Gabriel’s announcement to Mary is astonishing, not only because of the miraculous nature of Jesus’ conception but also because of whom God chose for this divine plan. Mary is a young, unwed woman of no notable status from Nazareth, a small and obscure town in Galilee. Nazareth is never mentioned in the Old Testament and was viewed with skepticism. When Nathanael hears of Jesus in John 1:46, he asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” This unremarkable place was the last anyone would expect to host the story of redemption.
Mary herself seems an unlikely choice. In her society, an unwed pregnancy risked severe consequences, including public disgrace and even death. Yet God chose her to carry out His redemptive plan. This decision highlights a consistent theme throughout Scripture: God often works through the humble and overlooked to accomplish His purposes.
As Charles Spurgeon once remarked, “Our Lord and Savior could have chosen a palace, but He chose Nazareth—a place of simplicity, showing that greatness is not bound by worldly prestige.” The same principle applies to His birthplace in Bethlehem. This choice reveals a God who identifies with the lowly and the marginalized. Jesus’ birth in such conditions underscores that His kingdom is not of this world.
As the apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29,
- “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
Born in a stable and laid in a manger, Jesus enters the world not in royal splendor but in the simplicity of a setting shared with livestock. “Mean estate,” describes humble or lowly conditions, but it is not a sign of inadequacy. Instead, it is a profound statement of God’s willingness to enter fully into the human experience—to dwell among us in our brokenness and need.
The hymn What Child Is This? answers its own question: “Good Christian, fear: for sinners here, the silent Word is pleading.” Jesus’ lowly birth reflects God’s mission to bring salvation to all, identifying with the weak and the marginalized. His kingdom is built on love, servanthood, and humility—not on power or prestige.
The story of Jesus’ birth challenges us to reevaluate our expectations of God’s work in our lives. As A. W. Tozer wisely noted, “God’s glory often appears where human eyes see little value.” Like Mary, we may feel unworthy or ill-equipped to participate in His plans. We may wonder how God could use someone as ordinary as us. Yet, the Christmas story reminds us that God’s power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). He calls each of us, regardless of our background or circumstances, to join in His work of redemption.
This Christmas, let us marvel at the profound humility of Jesus’ birth. Let us rejoice that God’s plan of salvation includes the unlikely, the overlooked, and the unremarkable. And let us take comfort in knowing that the Savior of the world chose to dwell among us in the humblest of circumstances, showing us that greatness is found not in power or prestige but in love and servanthood.
As we sing, “Why lies He in such mean estate?” we can answer with awe and gratitude: because this is the nature of our God—a God who enters our world not to conquer but to serve, not to condemn but to save.
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