The Place

Celebrate

Jesus birth was foretold.  You could count on Him being born in Bethlehem.  In Hebrew, Bethlehem means: House of Bread.  It was a small town, but home to a spectacular fortress -palace called the Herodian.  This palace was an architectural marvel built by King Herod who was called “King of the Jews” although he was not Jewish.  Herod married into a Jewish family and was elected by the Romans who trusted him to look out for their best interests.   

Jesus was not born in this palace.  Not in a hospital, not in the car on the way to the hospital; not in a hotel with hot water and clean sheets; not with mom or a midwife at home.  Mary delivered her baby in a stable, a place where animals lived.  It was probably not well lit, not sweet-smelling, not sterile.  It was not a place that would meet our birthing expectations.  Jesus was born in a space that is set up for housing livestock, because there was no room for him in the space that is set up for housing people.

When my girls were born, we would wrap them up into little burritos.  I can imagine Mary doing the same, wrapping her tiny son up in the version of baby blankets that she had but instead of placing him in the bassinet, the crib, the carrier, Mary placed her little one in a feeding trough where farm animals came to eat.  It isn’t lost on me, that the Bread of life would be born in the House of Bread and laid in a feeding manager.

This place Jesus was born, is exactly where He was meant to be born. The anticipated King of the Jews was born in God’s hand-picked location.  Bethlehem wasn’t prepared for his coming.  Are you?

Contemplate

Luke 2: 1-7
And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home.  (vs 4)

The timing and the place of Jesus delivery day are worth paying attention to.   Timing and place matter to God.  He is Lord of that too.   I can imagine the requirement to travel was not ideal for Mary and Joseph.  But it wasn’t accidental.  Before you read the passage today take an inventory of your time and place and life status to bring awareness to your time and place.  
Relationship status
Location status
Housing status
Physical status
Financial status
Employment status
Student status

Do you see anything in this inventory that brings on wild praise?  Is there anything in the inventory that causes you concern, feels inconvenient, is not ideal?  Write down your reasons for concern and put them in an envelope under your  Christmas tree.  Let God know you are going to leave those concerns with him during Advent and focus on the reasons for wild praise.  Open the envelope on  Christmas Day and see what God has done with the concern, and with your heart. 

Read Luke 2: 1-7
What about this passage stands out for you?  Take time today to listen to the song Silent Night.  Imagine what it was
like for God to see his Son born into the world.  
John 6: 22-40 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”   Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” vs 34-35

Read John 6: 22-40
The people asking Jesus for bread, didn’t fully understand who He was or what He had to offer them.   They do want something from him though.

I want something from Jesus.  I want so many things.  The older I get, the bolder I ask.  What do you want from Jesus, the Bread of life? 

The people murmured about Jesus saying he came from heaven and that he was bread. That certainly can be confusing, mysterious, controversial even in our human minds.  Our belief has to be more than mental agreement to Jesus being God’s son.  Our belief changes our lives when we take in Jesus life, words, truth, forgiveness, love.  Do I, do you, make room for this ‘bread every day’  with chronological time, in a physical space, and in my heart? Or, have I, have you, only really made room for Him at church or on a holidays like Christmas, or in religious traditions we observe?   

Anticipate

Now to Him Who by the power that is at work within us, is able to do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, pray, dream, desire, or hope…To Him be the glory.  (Eph 3:20)       -Amen

THRIVE in this season of celebration:
Take time to wonder with some kids about where Jesus was born.  If you have a nativity set, let them tell you the story.  Then you ask questions, starting with “I wonder…” and see what the kids have to say or wonder about themselves!