2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Note that Mary was not a princess with a huge estate or a great prophetess with a large following. She was the humble Jewish daughter of Heli. She was engaged to Nazareth’s local carpenter, a good man named Joseph. When it was time to give birth she was not pampered or given special care and attention. Instead, after riding a donkey over rough roads to accompany her husband to Bethlehem to be taxed, she ended up in a rustic stable – more likely a cave, surrounded by barnyard animals. There, on a bed of straw, she gave birth to the Son of God, wrapping Him in rough linens and laid Him in a hay-filled animal food trough. I’ve often thought this manger to be fitting since we know Jesus says He is “the Bread of life.”

The familiar Scriptures tell us that His first visitors were not among society’s elite, the wealthy, or powerful. Instead, angels announced Jesus’ kingly entrance into the world to the lowliest, poorest people of all – shepherds who watched their flocks by night, outside the city. And they had come to find the Lord, gladly, still in awe that the King of Glory had come to dwell among them. They came to find Immanuel – which means, “God with us.”

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Imagine, common folks who are able to come into the very presence of divinity and have fellowship with the Son of God!

How could such a thing be? The Apostle Paul exclaims 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

As incredible as it seems, down through the ages, in fact, from the very beginning, starting with Cain, the murderous son of Adam and Eve, mankind has rejected the gift of God.

You see, the Old Testament saints were saved and redeemed exactly as we are – by faith in God’s promise of a Savior, a means of forgiveness of sins, and salvation - the difference being that Jesus, the Messiah, had not yet come.

They offered the blood sacrifices of animals, which was only sufficient to cover their sins; that blood was not sufficient to actually take away their sins. It would take “innocent Royal blood” of Jesus Christ to “take away the sins of the world.” Now, we may receive God’s gift of Christ’s shed blood and life, which is the only blood and life that is sinlessly qualified to take away the stain and penalty of our sins.