Why Bethlehem?
The little town of Bethlehem must have been buzzing the day Joseph and Mary finally arrived. Out of town guests were looking for lodging. Roman officials were dealing with the local Jewish tax collectors. The tax collectors were scheming and plotting. Pickpockets were eyeing up unsuspecting targets. Airbnb was trying to keep up with the onslaught of business. What was it about Bethlehem that made it the locale for the census to be taken?
Bethlehem was Joseph’s hometown of ancestry as a descendant of Kind David, the most famous biblical character known for coming from Bethlehem. It was a perfect rest stop for travelers going north or south.
The census ordered by Caesar was not a pleasant event. Some historians believe Caesar called for multiple censuses throughout the years to be sure the Jews were being counted and most importantly, taxed. It’s amazing how God orchestrated a political event with a prophetic event to bring about His will.
Why the Manger?
Why does the word manger come up so many times in the Nativity story? Luke mentions it several times. He tells us Mary wrapped baby Jesus in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room in the inn. (Luke 2:7) The angels tell the shepherds they would know Jesus was the baby they were looking for because they would find him wrapped in swaddling clothes, evidently something you didn’t normally wrap a baby in, and laying in a manger—again something that was not necessarily a custom of their day. The shepherds leave the fields and go looking for Jesus. They find him just as the angel said, lying in a manger. Luke records for us in Luke 1:32 that Jesus was destined to sit on the throne of his father David. Yet we find him lying in a feed trough for animals.
The feed trough or manger we picture today in our Nativity scenes looks nothing like what Mary used to lay Jesus in. The wooden cross-piece of furniture set center stage in a creche is a far cry from the stone piece used in the first-century. Mangers were often crafted with a combination of clay mixed with straw and formed into a trough to place feed or hay in for the animals to eat from. Other times they were chiseled into natural rock outcroppings.
Why didn’t Mary just hold Jesus? Where was Joseph? Mary and Joseph were simply human. They were exhausted and needed to sleep; just as baby Jesus needed to sleep. They needed a safe place for Jesus to lay while they slept. The manger was what was available, so that’s what they chose to use.
For Such a Time as This
Sometimes we try to sanitize Bible stories. Think about the turmoil of Bethlehem politically, socially, religiously, and economically. The Jews already hated the Romans because of their overbearing taxation. The presence of the Romans was undeniable. The people couldn’t get away from the heel of the Romans pushing down upon their necks. Yet, God chose such a time as this for Jesus to be born.
Imagine the cries of a baby Jesus filling the stable. Imagine the tired eyes of a weary, post-labor and delivery Mary. Think of the worry of a humble and hardworking Joseph looking to protect and provide for his newborn and young wife.
These are the moments to watch God work. God doesn’t come with a grand ad campaign, billboards, and thirty-second commercials on television. God didn’t crowdsource His cause with masses wearing wristbands and t-shirts with a two-toned silhouette of a baby with the words “FOR the MANGER” screen-printed across the front.
God’s Subtle Work
Jesus slipped in unannounced. He settled into a shelter used for beasts of burden. He came in the form of an unassuming six-pound baby. And when God felt the need to let people know about it, He tapped the least credentialed social group in town to come to the party—the shepherds. Everything was backward about Bethlehem and the manger, but that is exactly what arrests our attention.
God’s way and plan is always the best plan. He works even through our difficult circumstances to get us where we need to be at just the right place and just the right time.
Recapture Christmas
This post was taken from Recapture Christmas: Unwrap the Mystery and Wonder of the Manger, a 30-Day Devotional Study. Each day contains a reading similar to the one above and Scripture reading and questions to answer for application. If you liked this post, then you will love the devotional.
If you still need Christmas presents, check out this devotional or A Few of My Favorite Things.
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