It could not have been the easiest of trips to make. A young girl, heavily pregnant, on the back of a donkey for the 80-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the city of her husband Joseph who was from the house and lineage of David (Luke 2:4). Given the circumstances of her pregnancy (Luke 1:26-35), it would have been interesting to know what was going on in her mind. Sure she had submitted herself to the will of God (v.38) however, traveling in a caravan as they would have done at the time for company and safety reasons, some of the older ladies would have probably made her aware that her delivery was imminent. Was she scared? Confused? Fearful for her baby?
According to Luke the angel told her, "Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (vv.31-33, KJV). The angel of the LORD had told Joseph in a dream, "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 1:20). Did they talk about those moments? What was going through his mind? He had married her but restrained himself from knowing her intimately (vv.24-25). Yet, here they were, entrusted with a child who was destined to change the world in ways neither of them could have imagined.
Luke tells us, "And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn" (2:6-7). The moment Jesus entered the world from his mother's womb, nothing remained the same. Matthew reminds us of the prophecy, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (1:23). Some skeptics have long pointed to this as a discrepancy because JESUS was never called Emmanuel by name. However, what they miss is that Emmanuel, God with us, is both a name and an event. John tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (1:1, 14).
When JESUS came into the world, it was God in the flesh that came among men; he among us. It is that event that we celebrate at this time of the year. So amidst the hustle and bustle, the fun and laughter, and all the festive events, let us remember that he is the reason for the season. Without him there would be no Christmas. As we exchange gifts with family and friends, let us remember the most precious of them all. In the words of the Apostle Paul, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15).
From my house to yours, Merry Christmas.
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