Read: Luke 2:1-7
"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn."
Luke 2:7
Christmas has not always been celebrated as it is today. For about the first 300 years, the church did not celebrate the birth of Christ. Mostly because it wasn’t common to celebrate someone’s birth, but also the church calendar revolved around the resurrection. In fact, Christmas wasn’t a national holiday in America until 1870. Kids were still going to school on Christmas day, and most people worked up until that point. Things are different today–thankfully. Christmas is a big deal, and rightly so. Celebrating the birth of Christ is now so ingrained into our culture, that there are little details about the Christmas season that we take for granted–presents, lights, trees, stockings, candy canes, and stars. These small specifics matter to us. It makes the season and focus more poignant and austere.
Jesus’ birth took place away from His hometown. In the ancient Roman world, Roman citizens didn’t pay taxes—the occupied peoples of the Roman empire did. One occupied group was the Jews of Palestine. Sometime in Caesar Augustus’ reign, a decree was made to conduct a census. All Jewish families must travel to their ancestral city to register for this census. Jesus' father (earthly father), Joseph, was a descendant of the famous and honored king David. And, of course, David’s birth city was Bethlehem. While there Mary went into labor.
Tradition tells us that Jesus was born in a cave or natural stable. As a bed, He was placed in a manger. So what is a manger? A manger is a feeding trough. That might sound a bit crude and unbecoming to our twenty-first century ears, but it was common at that time. Though certainly an indicator that Jesus’ parents were poor, it isn’t an unheard of practice.
After His birth, Mary wrapped Jesus in strips of cloth to keep Him secure and warm. It is interesting that Luke gives this detail. Who would have known that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths? Who could have given Luke that detail, and why did he include it? It is very likely that Luke interviewed Mary as he wrote his gospel. That would make sense because of the minor details Luke includes in his account (e.g., swaddling cloths and a manger).
These little details are important. They tell us something about our Lord. They show that Jesus’ beginnings were humble and meager. We see that His mother and earthly father took special care of Him, and they understood the importance of His life from the very start. During this Christmas season, I encourage you not to miss some of the minor, yet important details, about Christ’s life. His humble beginnings, His innocent life, His miraculous conception, and the providential location of His birth.
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Prayer: Holy Lord Jesus, the details of your incarnation were providentially guided and fulfilled exactly according to plan. Thank you for being a God of important spiritual and theological details. The important small details of your redemptive plan reveal to me that however small my life and existence may seem, it is important to you. Thank you for salvation! Thank you for giving me purpose!