"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord"(Luke 2:11)

One night, nearly two thousand years ago, in a tiny corner of a forgotten country, something amazing happened. Not in a home, not in an inn, but with the animals, the Savior of the world was born. His parents "laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn"(Luke 2:7). God on earth slept His first night in a manger. One night in Bethlehem the world changed forever.

Why were Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem? It was not because they lived there; Joseph was from Nazareth (Luke 2:4). Rather, "it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered…So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city"(Luke 2:1, 3). How interesting! Joseph and Mary did not live in Bethlehem (or even near it), yet at the exact time when Jesus is to be born, something completely outside their control causes them to be in Bethlehem. Why is this important? Matthew helps us make the connection by quoting Micah: "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel"(Matt 2:6). Had Joseph and Mary not been in Bethlehem, then Jesus could not be the Christ-because Micah says the Christ comes from Bethlehem. All must admit that the place of our birth is out of our control. Jesus could not have staged this. Yet the fact that world events (like Caesar's decree) combined with the correct time (Jesus' time to be born) in a way that fulfilled prophecy leads us to think that God's providence caused these things to take place. God keeps His promises.

Why did they lay Jesus in a manger? "there was no room for them in the inn"(Luke 2:7). Isn't it remarkable that Jesus left the glories of heaven to come to earth, only to sleep in a manger? Surely Jesus deserved at least the greatest of king's palaces while here on earth-servants, luxuries, and pleasures. Yet from the beginning He lived in humble means. Joseph and Mary were not wealthy, important people-the kind for whom the innkeeper would make room. Yet God chose such ordinary, poor people to be entrusted with His Son. Jesus would later say, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head"(Luke 9:58). Paul says of Jesus, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich"(2 Cor 8:9). His hands would work in hard labor (Mark 6:4). When we next feel the urge to complain about some minor annoyance, we should remember the life Jesus led-one of poverty from the beginning.

Who celebrated with them? Surely Mary and Joseph felt the joy of childbirth that night, but they were not the only ones who knew the joy of good news. "Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid"(Luke 2:8-9). Imagine being these shepherds, working the first century graveyard shift. Through the quiet and calm of the night, suddenly brilliant glory shines around you and you see an angel of the Lord! Feeling "greatly afraid" seems appropriate. Yet this angel tells them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord'(Luke 2:10-11). Notice that this child was not just born to Mary, but also to these shepherds-and to all who will have Jesus as a Savior. More than just the thrilling news of the birth of a child, shepherds heard that night the breathtaking news that God had sent a Savior. No wonder they "came with haste"(v. 16), perhaps even leaving their flocks, to see what all the fuss was about. No wonder they "returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen"(v. 20). That night in Bethlehem is good news for man.

That one night in Bethlehem is important because it begins the wonderful story of Jesus Christ. It is not the end, but the beginning, and the good tidings come not to those who think wistfully of a little baby, but to those who obey the commands of the Son of God. Yet it is natural to think with wonder of that one night in Bethlehem-the night the world changed forever.___Jacob Hudgins