Hope in a Plain Brown Wrapper




“Our hope is not in becoming something we are not but in the fact that Jesus IS something we are not.”

A baby, born in a barn; unimpressive by any standard. But like a sleeping giant, destined to change the world; and like the hand of God, to leave an eternal mark on all He encounters. He is something like no one expected; He didn’t look like a king.

“We hope not in the fact that He can make us do what we cannot do ourselves, but in that He has already done what we cannot do.”

The baby grows to be a man; a man who’s life fills the volume of history, yet He is best known not for what He did but for what He allowed to be done to Himself. The perfect spotless Lamb born to be sacrificed divinely escapes death until the appointed time for it to be finished.

“He had no dignity or beauty to make us take notice of Him. There was nothing attractive about Him, nothing that would draw us to Him.” Isaiah 53:2b

Jesus was no poster boy. He would not have looked good on TV. How Mary and Joseph must have wondered over this non descript little human. No one who knew Him thought His appearance worth mentioning yet no one could be indifferent to this Rose in a plain brown wrapper.

“No one would even look at Him, we ignored Him as if He were nothing.” Isaiah 53:3b

The one who created the very meaning of beauty took none of it on Himself. The most beautiful things in the heavens point to the one who, Himself, was unadorned at His own command. A bare, unframed canvas beheld the beauty of the ages in what meaning the Artist would render in purpose and prose and praise.

One who could draw no attention could not be ignored by the promise of His coming. Promises and stars and angels herald the baby with the forgettable face, who would grow up to receive unforgettable scars; scars intended to wipe beauty from the face of the earth.

“Many were shocked when they saw Him; He was so disfigured He hardly looked human.” Isaiah 52:14

Beauty born to earth incognito. The Baby without beauty would grow to the man who defined beauty with a Lily; who defined love with His death.

“But now many nations will marvel at Him, and kings will be speechless with amazement. They will see and understand things they had never known.” Isaiah 52:15

His unending praise we sing

This forgettable child who now is King.