Bethlehem Bound

     Joseph and Mary have heard from the heavenly host. They are carrying the Son of God, the future King, the Savior of the earth. What would you expect with this kind of news? The offer of a palace with satin sheets and lavish banquets? A parade filled with fan fare to herald the arrival? Birth announcements embossed in gold? No.

Rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  Philippians 2:7

     Around the time of Christ’s birth there came a decree from Caesar Augustus. Everyone was required to register in their hometown. Joseph happened to be from Bethlehem. Micah knew where the Messiah would be born. He wrote about it hundreds of years before the event.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”  Micah 5:2

    Yes, Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem and God knew exactly where Joseph and Mary would be on that glorious night. The trip would be long, about 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethleham. Dirt roads, birth pains, no end in sight. Where would Joseph and Mary stay at the end of this long and bumpy road? In the presidential suite of the town? Well, not exactly.

     The sounds they would hear on that particular night would not include the voice of the hotel manager bringing them fresh towels and warm food. In fact, there was no room for them. The silence would have been deafening beyond the cries of childbirth. There may have been heard a soft moo, a hushed whinny, a squeaky baa, as the animals, created by God, witnessed their Creator Himself appear in human form on that very special eve.

     How about you? Overwhelmed with a long and tiring journey? Is there a long recovery ahead, an unanswered prayer with no end in sight? Have you been squeezed out by divorce or a family feud? How about your stable mates? Or should I say, stall mates at work? Are they a little stinky, noisy or ill-mannered?

     Imagine a glorious end to the journey, a new birth in a relationship or a witnessing miracle at work. Anything can happen when the Savior is along for the ride. You may recognize a change in your outlook, a peace in the wait, a hope in your heart, a new way to cope. When He appears, anything becomes possible. And then there was light.

Dear Jesus,

The story is miraculous. The characters, regular folks, in regular surroundings. No hoopla, just humility. Your birth. The wonder of it all. We sit in awe of You.

Amen