O Holy Night!
Today’s Verse:
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. ~Luke 2:7
This morning is Christmas, when we celebrate the incarnation of our Lord. Mary’s nine months of maternity would culminate in the most important and miraculous birth: the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ! Mary would endure all of the normality of this maternity but with greater anticipation than any mother-to-be ever had. Each day, as the fetus in her womb grew and moved around, she marveled that the holy Son of God would come into the world.
There was the traveling for that night.
Mary and Joseph had to respond to a census request by Caesar Augustus. In spite of Mary being nine months pregnant and knowing that her delivery could be any day, this noble couple was not excluded from its edict. Imagine the hardship in traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem while the baby was due at any moment. Mary may have travelled the hardest journey of her life. Yet, consider that our Lord left the splendor of Heaven and eternity to enter into our sin-cursed world and into time to be our Savior. The next time you take a bus, train, or plane ride, think about the journey that Mary took to bring forth Jesus.
There was the travesty for that night.
When she and Joseph entered into Bethlehem, she started to experience her birth contractions. They needed a place to stay. All of Bethlehem’s available rooms were rented out. Other travelers got there before Joseph and Mary, and there was not even one vacancy. Even though she was obviously great with Child, the innkeeper showed no sympathy for her plight. Can you imagine that there was no room for them in the inn? Yet, worse than this is the sad reality that many people have no room in their schedules for Jesus! Many people have no room in their homes for Jesus! Many people have no room in their hearts for Jesus! The only place available was a cave stall where people took their animals for the night. The Creator of the world entered into His own world in a dirty and smelly cave filled with animals. Yes, that night was a night of travesty as Mary prepared to bring forth the Baby.
There was the travail in that night.
Mary brought forth the Lord Jesus by way of a normal travail. There are no words that can describe the travail that a woman must endure as she brings forth her child. Travail will involve much pain. Travail will sometimes be long. Travail is tiring. Yet, in the end, what joy there is when a child is born. We must remember that spiritual travail occurs when we care for the spiritual welfare of another Christian. If we really care for other Christians, our soul will be in travail when they struggle, fail, and fall. That night, Mary had a small glimpse of what Jesus would endure when He would die on that old, rugged cross. That night was a night of travail.
There was the triumph in that night.
"She brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes." I am thankful for how the writing of Scripture so beautifully captures for us the significance of the virgin birth. Jesus was Mary’s firstborn Son. The Holy Ghost supernaturally enabled her to conceive. The moment of anticipation was consummated! Jesus was born into our world! This was not an ordinary Baby. Jesus was just as much God, Creator, and Lord in the body of that little Baby. He was more than an innocent Child: He was the sinless, spotless, eternal Son of God! The Savior of the world had arrived. Though no one in Bethlehem had any idea of what occurred when Jesus was born, unto us a Child was born; unto us a Son was given!
That night was a holy night: a night much to be remembered! As we approach Christmas, consider the solemnness and sacredness of the night our Savior was born!
Have a holy God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 2 John-Jude