the testimony of God's word which had long foretold his character.

In outward appearance he was a frail, helpless infant like other infants and other children, dependent for a time on his mother's care. Yet he was the divine Son of God, the Son of the Highest, the Majesty of heaven and the angels' Commander, whose presence had filled the courts of heaven with glory. His divine glory and majesty and heavenly presence were veiled and hidden by humanity, clothed with humanity so that his humble birth did not match the expectation of a mighty earthly prince.

This lowliness was deliberately chosen, for though he had left high command and infinite height he laid aside royal glory and took humanity upon himself. He left his kingly crown and royal robe and clothed his divinity with humanity, stepping down from the high command of the angels in heaven to come as a lowly babe born and laid in a manger in Bethlehem. Though he could have taken any condition he wanted and might have brought legions of angels with him, he chose instead to fill the humblest position and walk the lowest walk of continual self-denial and self-sacrifice.

His childhood followed a real, gradual development as any infant in its mother's arms, acting as a child and doing only the works of an obedient child. He honored his parents, obeyed their will and wishes, and helped them, and through that right course in home life his wisdom and ability constantly increased. He grew in grace and knowledge of truth, and in grace, knowledge, wisdom, and ability.

Prophecy Fulfilled in Bethlehem

Jesus was born in Bethlehem because the enrollment decree of Caesar Augustus brought Mary there from Nazareth, as Cyrus had once been used to free the captives, since Mary was of David's lineage and the Son of David had to be born in David's city in fulfillment of the prophecy that from Bethlehem would come the ruler in Israel whose goings forth are from eternity. In the city of their royal line Joseph and Mary were unrecognized and unhonored, and weary and homeless they walked the whole narrow street from the city gate to the eastern end vainly seeking a resting place for the night, but the crowded inn and lodging had no space for them while the wealthy and honored found welcome and comfort. So they took refuge in a rude shelter, a coarse building for animals and cattle, and there the Redeemer of the world was born, unknown to men, wrapped and laid in a manger while heaven was filled with rejoicing, the world was made brighter by his presence, and an innumerable throng of angels gathered above the hills of Bethlehem waiting to declare the news.

The temple sacrifices already pointed to him as the Lamb of God, but the people called to prepare for him failed to recognize or welcome him because their leaders were absorbed in worldly honor and riches rather than ready for his arrival. His humble coming as a babe of poor parentage, without worldly honor or outward display, fulfilled what the prophets had testified, yet the people especially favored by God refused to receive him as Messiah because he did not meet their expectations of a king in power and glory. He came as the Prince of life with a message of mercy to uplift the fallen and bring gladness to the desolate places of the earth, whose glory is to fill the whole earth and whose dominion will endure through every generation.

His humble first advent as a helpless babe, born in a stable and cradled in a manger, contrasts with his second coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The scriptural record of his history and birth must be studied and searched alongside other Scripture to learn the terms of salvation. His coming as a babe in Bethlehem set up a standard against Satan and began his conflict with the powers of darkness, as the Prince of light left the royal courts of glory in heaven to become man. From that birth Satan never lost sight of him, knew well his heavenly position, feared the loss of his cherished supremacy and power over the earth, and set on foot various plans to destroy him, all unsuccessful because the Son of God was upheld by his Father's strong arm.

Heaven Honors, Earth Rejects

Though lacking earthly honor, the birth in the lowly shed where the child lay in a manger in a rude cradle was honored by God above the births of other people. Angels watched over Mary and Joseph on their journey and remained with them when night came so they were not left alone at rest, for the child was the Son of the Highest whose presence had filled the courts of heaven with glory. Angels announced the coming to the shepherds with heavenly light and glory and worshiped him, and an innumerable throng gathered above the hills of Bethlehem glorified God because the Son of God had come to redeem fallen humanity. Heaven was filled with rejoicing that a Saviour had come, the whole world was made brighter by his presence, though he was unknown to men.

Though his outward circumstances were lowly, with a manger for a bed and beasts surrounding him, he was the angels' divine Commander. They could bow before him without ceasing to be loyal to Jehovah.

The great and learned on earth, including the Pharisees and scribes, did not know of it, for learning and outward religious devotion could not prepare them when they expected a mighty ruler and temporal prince instead. Absorbed in worldly honor and riches, the leaders called to prepare for the Messiah failed to recognize or welcome him, though the temple sacrifices already pointed to him as the Lamb of God. His nation made no preparation to receive him while heaven watched with intense interest, and the world he had made had no room for him, beginning a life of rejection and humiliation. His divine glory and majesty were veiled and hidden by humanity, appearing as a frail, helpless infant like other infants, so his humble birth did not match the expectation.

Humble shepherds on the heavenly announcement believed, received, and worshiped him. No royal guard was stationed to protect the newborn King and none of the world's honored men were in attendance, for he was guarded only by his parents, uneducated peasants. Wise men guided by a star came to worship him, and his glory was manifested there to them in the humble manger. They proved his exalted position by bringing precious, costly gifts to the Saviour and bending before him in homage while he was still a babe in lowly surroundings, more definitely understanding his true position and the honor due him than his own later followers who had his instruction and beheld his mighty miracles. Yet his lowly estate had been made known to the shepherds but not to the wise men, so that after their long journey and disappointment at the indifference of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem they arrived less confident than when they entered the city and questioned how this child could be he of whom it was written that he should raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved of Israel and be a light to the Gentiles and salvation unto the end of the earth.

Redemption Through Self Humiliation

He was born without worldly grandeur, in a stable and laid in a manger, yet though his birth lacked earthly honor God honored his coming above other births. Angels announced him to the shepherds with heavenly light and glory and worshiped him, and the heavenly host glorified God because the Son of God had come. His coming was the advent to a fallen, sinful world to accomplish redemption and, through his death, to bring peace, happiness, and everlasting life to fallen humanity.

It was according to the plan of redemption for him to be born in this humble place, laying off his royal robe and stepping down from high command over the angels in heaven to come as a lowly, helpless human babe in Bethlehem. His glory was manifested there to the wise men of the east who were guided by a star to come and worship him. Though divine he took human nature and lived a human life, and though he might have brought legions of angels with him he chose instead to fill the humblest position. He would pass step by step through every stage of the temptations and necessities of human life, being tempted just as strongly as any member of the human family can be tempted. By this he sanctified every department through which the fallen family must pass and showed that man need not continue in sin. He became fully able to accomplish humanity's complete redemption, to restore people to the privileges of the higher life, and through his ministration to make it possible for human beings to become partakers of the divine nature. His life gave the world an example of what humanity is to become and may live through receiving God's gift of his Son.

By sharing the needs and lowly conditions of human life the story of Bethlehem reveals the depth of God's sympathy for the humblest and lowliest. He so entered human life in humble circumstances that every kind of work and station could be sanctified and lived for God. His humility teaches rejection of pride and vanity and honor for humble, useful work.

His lowly birth in poverty and obscurity began the gospel age with the lesson that God introduced the gospel in a way unlike worldly displays of status, splendor, rank, grandeur, and outward appearance. Though the Majesty of heaven and Commander of the angels, he laid aside his royal glory, took humanity, and was born as a helpless babe in a stable, and his upbringing in obscurity at Nazareth and the beginning of his work in poverty and without worldly rank carry the same witness. Though he had left high command and infinite height and could have taken any condition he wanted, he deliberately chose the lowest and most humble walk of human life. Born in Bethlehem with poor parentage on one side while God, the Owner of the world, was his Father, he lived with no trace of luxury, ease, selfish gratification or indulgence, in a continual round of self-denial and self-sacrifice with no apparent greatness or riches. He chose this lowly condition of the far greater number of people so that it would be accessible to all, so the humblest believer need never say Christ never knew the stress of pinching poverty, and so the poorest class would not shun his society. His theme was truth of heavenly origin to sow the earth with truth, so that faith and obedience and heavenly truth alone might make an impression upon human hearts, teaching his church not to rely on worldly rank, grandeur, outward appearance, display, recognition, or splendor, but on the Lord God of Israel.

Example and Practical Application

The manger birth begins a spotless, meek, lowly and self-denying life, for the Prince of heaven was born as a babe in Bethlehem in a stable because no room except there could be found, and that humble beginning fits the life that followed as a man of sorrow acquainted with grief, with plain dress in a seamless coat and nowhere to lay his head. His lowliness reflects the humility that marked his whole life, and it stands as the pattern of meekness and self-denial his followers are called to follow. That lowliness condemns worldly dress, talk, lightness, vain laughter and covetousness in those professing to look for him, while his holy solemnity and unvarnished cutting truth restrain and check such conduct and manifest real character. Worldly professors would be ashamed of such a Saviour, and if he appeared among them as at his first advent they would oppose him, try to catch him in his words, and join the cry to crucify him.

Worldly greatness cannot save anyone from death, and he did not rely on earthly attractions to draw followers, for with his glory veiled and his birth without earthly display, riches or honor, people were to be drawn by heavenly truth and to accept the Messiah on the testimony of God's word, which had long foretold his character. His poor birth in humble circumstances, rather than among the rich, shows that poverty is no reason to despise people and removes the church's excuse to exalt itself because of wealth or social standing. His entering human life in this lowly way and sharing its needs reveals the depth of divine sympathy for the humblest and lowliest, so that every kind of work and station can be sanctified and lived for God, teaching closeness to God and faithful service do not depend on honor, status or outward importance, but honor humble, useful work and reject pride and vanity; he became poor so that others might be made rich through his self-giving, though the date of his birth is not known. As he was shut out from lodging at his birth and laid outside, self-sacrificing missionaries and preaching brethren returning worn out and sick from their fields must not in the same way be shut out from healing institutions, left to feel as paupers with debt hanging over them and forced to seek a place outside, but must find a freely open home where they are cared for without charge.

People should not provide comfort and attractive surroundings for themselves while leaving the place dedicated to God shamefully unsuitable, with his first earthly home a stable and a manger as the measure against such neglect. Yet lack of a suitable place for worship need not prevent the truth from being presented, for there was no room in the inn and the Saviour was born in a stable, and the gospel never depended on imposing churches or grand settings but was proclaimed from a fisherman's boat, on mountains and plains, and by the highway. The sweet story of the babe in Bethlehem should be repeated to children on the Sabbath to make the day a delight and the best day of the seven, with interesting stories in Bible history presenting him first as a babe and then as a child like themselves, obedient to father and mother and later industrious as a youth helping to support the family. He knows the trials and perplexities, temptations, weariness, joys and happiness of youth, and being subject to his parents and doing simply the works of an obedient child according to a child's ability was his missionary work in the home life, and all children can do the same to be a blessing in the home, for through that right course his wisdom and ability constantly increased. The gifts brought to Jesus by the wise men, when his nation had made no preparation to receive him though heaven watched with intense interest and angels proclaimed his arrival, show that offerings should honor God and support his work rather than be diverted to selfish gratification.