I don’t know, but I am thinking this video (link above) may depict the mood of Jesus’ birth more so than what I am used to (3 minutes – worth the watch).
I grew up with the image on the Christmas cards of the peaceful, quiet nativity scene, as to how it all went down that night. But after all, Mary being 9 months pregnant, rode over rugged terrain (maybe contractions had already begun) on a donkey, under the frigid Bethlehem night sky (Google says that Bethlehem’s temperature last night was 42°). Then, no place at the inn, it was suggested that she go to the stable instead. Climbing down from the donkey (no easy feat I am sure while in labor), did her best to walk over the dirt straw floor with the smell of barn animals in the air, to a location in the stable to give birth to our Savior. There was no comfortable bed for her to lie on, no ice chips to ease the thirst from labor, and no welcome drip from the epidural to ease the pain. I’d like to think that maybe since she was giving birth to God’s Son, that it would’ve been a pain-free, easy fast labor. But then again, Jesus didn’t get a pass on His last day on earth, as he walked that treacherous long, excruciating walk to Calvary. All that was sacrificed and endured, was all for of us. The greatest gift in the history of the world; Jesus. The Lamb who would take away the sins of the world, so that one day, we could spend eternity with God our Father, in Heaven.
Matthew 1:18-25
18 This was how Jesus, God’s Anointed One, was born.
His mother, Mary, had promised Joseph to be his wife, but while she was still a virgin she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Her fiancé, Joseph, was a righteous man full of integrity and he didn’t want to disgrace her, but when he learned of her pregnancy he secretly planned to break the engagement. 20 While he was still debating with himself about what to do, he fell asleep and had a supernatural dream. An angel from the Lord appeared to him in clear light and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t hesitate to take Mary into your home as your wife, because the power of the Holy Spirit has conceived a child in her womb. 21 She will give birth to a son and you are to name him ‘Savior, for he is destined to give his life to save his people from their sins.”
22 This happened so that what the Lord spoke through his prophet would come true:
23
Listen! A virgin will be pregnant,
she will give birth to a Son,
and he will be known as “Emmanuel,”
which means in Hebrew,
“God became one of us.”
24 When Joseph awoke from his dream, he did all that the angel of the Lord instructed him to do. He took Mary to be his wife, 25 but they refrained from having relations until she gave birth to her son, whom they named “Jesus.”
Video shared by Crossroads Church – Brian Tome
Merry Christmas! Tanya Phillips
Blended By His Grace 