Luke 2:1-7
It Happened

Now it happened in those days, that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.

It happened, while they were there, that the day had come that she should give birth. She brought forth her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.

World English Bible

Luke tells us simply of how the events of Jesus' birth happened to come about. The World English Bible expresses this at the start of verse six with an interesting translation: "It happened". God had been promising the Hebrew faithful that the Messiah would come, and come He did.

It is astonishing what all had to happen in order for Jesus to arrive in that manger. The obvious are the bold miracles like angels appearing to so many to tell the good news. Less obvious are the arrangements made, like those that caused a couple from Nazareth in the north to be in Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem, for the child's birth, and like those that placed Simeon and Anna in the temple for the dedication of the baby Jesus. The prophets had faithfully told of the unusual signs that would signal the Messiah, and God's Word proved to be true.

Beyond the fulfillment of the prophesies are the symbols and images given to us of the nature of our Savior. The struggles that placed the couple in an animal pen for the night remind us that Jesus came to experience real life in all its hardships. The shame that Joseph and Mary must have faced with the discovery of her untimely pregnancy would foretell the One who would be "despised and rejected" for us. Religious propriety was abandoned as those celebrating the child's birth were unclean sheep herders coming directly from the fields. The harsh gift of burial ointment to a young child would describe so clearly that this was the Lamb of God.

Think of all the preparations God had made over hundreds of years so that the prophesies would be fulfilled, then remember that God set the plan in motion for our Savior before creation. Think of all the dangers that Joseph and Mary faced, and how God brought them safely through each one. Mary and Joseph must have been disheartened, fearful, or even upset facing the long trip to Bethlehem and spending a birth night in a barn. Their harsh situation did not make any sense to them, but God used those threats to expand our understanding of who Jesus is.

Then recognize that God is doing the same in your life. Our Creator and Sustainer has lovingly prepared the universe for us before we were born so that we could fulfill the vision God has for us. God uses setbacks and challenges in our lives to mature our faith, to show the nature of God's Love in the world, and to touch other people in ways we cannot begin to know in this life. Amazingly, God's vision for us sustains across all the rebellion and sin in our lives, waiting and ready for us to stop fighting and separating ourselves from God. God has blessings to give to us and blessings to give to others through us despite, or even because of, our weaknesses and circumstances.

With God, Good happens. In God's divine and infinitely wise plan, we are a part of how God brings about Good. We are given the immense and holy privilege of allowing God to work through us, and to see in every facet of our lives the signs that God's wonders are still being fulfilled.