Our journey to Bethlehem begins with Mary.

God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary, to a virgin engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. Gabriel greeted Mary :

Good morning!
You’re beautiful with God’s beauty,
Beautiful inside and out!
God be with you.

Mary was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.

He will be great,
be called ‘Son of the Highest.’
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David;
He will rule Jacob’s house forever—
no end, ever, to his kingdom.”

Mary said to the angel, “But how?”

The angel answered,

The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
the power of the Highest hover over you;
Therefore, the child you bring to birth
will be called Holy, Son of God.

The angel assured Mary, “Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.” Then the angel left her.

Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly.

Luke 1:26-55

 

You will see at this stop on our journey the song that Mary sang in response to the news that she would be giving birth to our Savior.

Before they were married, Joseph discovered his fiancé Mary was pregnant. Joseph, displeased but noble, determined to take care of things quietly and leave Mary so she would not be disgraced.

While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is from the Spirit. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus meaning ‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.”

Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God’s angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary.

Matthew 1: 18-25

God spoke to Joseph in a dream while he was “trying to figure a way out”. Had Joseph not taken time to rest, he may have missed the message God had for him.

Sometimes we get too busy or there’s always noise around us trying to capture our attention. In this Advent season, let’s not forget to find times of rest. Let’s start tonight and take some time to sit by the fire and rest and just be with God. Then as we continue our journey to Bethlehem, we’ll carry with us the expectation of the messages God has for us this season.

Meanwhile, Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire.

Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for.

So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth where he and Mary lived, up to Bethlehem in Judah for the census. Together Joseph his fiancé Mary who was pregnant, traveled very far to Bethlehem.

Luke 2:1-5

 

The journey Joseph and Mary walked to Bethlehem would have been about 90 miles long on a rocky, unpaved, hilly, path. Can you imagine walking that far? Can you imagine being that far away from home?

 

As we continue our journey to Bethlehem like Joseph and Mary, think about how you would feel walking that far and being that far away from home. Would you be excited for a new adventure, scared to be away from home, or maybe even upset that you had to make this long journey.

When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth. Because everyone was traveling for the census, there was no room in the inn or any guest rooms available. The innkeeper instead offered them an outdoor stable and it was there that Mary gave birth to a son. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger.

Luke 2:6-7

 

Like the inns in Bethlehem sometimes we close ourselves off to Jesus. As we continue our journey to the birth of Jesus, let’s open our hearts to Jesus this Advent season and make room in our lives for Him.

Meanwhile, there were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them, they were filled with great fear. But the angel said to them, “Fear not. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Luke 2: 8-17

Just like the angels, we are filled with great fear. But with God we never have to be filled with fear but instead with peace knowing God is with us. When faced with challenges or new things in our lives we can choose whether to face them with fear, or with peace that comes from God.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, wisemen arrived in Jerusalem. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on a journey to worship him.”

When word of their inquiry got to Herod the ruler, he was terrified that someone was going to take his throne. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” They all told him, in Bethlehem.

Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the wisemen from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”

Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!

They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

Matthew 2:1-11

Just like the wisemen we have gifts to bring Jesus. Look in the mirror, we are the gifts! We offer ourselves to Jesus this Advent season and everyday. Now look closer at what’s reflected in the mirror. See the light? We are a reflection of God’s light to this world. We LIGHT THE NIGHT with God’s love! Like the wisemen, may we be overcome and worship Jesus. Let’s finish our journey and experience the light of Jesus, the baby born in Bethlehem.

What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.

The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.

John 1: 4, 14

Jesus came into the world to LIGHT UP THE NIGHT and we are called to be light in the world through our love.

Jesus came to save the world, ultimately through Jesus death, so that we might live forever with God. This is the JOY we experience this Advent Season!