The Story of Christmas | Ordinary People, Extraordinary God

Image of the angels visiting the shepherds

Christmas is upon us.

On Monday, I drew your attention to the innkeeper in the story of Jesus. In the midst of busyness and responsibility, he lost a prominent role in the story of Jesus. Today, I want to highlight the common denominator between the players in the Christmas story.

The Savior of the World—one who would rise from the dead after a brutal crucifixion—was born in a humble stable. Not how one might expect a King to enter the scene.

After Jesus was born, the Bible says an angel appears to shepherds in a field nearby and tells them Jesus was born!  Luke 2:9 says, “The glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” Can you imagine? MORE angels appear and start a hallelujah chorus: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” The shepherds leave their flocks and go to worship Jesus. (Worshipping Jesus trumps responsibility).

God’s angels appeared to unimportant shepherds whose job it was to watch sheep night after night. The modern-day equivalent is hourly employees working the night shift. Nothing glamorous about it. The angels did not sing over the homes of the religious leaders, the palace of the King, or the offices of the high government officials.  Why? Why a bunch of men sitting in a field watching sheep?

Mary, a 12 or 13-year-old virgin, is chosen to carry God’s Son in her womb—not the daughter of a King or even a well-established or wealthy woman. Why did God choose Mary?

JESUS CHRIST does not enter the world by chariot or with an army behind Him—but as a helpless baby through the womb of a trembling teenage girl.

What do these details of the Christmas story tells us?

God always uses ORDINARY people to play an EXTRAORDINARY role in His story of redemption. Translation?  You don’t need to make a name for yourself, get your act together, or be someone of intelligence or importance to play a role in God’s story. The Bible shows us God continually chooses the foolish, the unqualified, & the inadequate to do His work. Why? Because He gets the credit, not us. He wants people to look at the story and say, “Only God”. Only God could have sent His Son to live among us. Only God would choose an unimpressive teenager to carry the Messiah. Only God would have the ‘heavenly hosts’ singing to shepherds. In the end it’s about His glory, not ours.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians says:

Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? …Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. [The Message]

We may be ordinary people but we worship an extraordinary Savior! Will you step into God’s STORY this Christmas? Will you trust Him? Will you allow God to use you to bring redemption to a broken world?

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7 Responses to “The Story of Christmas | Ordinary People, Extraordinary God”
  1. Mark Young says:

    Ruthie: I have been reading your blog over the last month. You are a gifted writer. Nothing in this life is more privileged than being used by God for His purpose. My greatest days are those that I have felt His prodding to do something for Him. May God bless you and Michael in your marriage and especially ths Christmas season.

    • Ruthie D. says:

      Hi Mark! What a blessing it is to hear you are reading. Thank you for the encouragement. After four years of God telling me to write, I finally listened and started a blog. (I tend to be a little stubborn). Can’t wait to see where God leads me on this writing journey. Hope you have a ‘Merry Christmas’ and tell your family ‘hello’ from The Deans!

  2. Felicia says:

    Dearest Ruthie, God has blessed you with a beautiful gift of expressing His Message through your art of writing. Praise be to Him and continue the good work! May you and Michael be blessed with a truly meaningful Christmas.

  3. Mona Greer says:

    I agree with Mark, you are a gifted writer and I too, enjoy your blog….keep up the good work.May God bless you and Michael in each and every thing you do…..Ms. Greer

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  1. […] 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Photo credit ruthiedean.com) […]



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