This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12 CSB)

God often used signs to confirm things for His people. The rainbow was a sign for Noah, circumcision was a sign for Abraham, Moses’ miracles were signs, Gideon had a fleece, the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles did lots of other miraculous signs.

All of these signs were special. They were radical or miraculous.

The sign God gives the shepherds is underwhelming to say the least. Especially compared to some of the mind-blowing signs He’d done in the Old Testament. The greatest moment in history… the birth of God’s son… and this is the best God can come up with?

It’s the simplest of signs. There’s nothing spectacular about it. There’s nothing big, flashy, attention-grabbing. And yet, the significance is in its simplicity. Jesus, the glorious King, enters our world as a baby in a manger.

Eventually, Jesus will do the big and flashy. He’ll turn water into wine, walk on water, feed thousands, calm storms, heal the blind, command demons, raise the dead.

But He’s content to let His entry be normal. It’s so simple, you could miss it.

And aren’t so many of the beautiful, significant things in life like this?

• Watching a baby smile and giggle…
• The first snow of the season…
• Sleeping in on Saturdays…
• Eating your favorite dessert…
• Sitting and talking with friends…
• Going for a ride with your grandad…

At Christmas, God uniquely demonstrates that there’s glory in the small things. He’s the God of the “Wow!” and unbelievable, but not everything meaningful and glorious has to be big. He’s numbered the hairs on your head. He admires the flowers and birds.

Unless we understand this, then just like the rest of Bethlehem, we’ll miss the good things God is doing. We’ll wander through life looking forward to the big, disappointed with the routine and mundane.

But if we understand this, then like the shepherds, we’ll be able to rejoice at the glory in the simple things God is doing.