When and where did your life begin? Me, I was born at a small hospital in Lawrenceville, Illinois. At 7:06 a.m. nearly 28 years ago, I took my very first breath.
Now let’s talk about Jesus’ birth:
What makes this birth stand apart from all others isn't the humble stable in Bethlehem, Israel, where He was born or the smelly animals that witnessed His entry into the world, though those were certainly some unique circumstances! What made His birth different than every other was that "His birth did not mark His origin, but only His appearance as a man on the stage of time."
Wooaahh. Did you get that? This baby was God Himself, the One "without beginning"! Until this day, He had had no beginning; He simply was, "I am" (John 8:57–58). Like the song lyrics put it, "Creation gazed upon His face; the ageless One in time's embrace."
Has the dark thought, I wish I'd never been born, ever crossed your mind? If so, you will find Sanders words especially meaningful: "Unlike us, [Jesus] chose the oblivion of birth and the humiliation of life. He consented not only to die, but to be born."
This is astounding when you consider what He gave up in order to be born. His "tight" relationship with the Father and the Spirit must have been at the very top of the list of riches He gave up (2 Cor. 8:9).
The pre-existence of Jesus humbles me when I remember that this "ageless One" became poor, so that you and I could become rich in Christ. Truly we have been and are loved with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3)!
