The Baby Jesus was Born In A Stable

Many consider Christmas the most wonderful time of the year, filled with decorations, gifts, and parties. Our celebrations, though, should revolve around God’s gift to the world, the baby Jesus.

Because of a Roman census, Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, the ancestral town of King David. Joseph came from the lineage of David. Upon their arrival, Mary’s time had come.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. Luke 2:6

Plenty of visuals exist depicting the scene of the night of Jesus’ birth. The most common model of the Nativity places the figures in an old open-air wooden barn.

It puts Mary kneeling on one side of the manger with Joseph standing on the other. Some shepherds and farm animals join them in focusing on the baby Jesus laying in the manger.

Why did they settle for a stable? The King James Version says because there was no room for them in the inn. For whatever reason, no one had room for a woman as pregnant as Mary.

She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. Luke 2:7

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What do we know about the birth of Jesus? We know that Mary laid the King of kings and the Lord of lords in a manger. A manger that animals probably ate from just a few hours earlier.

Jesus did not wear an outfit made for a newborn. Mary swaddled Him with strips of cloth. But if newbie’s had existed, only the wealthy would have had that type of clothing for infants.

The Moment The Angel Spoke About

Nine months earlier, an angel spoke to Mary, and Joseph received an angelic message as well. Both messages revealed the fulfillment of what the Prophet Isaiah had written years earlier.

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). Isaiah 7:14

Joseph took the expecting Mary about 70 miles on foot to Bethlehem, the city of David. In her condition, it could have taken them up to a week to complete the journey.

Why did they have to go to Bethlehem? And why then? Couldn’t they wait until after the birth of the baby Jesus? No, because God organized everything to work according to His plan.

Mary needed to deliver her baby in Bethlehem. Joseph needed a reason to travel to Bethlehem. And it all happened just as the Prophet Micah prophesied it would.

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. Micah 5:2

Maybe you’re saying to yourself, I love the Christmas story. I love it all: Mary and Joseph, the angels, shepherds, wise men, and, of course, the baby Jesus. But how does it apply to me?

Let’s stop to think about this whole story. We have Mary, a young woman, pregnant and out of wedlock. And Joseph, who understood why, but did anyone else?

The Birth of Baby Jesus

When they got to their destination, it seemed insignificant to others, as if no one cared. When the labor pains started, did they just usher her into a stable?

Where was God? Where was the angel? Nobody knew the importance of this child. Joseph knew Immanuel – ‘God with us’ had arrived. And there they were, all alone, or so it seemed.

When God calls us to do a task, we get excited and, at the same time, apprehensive. But as we prepare for it, our excitement builds. I’m sure Joseph and Mary experienced those same feelings.

God called Cindy and me into children’s evangelism. Excitedly, we prepared for a year, gathering equipment and scheduling meetings. During that time, God brought everything together.

God gave us direction, but when we shared it with others, they appeased us by saying things like, “That’s nice.” People just didn’t understand

In fact, we received very little encouragement from our church family. We experienced plenty of advice from those we referred to as Job’s comforters.

I can only imagine what Joseph and especially Mary went through before they left for Bethlehem. The Christmas story and their lives relate to us because God has a job for us all.

Mary and Joseph fulfilled God’s call on their lives no matter how rough the going got. In the same way, I want to encourage you to step out by faith when God calls you.

No Matter What, Step Out in Faith

No one will understand the call God has on your life like you will. In our case, many in our church couldn’t envision what our ministry would look like.

Think about Mary’s explanation to her friends and Joseph’s reason for staying with her. Fortunately, they didn’t let anyone talk them out of following through with God’s plan.

Understand this: any calling of God is important, and God is always there. It might not feel like it at times, but He promised He will never leave you. He never left Joseph and Mary alone.

Lord, sometimes we feel our ministry is less important than someone else’s. Help us overcome those feelings, as we trust you to help us do our best.

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