Sunday, December 10th
Day 14-Reflections on Bethlehem
The account of Jesus being born in Bethlehem is told succinctly in just a few verses in Luke chapter 2, but the story leaves the reader with more questions than answers.
Why would God choose to come to come when the mother he chose to give birth to Jesus would have to travel in the ninth month of the pregnancy due to a census?
Why would that choice lead to Mary and Joseph being required to travel on foot more than 90 miles over a week only to find there were no rooms in Bethlehem?
Why would these choices lead to the son of God being born in a dirty stable behind a small-town inn?
Why would the first people to visit the baby Jesus be nameless unimportant shepherds?
This seems all undignified, unorganized, and generally messy and probably not the way most of us would plan the birth of our own child.
We would chose not to travel to stay near our doctor and hospital, and we would be surrounded by our closest family and friends to celebrate the birth of our child. But we are ordinary.
Jesus was no ordinary child, and His was no ordinary birth. There was a divine purpose in the birth of Jesus. He willingly chose to come to us. He came to die for us. He came to redeem us. The ancient hymn in Philippians 2:6-11 explains it perfectly.
Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature[ God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, He made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 NIV
Bethlehem, which literally means “the house of bread”, was the place where the Bread of Life was born to be a light shining for a world lost in darkness. Huddled together in the stable, Mary and Joseph could only look into His eyes and wonder what would happen next.
Prayer Emphasis: Take a moment to consider all that Mary and Joseph went through in their journey to Bethlehem and how God gave them the strength every step of the way. Ask God to give you strength today as you walk through the different difficulties and challenges of your life.
For Family Discussion…
As we wrap up the second week of Advent, how did God speak to your heart through our journey to Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph?
In what ways have you come to admire Mary and Joseph even more this week? Why?
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