She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them – Luke 2:7

Caesar Augustus got what he wanted, so Israel scrambled for the census he decreed. Everyone to their hometown to be counted, and that posed a problem for Joseph. Mary was closing in on her due date, but he had to register at Bethlehem, the town of David. It was a hundred and thirty-kilometer southward journey from Nazareth on a donkey. Could Mary make it without a crisis?

Bethlehem was bursting with people when they arrived. Many, like Joseph, hadn’t visited for ages. Where could they find accommodation? Every Inn was full. One Innkeeper kindly opened his barn to them. It wasn’t particularly five-star, but it kept them off the city center. A little hay in the feeding trough could serve as mattress for her baby. But first, Joseph had to find out more about the census.

The Roman administration wasn’t known for integrity. A minor official inquiry could exhaust a person’s patience, and Joseph got a taste of it.He needed information about the census and the paperwork. On he other hand, Mary needed him around, just in case the baby decided to come a little early. Call it priority crisis.

The labor pains are overwhelming for Mary today. She tries to muffle her painful screams, but this is too much for a young virgin. Joseph doesn’t know what to do. He has no midwifery training. He paces the floor with increasing tempo with each scream from Mary.

The Innkeeper’s wife identifies the rhythmic screaming from the barn. Can she help? “Can they pay you?” her husband said. She turned sharply towards him, and he got the message. “Alright! Go help them.” Just then, the baby’s first cry filled the air.

God doesn’t need any human help with His incarnation.

The King of Glory has come to visit be with His people. But why didn’t anyone prepare the Palace for Him? Is the barn the best they could throw at Him? Why isn’t anybody here to welcome Him? Why …

The sheep stare at Mary, with the baby in her arms. She knows the child she is holding. “Am I dreaming? My Creator in my arms? She had asked this question many times as she carried Him for nine months. Each time incited wonder in her heart. But Gabriel’s voice stayed with her each time. “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you” (Lk. 1:28). God, indeed, is with her. Now she holds Him in her bosom. Now she looks in the face of the One who created her. What a wonder!

The prophet Isaiah said he will be called Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew interpreted the Hebrew name into Greek for the sake of the world – “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). For our sake, a manger is good enough for Him. The warmth of a piece of swaddling cloth will suffice.

As Joseph lays the baby down in the manger, the morning sun peers through the lattice. The glory of the Lord fills the barn and shines around Immanuel, Mary’s first born, wrapped in cloths. God has truly come to be with His people.