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21st April 2020

Jesus was Born in the Wilderness

Greg Simnor

I want to start by asking us all a question, which I hope will have us considering a reality and dimension in Christ we may not be awake to. My hope is that all of this eternal food which is being given, will steer us towards having our minds renewed to being in Him. 

Q. Where was Jesus born?

Luke 2:12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Kings are not born in Inns and they are not born in stables. Kings are not laid in mangers. Kings are not placed in a trough used to feed animals. What are you talking about? Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords didn’t come out of Nazareth did He, because as Nathanael said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Nazareth was a very small village in this time, with not a lot happening within it. Interestingly enough Nazareth today is a large city in the Northern District of Israel, which is known as the Arab capital of Israel. How fascinating is all of this? That the King of all kings wasn’t born in the luxury of a palace, or the luxury of an empire, like kings of this world. He wasn’t born in the most modern day, state of the art birthing unit, which todays kings are born in, wrapped in the finest of linens. 

I mean can you imagine any of the English monarchy being born in an Inn, a stable or being laid in a trough that is used to feed their horses? I don’t think so, and yet this is where our Lord and Saviour, the One and only beloved Son of almighty God was found. 

What is all this telling us about God? God is never found in where we think He is? He is never where we expect Him to be and look. Is God a burning bush? No, but this is where His presence was found by Moses and on the most barren and driest part of Mt Horeb. 

Jesus was born in the dirtiest, smelliest, darkest of environments. He is found in a broken down and decrepit place, used to house animals. The Holy Spirit comes into broken down, dirty vessels called humanity and this is where He makes His home. He makes His home in the broken and contrite heart, not the heart that thinks it has it all together. What am I saying here?

Not only was Jesus born in a place you wouldn’t expect to find Him, He is also found in the people we don’t expect Him to be found in. He is not found in the people who live in temples, but in the people who live and inhabit the wilderness with Him.