"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them" (Luke 2:4-7).
As Advent draws to a close and Christmas Day nears, the faithful may prayerfully consider these New Testament verses, perhaps filled with wonder, joy and questions, too.
Just how did one baby’s birth pave the way for the salvation of mankind?
To call the birth of Jesus "miraculous" is "beyond an understatement," said one Indiana faith leader.
"Fulfilling his promise to both Abraham and David, God brought forth his only begotten son, born of a virgin, who was and is Christ the Lord," Pastor Lucas Miles of Nfluence Church in South Bend, Indiana, told Fox News Digital.
To call the birth of Jesus "miraculous" is "beyond an understatement," said one Indiana faith leader. (iStock)
Many scholars actually believe that "the inn or property" where Jesus was born is the "same dwelling" referred to in the story of David and Chimham in the Old Testament, Miles also said.
It is "potentially even the same guest home where Ruth laid down on the threshing floor at the feet of Boaz while he slept," he continued.
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But whether this is true or not, said Miles — what we do know is that "having no room in the guest suites," Jesus was likely "born in the larger open room" located "on the lower level of the property," which would have housed the manger, or "feeding trough," for the animals.
Miles termed this "significant" for several reasons.
Many scholars believe that "the inn or property" where Jesus was born is the "same dwelling" referred to in the story of David and Chimham in the Old Testament, Pastor Lucas Miles of Indiana said. (iStock)
"Symbolically, a manger was a place in which the sheep and other animals fed; likewise, as God’s ‘sheep,’ we feast on his body and blood, shed on the cross, through the sacraments as we celebrate and remember his gift of righteousness," he said.
"Additionally, we recognize that when Jesus was born, he was wrapped in swaddling clothes," he said.
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He noted that Jesus would later be "wrapped in linen at his burial" and placed in a tomb — just as at his birth he was "wrapped in linen cloth" and laid in a stone manger.
He continued, "From the beginning, Jesus’ life demonstrated the harsh reality: He was born to die."
Jesus would be "wrapped in linen at his burial" and placed in a tomb — just as at his birth he was "wrapped in linen cloth" and laid in a stone manger, said Pastor Lucas Miles of Nfluence Church in South Bend, Indiana. (iStock)
"The book of Revelation," he also said, "tells us that ‘the Lamb’ was 'slain from the foundation of the world.’"
This was his mission from the beginning, said Miles, to "give his life on our behalf in order to vanquish sin, death and the devil, and rescue all who place their faith in him for all eternity."
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This is the story of Christmas, Miles said. It is about "a child, born to die, a gift to man and a feast for body and soul."
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He added, "May each of you enjoy the fruit of this precious sacrifice this Christmas as you celebrate his birth."
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