A Year with Jesus

Note from Jesus

Dear Precious One,

As you prepare to celebrate My birth, I want you to notice something about My mother and Joseph: They were alone in Bethlehem!

Joseph's family should have been there because they were from Bethlehem! But they are nowhere to be found in the story of My birth.

My mother was also a descendant of David. She should have had her family with her to support her at the end of this hard journey and at the end of her pregnancy!

You hear nothing of grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, or nephews and nieces at My birth. Outside of Elizabeth and Zechariah early in My mother's pregnancy, you hear nothing of the family being there for Joseph and My mother. In a culture where family was extremely important, the families of these two precious people were not with them.

Ah, that should tell you something about My birth - about the gossip and innuendo that swirled around My mother's pregnancy, gossip, and innuendo about My not being Joseph's child. Joseph and My mother believed the seemingly impossible. They trusted the angel, the holy messenger of God, sent to explain the impossible to each of them. But no one could really understand how they turned up to be pregnant before they were married. Mary and Joseph being alone is testimony that the Miracle in Mary's womb was not an easy miracle to accept... not even in her own family and by her own kinfolks. Joseph's risk to believe had not landed him any congratulations from his family. So these two who are so precious to Me were alone... alone in their faith... alone in their journey... alone in the pregnancy... and alone when My mother gave birth to Me, her Son and your Savior.

My birth should be a powerful reminder to you about your own journey of faith. No matter how hard your life's journey, even just a little faith ensures that you are never alone.

When I was born, God filled Joseph's and My mother's loneliness with joy. The Father made sure they knew He noticed. Heaven's angels sang! Forgotten shepherds heard, journeyed, witnessed, and were amazed! Magi, wise men from the East, made a pilgrimage over a great distance and at great danger to declare something very important. I, the One Who takes away the sins of the world, the King of the Jews, the Savior, Immanuel, the Son of God, was born just as God said and placed where the heavens proclaimed I would be found.

For those with faith, no matter how small, the heavens shine with the message of your Father: "You are never alone!"

Verses to Live

The words in today's verses are so simple, yet so rich. Joseph and My mother were so alone, yet were soon to be reminded that faith, even through the loneliest of journeys, ultimately leads to your sharing in heaven's glory!

Around the time of Elizabeth's amazing pregnancy and John's birth, the emperor in Rome, Caesar Augustus, required everyone in the Roman Empire to participate in a massive census - the first census since Quirinius had become governor of Syria. Each person had to go to his or her ancestral city to be counted.

Mary's fiancée Joseph, from Nazareth in Galilee, had to participate in the census in the same way everyone else did. Because he was a descendant of King David, his ancestral city was Bethlehem, David's birthplace. Mary, who was now late in her pregnancy that the messenger Gabriel had predicted, accompanied Joseph. While in Bethlehem, she went into labor and gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the baby in a blanket and laid Him in a feeding trough because the inn had no room for them.

Nearby, in the fields outside of Bethlehem, a group of shepherds were guarding their flocks from predators in the darkness of night. Suddenly a messenger of the Lord stood in front of them, and the darkness was replaced by a glorious light - the shining light of God's glory. They were terrified!

Messenger:
Don't be afraid! Listen! I bring good news, news of great joy, news that will affect all people everywhere. Today, in the city of David, a Liberator has been born for you! He is the promised Anointed One, the Supreme Authority! You will know you have found Him when you see a baby, wrapped in a blanket, lying in a feeding trough.
At that moment, the first heavenly messenger was joined by thousands of other messengers - a vast heavenly choir. They praised God.

Heavenly Choir:
To the highest heights of the universe, glory to God! And on earth, peace among all people who bring pleasure to God!
As soon as the heavenly messengers disappeared into heaven, the shepherds were buzzing with conversation.

Shepherds:
Let's rush down to Bethlehem right now! Let's see what's happening! Let's experience what the Lord has told us about!
So they ran into town, and eventually they found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the feeding trough. After they saw the baby, they spread the story of what they had experienced and what had been said to them about this child. Everyone who heard their story couldn't stop thinking about its meaning. Mary, too, pondered all of these events, treasuring each memory in her heart.

The shepherds returned to their flocks, praising God for all they had seen and heard, and they glorified God for the way the experience had unfolded just as the heavenly messenger had predicted.
(Luke 2:1-20)

Dear child, please remember God's promise first spoken to Joshua and shared hundreds of years later with struggling believers just like you:

"I will never leave you; I will always be by your side."

Because of this promise, we may boldly say, the Lord is my help - I won't be afraid of anything. How can anyone harm me?
(Hebrews 13:5-6)

Response in Prayer

Almighty God, there are times when I feel so alone as I face the struggles of life. Thank You for reminding me that Jesus was born to parents who were alone, facing His birth without the help of family or friends. Their faith touches my heart and reminds me that I feel so alone in those times. However, I know You are there, and I will never be abandoned. I invite the Holy Spirit to strengthen my heart with this grace, in Jesus' name. Amen.