Luke 2:1-7

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

A baby was born; the baby, the one who had been foretold for so long and longed for for so long.

We have got here one week too early! That is because so much of the Christmas story happens after Jesus' birth and we need more time to reflect on that.

Luke tells the story quite briefly and matter-of-factly. Mary and Joseph, both being descendants of King David had to return to David's home town, Bethlehem, for the census ordered by the Roman governor, Augustus. Nazareth, their home town, was in Galilee in the north. Bethlehem was in Judea in the south, about 140 kilometres (90 miles) away. It would have been a difficult journey for a heavily pregnant young woman and might have taken fours days or even many more. Luke gives no details of what it was like except that, when they arrived, the town was so busy because of the census, there was nowhere for them to stay.

That is surprising given that it was their ancestral home. Surely they had relatives there. Hospitality was a highly valued part of Middle Eastern culture. However, for whatever reasons, they could find nowhere. The only thing we know about the place Jesus was born was that it contained a manger, an animals' eating trough. It might have been a stable as is traditionally supposed. But it might have been where travellers' animals were housed in an inn or an animal pen attached to a house.

What we do know is that Jesus' birth was very humble and probably uncomfortable. He was the long-awaited Messiah. He was a descendant of King David. He was the Son of God. And His only bed was a feeding trough.

We saw, on Day 10 of our journey, that "the Word" (that is, Jesus) existed in heaven at the beginning and everything was created through Him. He was with God and He was God. He came from heaven to earth. It is staggering that He would leave the glory of heaven to come into this world let alone be born among animals and die on across. It is staggering that God should choose to become a human being. It is staggering that the One who created the world could find nowhere to stay for the night.

We see both the humility of Jesus and the lack of welcome the world has given Him.

For Reflection

Ponder these words from Philippians 2

6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Houses decorated with lights

This tradition probably owes more to the desire for some gaiety in the middle of winter than it does to anything Christian. It just seems a great way to be joyous and to share that with the neighbourhood.

Many people might hang some lights in their windows but others go to extreme lengths to decorate their whole house and garden. Lights might flash in time to Christmas tunes and there can be elaborate sequencing of the display. It can even get quite competitive.

Of course, in the southern hemisphere, where Christmas occurs in summer and the long evenings make viewing less spectacular (or you have to wait until it is much later) it has less significance. But that doesn't mean that it isn't becoming equally popular.

We might link it to Jesus being the light of the world but, actually, it is probably just fun.

Below are videos of some of the most spectacular but remember that something simple can be very meaningful.

On your phone or your favourite music streaming service, create a playlist of the very best Christmas music.

Father, You gave the world the most amazing gift - Your Son. We are sorry that so many do not recognise Him and do not receive Him. Lord, Jesus, You were willing to sacrifice to be among us. Thank You.

In Jesus' name, amen.