Was it cold, loud, and crowded? Were people bustling in the streets for the census, excited to see each other again after time apart? Or was it in the quiet of the night when Mary gave birth to Jesus? There must have been pain from labor, but did God give her peace in those moments or long hours? Was she worried and anxious about being away from home and from her mother?
How was Joseph? Did he feel guilty for not finding a more comfortable place than a stable or cave? Was he anxious or calm as his young wife brought the King of Heaven into the world? Did he wonder what it would be like to be a father to a boy not his own, let alone the Son of God?
What was God thinking as He looked down from above, watching His Son, and one third of the Trinity, be born into a world that would reject, misunderstand, and eventually kill Him on a cross? He loved His Son. While also loving humankind and knowing they needed a perfect sacrifice.
Jesus knew the purpose of His mission to Earth. Before He came, He saw the difficulties people experienced in life. But did He fully understand the pain and suffering that would come from taking the sins of the world upon Himself? Did He understand the agony He would experience during the separation from His Father as God turned away in those moments Jesus hung on the cross? Yet He still chose to step down from His throne and become a baby.
How many angels came to announce Jesus’ birth to the shepherds? Dozens, hundreds, thousands? Was it Gabriel who led them as they sang praises to God? Did they feel delight in being able to announce to the world the coming of the Savior?
What would it have been like to be one of the shepherds? Maybe they took shifts protecting the flock from predators and most of them where sleeping as the sky lit up with the arrival of the first angel. The Bible says in Luke 2:9 that they were filled with great fear. But after they had seen Jesus in the manger, imagine the excitement they felt as they shared the news of the coming of the Messiah!
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