Jesus’ Birth Shows Us That He Welcomes Both the Poorest and the Richest
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- Updated Dec 17, 2021
This is a time of year when we can more clearly see who has much, and who has little. As we read the story of Jesus’ birth, it sticks out to me every year that Jesus chose to reveal Himself to the shepherds and to the wise men. The lowliest of people and the wealthiest were invited to come and see Jesus. We are going to dive into the Scriptures and learn about how Jesus’ birth show us that He welcomes both the poorest and the richest.
An Invitation to the Poor: Shepherds
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Luke 2:8-21 gives the account of the shepherds who were tending their flocks at night. The angel of the Lord came to them and told them that the Savior was born that day in Bethlehem. The angel says, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). I love how God reveals that Jesus is great joy for all people. These poor shepherds probably did not think highly of themselves, and yet they were receiving the greatest message of their lives that the long-awaited Messiah had come.
I think back to another shepherd boy who walked perhaps the same pastures, taking care of his flocks years before. He was called to be the king David we know today. Shepherds in this time were outcasts and unclean according to commentators. When we think about the magnitude of the revelation of Jesus in which they we received, we are in awe. We too have been given this kind of grace. This is what Jesus does for us. He took us out of our sinful state and crowned us with His salvation, just like King David. We go from shepherds to royalty in an instant of accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
This is the great mystery and amazing intentionality of why Jesus chose to be born in a manger in Bethlehem, a shepherd’s land. He showed us from the start that He was going to come to us, on our level, in the midst of our sin and bring us into righteous and reconciliation with the Father.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
As we look ahead to Christ’s return, this plays out in the crowns which we will receive and lay at the feet of Jesus.
Isaiah 28:5 says, “In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people.”
2 Timothy 4:8 says, “In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
James 1:12 says, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
As Peter is telling the elders of their roles in the church, he strategically uses the example of a shepherd. I am blown away at his words. 1 Peter 5:4 “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
Jesus is our Chief Shepherd. He is the one who came in a manager and welcomed the poorest of the poor shepherds to come and see His glory first. He is our Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us (John 10:11).
The shepherds coming first reminds us that we have nothing to offer to God (Isaiah 64:6). He came to save us and we can celebrate that in our eternal bankruptcy of spirit. He invested in us and gave us a “joint checking account” into the kingdom of heaven. He lived the perfect life, died a sinners death, defeated hell, and sits at the right hand of the Father. This leads very well into the second group mentioned who came to see Jesus at His birth, the wise men.
An Invitation to the Rich: Wise Men
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Matthew 2 tells us the story of the wise men from the East. They saw Jesus’ star and followed it to Him. Matthew 2:10-11 - “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
This tells us that those who had everything life could give them – riches, knowledge, and comfort – knew very well that they were still missing the answer to their significance in life. They needed a Savior. These wise men went after Jesus. The Scriptures make it clear three times by saying, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25). It could have been very easy for these rich men to ignore their need for Jesus since they had “everything” a person could want in this world. However, they actively pursued Jesus and found Him to be the answer to their deepest longings.
The moment in which they saw this little Jesus, they fell down and worshiped Him. This response of awe and wonder, this realization of the holiness of God manifest in a baby led them to praise and worship. These wise men also brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They presented these extremely valuable presents to a little boy. They had great faith that He was the Messiah, and God led them to this answer.
When thinking about the wise men, we can ponder that whether we have little or have much on this earth, we are all poor in spirit in need of salvation through Jesus alone. The wise men “had it all,” but they had nothing when it came to their spiritual condition. Jesus is worth more than anything we have in this world. As we remember the gifts that the wise men offered to Jesus as sacrifices, we can know that whatever we might have to offer, it is all ultimately for His glory.
Jesus’ birth shows us that He welcomes the poorest and the richest. We are all equally in need of a Savior. May we never glaze over the story of Christ’s birth. There are always lessons to be learned and new spiritual gems to be treasured in our hearts. This Christmas, seek the Scriptures and see how Jesus came for all people.
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