PLAIN-CLOTHED JESUS

One passing by a barnyard in years of old, would never have guessed that it was destined to be a celebrated location of God.  The barn was behind the Holiday Inn where guests would park their animals overnight in order to move out in the next day or two on their long journey.

 A quite humble family was found sleeping among the camels and mules and cows. They surely must have taken on a--shall we say--certain odor?  Of course it wasn't any ordinary family.  You have that much figured.  It was a young couple anticipating their first child.  He would be known as Jesus.

Even from his birth, Jesus was of plain reputation.  The reason that so many wouldn't/couldn't take him seriously is that he didn't have the markings of a King.  He was so plain-clothed.  His deeds?  Ah, they are definitely celebrated; but the boy/eventual man himself?  Not so much.

There is a message/trend in this plain-clothed life.  This is how, where, and who God uses to reach the world.  When Jesus was executed upon the rugged Cross, he died a plain-clothed man.  No parade.  No fanfare.

Where the disciples had hoped for bold resistance, they walked away in timid remorse that this plain-clothed man was not going to walk the way he had talked.  Even the sun blinked.  It was a bad day on the hill.  Such hopes in the plain-clothed man; but not to be....they assumed.

Jesus was so common that toward the end he appeared to be a sham.  He evidently wasn't King after all.  Instead....he was dead.  Yet, all of this misgiving was embedded in the intentional plot of Father to rescue the masses.

Three days after entering the tomb, Jesus exited.  He returned to Father and Father sent the Spirit if Jesus back to earth.  He sent Him back to live where?  To live where my friend?  To live in plain people; common, ordinary people.

Today, Jesus remains plain-clothed.  Not in robes or Middle Eastern garb; but Jesus is robed in human beings.  He roams earth in humanity; we very plain people.  It's both strange and yet so powerful.  Plain-clothed Jesus continue to reside, not in kingly robes, but within men and women who are quite common.

From Jesus' birth to today, he is just so insignificantly common--such a plus--while he brings legitimate hope to all of the world.