The Unexpected Birth of Jesus
Photo: Luke 1:31 | iStock.com
Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the promised Messiah came to this Earth in the most unexpected way…
Jesus did not make an extravagant grand entrance, but came as a baby in a place meant for animals. The promised King of David who would fulfill establishing David’s eternal throne (2 Samuel 7) was born in a manger used as a feeding trough.
The juxtaposition of these two ideas of the greatest man who ever lived being born in this lowly way - to my human mind does not make sense, but that’s God for you; He tends to do the unexpected.
Unexpected - Bareness
With the days leading up to Christmas 2024 and preparing to celebrate Jesus’ birth - I was drawn to Jesus’ lineage in Matthew 1 starting with Abraham, including King David, and leading all the way to Joseph - Mary’s husband.
Obviously through lineage, there must be offspring and birth, without this there would be no generations.
However, Jesus’ birth story began with bareness/infertility through Abraham’s wife Sarah and her story.
This especially struck me because I am currently in a season of waiting to have children. I can’t 100% empathize with what Sarah was going through as she wasn’t able to have children until later in life, but I do understand the pain of wanting to have a child and not being able to have one in your timing.
I can’t imagine what Sarah was thinking when Abraham told her that God would promise her a son…
Isaac's Birth Promised
15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.”
I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.
21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”
Genesis 17:15-21 ESV
God did the absolute unexpected and allowed Sarah to become pregnant in her old age and established Jesus’ lineage through the covenant he made with Abraham (The Abrahamic Covenant) through his son Isaac…
2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:2-3 ESV
Through Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac’s line - all of the families of the earth are blessed ultimately through Jesus.
Unexpected - Pregnancy (Mary)
Although it was known that the coming Messiah was to be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) - Mary had no idea, that she would be that Virgin. And Joseph for sure had no idea his virgin-expected wife was going to get pregnant by way of the Holy Spirit. This was an unexpected surprise to both of them and most definitely probably threw off any plans they may have had before receiving this news from Gabriel, the angel.
Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
Luke 1:26-35
Unexpected - Pregnancy (Elizabeth)
As the passage continues, Gabriel goes on to describe that nothing is impossible for God and shares that Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, has also conceived a son in her old age (John The Baptist) for the first time. Bringing up the theme of bareness once again and how God used the pain of infertility to bring glory to his name through the birth of John The Baptist.
36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Luke 1:36-37
For nothing will be impossible with God; this phrase is an encouragement for me during this current trial of bareness that I face. I know that God is writing my motherhood story. Whether that looks like becoming a biological mother or an adoptive mother, I am surrendering to the Lord’s Will and waiting for my unexpected next chapter.
Expected Savior
Jesus, the expected savior, born in the most unexpected way.
He came from a family line of brokenness that began with bareness that ultimately leads to eternal life found only through Him.
He was born into filth - to wash us clean.
The Savior of the World - who lived a perfect, sinless, humble life - gives to us the unexpected greatest gift we could ever receive:
Undeserving grace, love, and forgiveness to make us clean before God.
We celebrate you, Jesus!
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
The White Butterfly Effect: God’s Promises Revealed
It all begins with an idea.
Photo from Unsplash by Wyxina Tresse
Biblical Back Story
“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”
Romans 1:20 ESV
Read Romans 1 for full context.
This verse in the bible is bold. Paul, an apostle for Christ, wrote the book of Romans (a letter to the Roman) church to encourage them in their faith and to clearly explain the Gospel to the new Christian Faith that emerged after Christ was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven. Jews and Gentiles (those who were not Jewish) that were believers in Christ, were the recipients of this letter within a Pagan society where popular faith was Greek Mythology. In the first chapter he shares that the existence of God is clearly seen by the creation he has made so people are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
Currently my church is studying the book of Romans and our Pastor preached about how creation is meant to be awe-inspiring and turn our eyes to the Creator.
I will be completely honest and say that my favorite form of worship is being in Creation, hands-down. My husband and I love to hike together and every wedding anniversary we go on a new hike together.
A picture my husband took of me in Hocking Hills during our 5 year anniversary trip.
The White Butterfly Story
Last week we started up our bible study that I lead and we all shared some life updates as it had been awhile since we’ve all seen each other and met. One of the ladies in our study shared big news and shared an incredible God story with us. God had opened a door in her life to pursue something new and start a new chapter and she shared with us something that she had never done before in her prayer life. She asked God to specifically show her a sign if this path was meant for her. She specifically asked for the sign to be to see a white butterfly.
She then proceeds to tell us that shortly after praying this she not only saw one white butterfly, but many that day. She shared this with her family as well and they also saw white butterflies together. Seriously gives me chills showing how God worked to confirm and bring her peace that this was the path for her.
Fast forward to today.
For the past month I’ve been wrestling with some demons due to my husband starting Medical School about a month ago. With any big change in my life, this tends to be a trigger for anxiety and insomnia. With Josh no longer working, I am the bread winner for our family now and have been feeling extra pressure with this new responsibility.
This afternoon I went for a walk with my two golden retrievers behind our home that is located in front of a farm field. There is a path for us to walk along the field and I try to take my dogs on this daily. During the course of my walk, I encountered about 30 white butterflies. This has never happened before.
It was a slow progression of emotion as when I saw the first few, I immediately thought of my friend and God’s promises in her life. As I continued my walk, I started to feel the presence of the Lord so much more. I felt the Holy Spirit say to me as I continued to see more and more of these white butterflies “everything is going to be ok.”
Then the coolest thing happened.
For about 10 steps or so, I had a butterfly flying right beside me and it felt like it was walking with me.
It was in that moment that I knew God was telling me that he is walking right beside me during this time and season in life. The sudden rush of peace that I felt in that moment stopped me in my tracks and I began to cry tears of Joy.
As I continued my walk back to my house, I saw more white butterflies.
I thought to myself, how cool that the Lord used my friend in bible study to share her story of the white butterfly and he then proceeds to speak to me through his creation, of using white butterflies. Showing me the promise that he made in scripture, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”