How could they have missed it?

I've been thinking about the Christmas story today from a little different perspective. What about the perspective of the citizens of Bethlehem? I mean, that town was full to the brim--so full that there was no room anywhere for a VERY pregnant lady to have a bed. I wonder if anyone was out for a nightly stroll when Mary was in the throws of labor. Now, I'm not saying she was screaming hysterically or anything, but having had quite a few babies myself, I know what it feels like. I also know that the first time, no one can prepare you exactly for what it's going to feel like. The fact that she had no help besides Joseph (and no doubt he wasn't much help) probably means she was pretty scared. Knowing a thing or two about birth, I know that being fearful during the birthing process makes it much harder and longer. So I'm thinking that she probably let out a yelp or two! Maybe someone stopped by to help? Maybe some kind lady who understood oh too well exactly what she was going through.

After Jesus was born--probably relatively quietly in the little stable--the Bible tells us that an angel appeared to some shepherds out in their fields nearby. After the angel announced Jesus' birth, Luke 2:13 says, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel..." I've heard scholars say that there were probably a thousand or even ten thousand angels. Okay, SOMEBODY other than those shepherds had to have seen those angels!! Can you imagine? You're checking out the sights in Bethlehem--home of your youth. You've come back for the census, and you haven't been there in years. You're taking your wife to the places you used to hang out as a kid, and low and behold you hear the loudest "ALLELUIA" you've ever heard. You look up and there's hundreds, even thousands of glorious beings lighting up the night sky singing the greatest praise and worship service there's ever been. Come on...don't tell me you're not gonna wonder what's going on???

How could they have missed it? How could this whole town not having been buzzing about what was going on in the stable behind the inn? How could they not have been curious about the night sky being so lit up by a thousand angels booming out the worship songs? All of heaven was ablaze with his glory. The Bible tells us that the shepherds went and told everyone about what they had seen after they went to the baby. Did no one believe them? I mean, surely the next morning there was someone at the Bethlehem Bed and Breakfast talking about the night sky and someone else who had heard from the shepherds. Didn't they put two and two together? They were Jews!! Didn't they know any of the prophecies?? You'd think this heavenly phenomenon would have made it's way to Herod's ear. But even he didn't know.

Then, after those crazy shepherds probably stopped talking because no one believed them, along came the wise men months later. And let me tell you, there weren't just three wise men. Just because the Bible only tells us that there were three gifts (and there may have been more), that doesn't mean there were only three men. They would have been completely insane to carry such valuable gifts across the desert from the East with just three of them. They would most certainly have been robbed and killed. No, there was more likely a whole caravan of wise men plus their servants. So now, here comes 40, 50, maybe even 100 men riding into the town on camels, draped in beautiful clothes, gold and silver. They would certainly have had different skin, different eyes, different everything from the Jews. They even spoke a different language. And yet, once again, Bethlehem thought "Eh, this is an every day occurrence"?????

John 1:10-13 says:

"He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."

There you have it. The Jews did not receive him. He came to them, and they rejected him--just like many of them are still rejecting him today. And as hard as it may be to swallow, that was God's plan all along. Right there it tells us that it is not "human decision." It's God's. No wonder they missed it. What other way could you explain their complete lack of awareness to all the prophetic things going on around them?

I do believe the Jews will have another chance. I believe that God will not forsake his people. He is the same God "yesterday, today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) He spans time, and is not bound by our finite minds. The Jews are still his chosen ones. As Gentiles, we have been grafted into Abraham's line--of which I am very thankful!! But the Jews are in the blood line. I don't know how it will happen or when, but I believe God, in his timing, will call them back to himself.

He is a wonderful and gracious King. I'm so grateful to have been chosen to be his Princess. I can't wait to see how the rest of the story is going to play out, and I'm so excited to get to spend eternity talking about the greatest story ever told--the greatest event that's ever happened to this earth--the birth of Jesus. Heaven came down. God left his throne of glory to be wrapped in human flesh and humbled himself to become a helpless baby born in a nasty stable! All for us. All so that even the lowliest shepherd boy could know him, touch him, attain salvation from him. What an amazing thought. Only the God of the Universe could have orchestrated such a love story. And only our Holy God could love us with love that amazing.

This Christmas, I want to focus on that. I don't want to be a clueless citizen of Bethlehem who misses all the signs!! I pray that God opens my eyes to every wonderful miracle going on around me--starting with the miracle of my own precious family. Thank you, Jesus, for coming to earth. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for choosing me. I love you, Jesus!