The circumstances of the birth of Jesus were far from satisfactory - an untimely census resulting in a long journey for a woman with a full term pregnancy, the pregnancy itself occurring outside of marriage with all the cultural and religious shame attached, lack of appropriate accommodation for a woman about to give birth to a child and finally the baby born, the Saviour of the world, was placed in an animal feeding trough! It doesn't stop at this - who are the first to hear the news of messiah' birth? Shepherds - a despised class within Israel. It may all seem underwhelming, badly organised and poorly attended but the great 'host of heaven' is in no doubt of the wonder and glory of God that has burst upon the earth and neither should we. That Messiah should arrive in such hopeless circumstances without media coverage shows us that what God does to save this world is not dependent on how impressed we are or how ideal our circumstances. If we can't hear the angels singing even to poor shepherds then we will miss the great glory of what God has done.
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John DUNKLEY BTh, Dip.Min. and Dip. Pastoral Studies. He is an ordained Baptist minister and has pastored a number of Baptist churches. He has also ministered at Westcare Baptist Mission - an inner city ministry and served as a voluntary Police Chaplain.
