He Became Poor

Good News – December 2021 – Grace & Truth Magazine

He Became Poor

“From a log cabin to the White House” describes the story of two former presidents of the United States: James A. Garfield and the more famous Abraham Lincoln. In human history, that journey from obscurity to fame, from rags to riches, has been a fairly common occurrence. However, the Christmas story is the whole thing in reverse. It tells of One who was supreme in the universe, actually the Creator, humbling Himself to be born amidst the less than attractive conditions of a rural environment in the Middle East around 2,000 years ago. In a manger laid He who built the starry skies.

Christmas cards give a wrong impression of the situation. They depict a baby lying in a manger in a stable with a warm welcoming glow. Often He is seen surrounded by inquisitive animals, adoring shepherds and dignified wise men. Glitter completes the artists’ pictures!

The reality was very different. The Bible in its factual historical record says the Virgin Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Lk. 2:7 NKJV). There is no mention of a stable, simply a manger. Whatever the surroundings may have been, this Child decreed them. He alone had existed before His birth, so He chose His own mother who would become the wife of a carpenter. More, as His birthplace He chose Bethlehem, described as being insignificant in the whole region of Judah (Mic. 5:2).

The Bible explains His condescension, His coming to be found as Man, like this; “He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor” (2 Cor. 8:9). We may at times wonder, “Why am I here?” or, “Does life have a purpose?” There is no doubt about why the Lord Jesus Christ was here. The Bible says, it was “for your sakes.” For our sakes? In what way? Another verse gives the answer: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). We do not really need the Bible to tell us that the world is populated by sinners. The only difference between us is in degrees of sinfulness. So we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23), and sinners need to be saved. For Christ, saving sinners involved not so much His humble birth and His perfect life but His sacrificial death. “He was wounded for our transgressions [sins]” (Isa. 53:5). To save us from the eternal judgment of God He had to pay the penalty we deserved, and having done so He rose from the dead to be a living Savior.

His self-imposed poverty culminating in His death on the cross was “that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). This is not an allusion to monetary wealth but to the wealth of spiritual blessings received by those who believe in Him. It is a reference to the forgiveness of sins, the salvation of the soul from hell, the prospect of the joy of heaven at life’s end. You may ask, “How can I be sure that I will be in the right destination for eternity?” By repenting and believing “you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Be sure to do it. Don’t be like the reluctant innkeeper who said “No room” (Lk. 2:7). For you that would mean eternal disaster! We can tell you more.

—Published by Chapter Two, England (adapted).