moral concerns a baby was born
( All Scripture references are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.)
I Once upon a time, a baby was born in Bethlehem. Nobody noticed. Nobody cared.“ He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not”( John 1:10). His parents were turned away from the inn. Nobody made room for a pregnant woman.
Caesar Augustus was taxing his subjects, and every man had to get his family registered for the census. Joseph, born of the tribe of Judah, went to Bethlehem, the city of David, Israel’ s most famous king. Joseph took Mary, his betrothed, with him. In God’ s providence, their Son was born that very night.
Caesar Augustus, the first of the Roman emperors, gave himself the title,“ Divi Filius,” which means“ Son of the Divine.” One of the great ironies of history is that one of his subjects was Jesus Christ— the true Son of the Divine. People knew who Caesar Augustus was. As for Jesus Christ:“ He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not”( John 1:10).
Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, was born that night, and nobody noticed. The Geneva Bible( 1560 edition) describes the birth:“ And she broght forthe her first begotten sonne, & wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a cratch, because there was no rowme for them in the ynne”( Luke 2:7). The word“ cratch” is an archaic word for:
“ manger”“ crib”“ a crib or rack especially for fodder”“ a rack for hay or livestock fodder”
Nobody noticed. Nobody cared.“ He came unto His own, and His own received Him not”( John 1:11).
He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. That didn’ t just happen at the crucifixion. That also happened on the verge of his birth. Yes, it happened at His exit from His earthly life, but it also happened at His entry into His earthly life.“ He is despised and rejected of men; a man of many sorrows and acquainted with grief”( Isaiah 53:3a).
Here was the Savior being born into the world to save people’ s souls, and the people at the inn didn’ t know it. Yes, He was acquainted with sorrow, and His parents were similarly acquainted on the night of His birth. Yes, on that night, Joseph and Mary, the couple charged with bringing the Savior into the world, were acquainted with sorrow. They were in need, but nobody helped. The Savior was born, but nobody noticed. Nobody cared.
II
God doesn ' t leave Himself without witness( John 1:6-8; Romans 10:17; Acts 14:17)-- and He didn ' t remain silent for long. After the Savior was born, He saw to it that somebody noticed. On that same night, He raised up a set of witnesses:
“ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, 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 Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger”( Luke 2:8-12).
God didn ' t send His angel to Caesar Augustus. He sent His angel to a group of shepherds. In terms of importance, the shepherds were among the lowest of the low. Perhaps only the tax collectors were despised more. Yet the shepherds were the first to hear about the Savior ' s birth— and they ran to see Him. They were the first to see the Savior— and they soon became the first to tell about His birth:“ And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child”( Luke 2:17). The shepherds were the first evangelists in the year of our Lord.
III
Jesus Christ, the God-Man, the Sinless One who died for the sins of His people( Isaiah 53:11-12; Matthew 1:21; Romans 5:8), was once a baby. He loved children( Matthew 9:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16)— and He was once a child. On the night the Savior was born, the shepherds celebrated. The people of Bethlehem didn ' t.
IV
The birth of a child is a joyous occasion and a blessing. It ' s a cause for celebration. Too many times today the birth of a child isn ' t celebrated. Too many times today the birth of a child never happens. The law of the land says ending life in the womb is legal. The Law of God says it ' s murder( Exodus 20:13; Psalm 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5-6; Luke 1:21). As the church of Jesus Christ, we ' re called to be like the shepherds. We are witnesses of the Living Savior. Let ' s pray and work to make sure all babies are given the right to be born, so they, too, can be witnesses of the Living Savior.
Matt Haddad( formerly pro-choice)
Moral Concerns Committee
MESSENGER FEBRUARY 2017 PAGE 9