Their 'December 23'
OK, we have established that we do know that Jesus was not born in December on the 25th at the year zero ~ but that is when we celebrate...so, go with me on this one, OK?!?
It is the 23rd. Christmas morning will be in "two more sleeps". Today and tomorrow will be filled with hustle and bustle ~ crazy, a bit frantic -- OK, at times exhausting ~ but mostly filled with eye-twinkling anticipation because it is CHRISTMAS, right?!!
It wasn't exciting and eye-twinkling for Mary and for Joseph.
"Right now" (which means at this time...2 sleeps before Jesus was born) 2000+ years ago Mary and Joesph were on the road, headed toward Bethlehem. We have crowds, they had crowds too I imagine. If when they arrived there was no room for them in any of the inns (that would be like our Travel Lodge, or Motel 6) there had to be lots and lots of people also on the road headed off to where they needed to register too. Mary was VERY pregnant. I have been there before. Trust me...you are never actually comfortable. Even in modern, comfortable beds you never sleep longer than an hour before you need to turn over (which is a major ordeal), or 'use the little girl's room'. Your back hurts. Getting up and down is a five minute chore. You waddle like an old duck when you walk. I can't even imagine sitting on a donkey and riding mile after mile after mile. Joseph had to be a wreck! He had already been through so much ...
get betrothed to this darling wonderful girl
plummet to the depths of emotion with the realization that she is pregnant and it is NOT your baby
struggle agonizingly to the decision that a quiet divorce is the only solution
have a dream ~ and believe!
finalize the marriage and settle down to marriage and the prospect of raising this child ~ WAIT!
This "child" would be the Messiah...and you are responsible BEFORE GOD to raise this child. I bet that kept him up nights. Every dad goes through a metamorphosis of character, I think, as they lay their hand on the baby and feel the kicking. "My son will be .... I will teach him ... we will ..." Well, Joseph must have spent many dark nights thinking while feeling the baby kick and listening to Mary sleep, "My son will be the Messiah! WHAT can I teach him? HOW do I teach him? What if . . ." What must it have been like for him when the notice arrived and he realized that he and Mary had to travel from Nazareth down to Bethlehem. It was about 80 miles...think of it! 80 long miles walking or riding on a donkey when you are 9 months pregnant. I "googled" it: caravans traveled at a rate of about 20 miles per day. Joseph and Mary must have had to travel slower than that, so somewhere between 4 to 8 grueling days and nights.
If I were Joseph my prayers would have been something like ... "Really God? You could have done 'something' about this. This baby was YOUR idea...YOUR timing. You are GOD!!! How did YOU not know the Romans were going to do this to us??? How do we ... we must go ... but ... what if ... ... OH God!" Then they get to Bethlehem and by now Mary must have begun having contractions. First babies -- labor can be 15 to 24 hours or more. No family, none of the women in her family, no midwife to help, AND no room for them in any of the inns. Joseph must have been FRANTIC! Some kind inn keeper must have noticed that Mary was in labor and given them a place.
Of course we know now that God meant all along for Jesus to born in Bethlehem. We know that God protected and provided ... but for Joseph, living through it must have been so frantic. Such a roller-coaster: get to Bethlehem, have the baby, shepherds show up and worship your baby, Simeon and Anna prophecy over him when you take him to be dedicated, Magi ~ rich, rich KINGS ~ show up and worship and give you these amazing gifts ... then you get another dream and that angel who told you to marry Mary says, "Get up NOW and leave!" Somewhere on the road you hear that Herod had all the baby boys slaughtered. Such a furnace to forge your faith. Joseph had nothing but the protection of God to rely on.
There is a great verse in Isaiah: Isa 43:2-3
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned ;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
You may have noticed I underlined "when". See, God does not say "if" ~ He says "when". And He says "when you pass through the waters" and "when you pass through the rivers" and "when you walk through the fire". It does not say you will be protected from something. The water will not stop raging, and the fire will not become cool. You just won't die. That was Joseph. Yup ... he is someone I want to talk to when I get to heaven.
It is the 23rd. Christmas morning will be in "two more sleeps". Today and tomorrow will be filled with hustle and bustle ~ crazy, a bit frantic -- OK, at times exhausting ~ but mostly filled with eye-twinkling anticipation because it is CHRISTMAS, right?!!
It wasn't exciting and eye-twinkling for Mary and for Joseph.
"Right now" (which means at this time...2 sleeps before Jesus was born) 2000+ years ago Mary and Joesph were on the road, headed toward Bethlehem. We have crowds, they had crowds too I imagine. If when they arrived there was no room for them in any of the inns (that would be like our Travel Lodge, or Motel 6) there had to be lots and lots of people also on the road headed off to where they needed to register too. Mary was VERY pregnant. I have been there before. Trust me...you are never actually comfortable. Even in modern, comfortable beds you never sleep longer than an hour before you need to turn over (which is a major ordeal), or 'use the little girl's room'. Your back hurts. Getting up and down is a five minute chore. You waddle like an old duck when you walk. I can't even imagine sitting on a donkey and riding mile after mile after mile. Joseph had to be a wreck! He had already been through so much ...
get betrothed to this darling wonderful girl
plummet to the depths of emotion with the realization that she is pregnant and it is NOT your baby
struggle agonizingly to the decision that a quiet divorce is the only solution
have a dream ~ and believe!
finalize the marriage and settle down to marriage and the prospect of raising this child ~ WAIT!
This "child" would be the Messiah...and you are responsible BEFORE GOD to raise this child. I bet that kept him up nights. Every dad goes through a metamorphosis of character, I think, as they lay their hand on the baby and feel the kicking. "My son will be .... I will teach him ... we will ..." Well, Joseph must have spent many dark nights thinking while feeling the baby kick and listening to Mary sleep, "My son will be the Messiah! WHAT can I teach him? HOW do I teach him? What if . . ." What must it have been like for him when the notice arrived and he realized that he and Mary had to travel from Nazareth down to Bethlehem. It was about 80 miles...think of it! 80 long miles walking or riding on a donkey when you are 9 months pregnant. I "googled" it: caravans traveled at a rate of about 20 miles per day. Joseph and Mary must have had to travel slower than that, so somewhere between 4 to 8 grueling days and nights.
If I were Joseph my prayers would have been something like ... "Really God? You could have done 'something' about this. This baby was YOUR idea...YOUR timing. You are GOD!!! How did YOU not know the Romans were going to do this to us??? How do we ... we must go ... but ... what if ... ... OH God!" Then they get to Bethlehem and by now Mary must have begun having contractions. First babies -- labor can be 15 to 24 hours or more. No family, none of the women in her family, no midwife to help, AND no room for them in any of the inns. Joseph must have been FRANTIC! Some kind inn keeper must have noticed that Mary was in labor and given them a place.
Of course we know now that God meant all along for Jesus to born in Bethlehem. We know that God protected and provided ... but for Joseph, living through it must have been so frantic. Such a roller-coaster: get to Bethlehem, have the baby, shepherds show up and worship your baby, Simeon and Anna prophecy over him when you take him to be dedicated, Magi ~ rich, rich KINGS ~ show up and worship and give you these amazing gifts ... then you get another dream and that angel who told you to marry Mary says, "Get up NOW and leave!" Somewhere on the road you hear that Herod had all the baby boys slaughtered. Such a furnace to forge your faith. Joseph had nothing but the protection of God to rely on.
There is a great verse in Isaiah: Isa 43:2-3
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned ;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
You may have noticed I underlined "when". See, God does not say "if" ~ He says "when". And He says "when you pass through the waters" and "when you pass through the rivers" and "when you walk through the fire". It does not say you will be protected from something. The water will not stop raging, and the fire will not become cool. You just won't die. That was Joseph. Yup ... he is someone I want to talk to when I get to heaven.
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