View Site Map

The Night Before Christmas from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

Imagine what it must have been like to be in Bethlehem, a cozy little town surrounded by green rolling hills, on the very first Christmas Eve over 2,000 years ago. Think about a time before we had electricity, twinkling Christmas lights and the happy holiday songs we sing today. The Christmas holiday had not been created yet.

It was a night unlike any other, special and full of wonder. Yet this miraculous event was hidden in the ordinary cloak of daily life, and most people did not even notice it had arrived.

Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, a small settlement in the Galilee region. At the time, Nazareth was a quiet country village primarily inhabited by Jewish families. It was known for its agricultural lifestyle, with inhabitants tending to their crops and livestock. With a population of only a few hundred people, Nazareth lacked the splendor of larger cities like Jerusalem.

Joseph was a carpenter by trade and likely learned his skills from his father. He would have been accustomed to working with wood and stone, creating tools, furniture, and building or repairing homes for the residents of Nazareth. Mary was a young woman of great faith and had been pledged to Joseph in marriage when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her:

(Luke 1:26–28 NKJV) ... the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

(Luke 1:29–33 NKJV) But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, and she conceived Jesus. Soon after, Caesar decreed that everyone in the Roman Empire should register in their hometown. Mary and Joseph were engaged, so they both traveled to Bethlehem.

(Luke 2:1–3 NKJV) And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

(Luke 2:4–7 NKJV) 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 lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Bethlehem was a quiet, peaceful little town, sitting under a sky full of stars. The streets were just simple dirt paths, nothing fancy, softly lit by the warm light of lanterns here and there. The houses were made of stone and mud taken right from the ground. They were simple and nothing like the elaborate buildings of Rome. But right there in that little town, something amazing and beautiful was about to happen.

During this era, the Roman Empire, with its wealth and might, had extended its reach across the Mediterranean. Rome was a sprawling empire that swallowed diverse cultures and lands.

The expansion of Rome under Julius Caesar's rule transformed it into an immense empire, reaching from Egypt's sands to the fog-shrouded shores of Britannia. In the wake of Caesar's rule, his successor, Caesar Augustus, who was born Octavian, was born. Octavian was the grandson of Julius Caesar's sister. He was a young man endowed with exceptional abilities and promise.

Octavian's life took a dramatic and decisive turn at the age of seventeen when Julius Caesar, recognizing his potential, adopted him as his heir in 45 B.C. However, this defining moment in his life was soon eclipsed by a sudden and tragic event—the assassination of Julius Caesar just a year later. This incident not only marked a turning point in Octavian's personal journey but also set the stage for a new chapter in the history of Rome.

The young Octavian divided Rome with two others—Mark Antony and Lepidus, effectively dividing control of Rome's vast territories among themselves. For decades, the Mediterranean world had been filled with war and violence. Now that it was split into three pieces, it became far worse. These were years of bloody, brutal fighting for power and money in Rome and its divided provinces. Octavian and Antony pushed out Lepidus, then Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra's combined forces, and he took the title "Caesar Augustus" as ruler over all of Rome when he was thirty-six years old.

"Augustus" is a special name that means "exalted and sacred." Before Augustus, Rome had been a republic that prided itself on being a nation governed by laws and not by any man. No man was above the law in Rome. Augustus changed all of that. Rome became an empire, with him at the top. So, the first emperor of Rome was Caesar Augustus, and the month of August was named after him. For decades, the world Augustus lived in and that Jesus would be born into, the world of the Mediterranean basin, was wrecked by war, destruction, brutality, and immorality. The historian Will Durant captured it so beautifully:

"The lusty peninsula (of Rome) was worn out with twenty years of civil war. Its farms had been neglected, its towns had been sacked or besieged, much of its wealth had been stolen or destroyed. Administration and protection had broken down; robbers made every street unsafe at night; highwaymen roamed the roads, kidnapped travelers, and sold them into slavery. Trade diminished, investment stood still, interest rates soared, property values fell.

Morals, which had been loosened by riches and luxury, had not been improved by destitution and chaos, for few conditions are more demoralizing than poverty that comes after wealth. Rome was full of men who had lost their economic footing and then their moral stability: soldiers who had tasted adventure and had learned to kill; citizens who had seen their savings consumed in the taxes and inflation of war and waited vacuously for some returning tide to life them back to affluence; women dizzy with freedom, multiplying divorces, abortions, and adulteries."

Into this chaotic world, Jesus Christ was born, heralding the dawn of the first Christmas. It was during the reign of Caesar Augustus that a significant decree was issued – a call for a census, an extensive endeavor to register and count every person under Roman rule. This decree wasn't just a matter of record-keeping; it was a strategic move designed for more efficient taxation across the vast stretches of the Roman Empire. Known as the "first" census, it set a precedent for others that would follow.

The census decree from Caesar Augustus had a profound and far-reaching impact. A single command from his ivory palace set the entire known world into motion, compelling people to return to their ancestral homes for the census. Among them were Mary and Joseph, who embarked on a journey to Bethlehem. This journey was not just a compliance with Roman orders but a fulfillment of a prophecy spoken centuries earlier by the prophet Micah:

(Micah 5:2 NKJV) "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."

Through the mechanism of a Roman census, a divine plan gracefully unfolded, and it led Mary and Joseph to the very place where the ancient prophecy would be fulfilled.

Joseph was from Bethlehem, and he and Mary were preparing for a sudden and significant journey. They were to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for the census—a journey of approximately 80 to 100 miles. This was far from a simple stroll; it would take 8 to 10 days on foot along roads with thieves and robbers. It was a journey filled with anticipation, anxiety, and danger.

Imagine Mary, deep in the late stages of pregnancy, setting out on this intimidating journey with Joseph. Their path wound through rolling hills and valleys, through groves of olive trees, and along narrow, rocky passes. At night, they would have camped in the open air. Despite the challenges, it would have also provided moments of companionship and reflection. At least they were together, and they had each other. It was a journey of hope—a pilgrimage leading to a night that would eternally be cherished as the very first Christmas.

As they arrived in Bethlehem, they found the small town teeming with travelers like themselves, all drawn by the census. Amidst this hustle and bustle, there was no room left in the inns, and no one took them into their house. When Mary began to have labor pains, they desperately needed shelter, so they found a small cave that was being used as a pen for livestock.

There, in the tranquility of a humble stable surrounded by a company of animals, Jesus was born. Far removed from the comforts of a conventional home, Mary tenderly wrapped her newborn son in cloth and gently laid Him in a manger, a simple feeding trough for the animals. It was a beginning marked with profound humility and grace. The most monumental event in history was simply recorded as:

'She gave birth to her firstborn Son.'

Far from her home in Nazareth, Mary was without the comforting presence of family and close friends, who would typically offer support and comfort during such a pivotal moment. The intimate details of Mary wrapping Jesus and placing him in the manger suggest the absence of a midwife, implying that it was only her and Joseph in those quiet moments.

Around 150 A.D., Justin Martyr, an early Christian apologist, wrote of Jesus being born in a cave in Bethlehem. Today, the Church of the Nativity stands over this revered site. However, back then, it was merely a cold, unadorned cave that was used as a shelter for livestock. It was at this humble and unassuming place that the first Christmas took place.

In the rolling green hills of Bethlehem, a special breed of sheep was raised. These were not just any sheep; they were the temple lambs, highly esteemed and cherished, for they were destined for the temple sacrifices in Jerusalem. Celebrated for their purity, these lambs were considered the best of the best and the only ones allowed to be sacrificed at the temple in Jerusalem.

In this context, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem takes on a deeper, symbolic significance. He was known as the Lamb of God. Jesus was, without blemish, a perfect embodiment of purity and sacrifice. His birth in Bethlehem, amidst these temple lambs, even in their shelter, was poetically symbolic. The very setting whispered of the role He was to fulfill in the world—a role full of love, sacrifice, and redemption. The Lamb of God was born among the other temple lambs.

In the quiet fields surrounding Bethlehem, under a starlit sky, a group of shepherds watched over their flocks through the night. When an angel, radiant and awe-inspiring, appeared before them. The angel did not appear to King Herod at his palace but to simple shepherds out in the field.

The angel announced to them that Christ the Lord had been born, the Messiah, which must have filled the shepherds with awe and wonder. They were told they would find the newborn King not in a palace but nestled in a manger—a feeding trough for animals.

Jesus Christ's birth is a humble beginning for the One who would be known as the King of all kings. The Messiah, the Son of God, entered this world not amidst wealth and luxury but in a simple, unadorned cave in Bethlehem, a place that sheltered and smelled like livestock. There, among the sheep, lay the newborn Jesus. His first bed was a feeding trough.

The unblemished Lamb of God, born in a Bethlehem stable, would later be examined by Pontius Pilate, who declared, 'I find no fault in this man.' His beginnings were humble and modest, and His end so momentous and sacrificial. This story forms the very essence of the Christian faith.

Indeed, God had the power and thousands of years to plan the most magnificent entrance for His Son. He could have chosen for Jesus to be born to wealthy parents, in a grand palace, or even within the sacred walls of the temple. But in His infinite wisdom, God chose a different path. He selected a simple livestock cave for the birth of His Lamb. This choice alone speaks volumes about the nature of God, His love, and the message of Jesus. Great things come from small beginnings.

There is a simple, down-to-earth humility and lack of pomp about God that is so admirable. He deflates human pride, and He is the opposite of insecure. He chooses not to impress anyone. This characteristic was evident in Jesus' ministry. When the Pharisees demanded signs and wonders, Jesus said no and focused on teaching and healing instead. Similarly, when James and John wished to call down fire from heaven like Elijah on a village that had rejected them, Jesus simply advised them to move on to the next town. To know Him is to love Him.

It is worth noting that just as most people did not notice the birth of Jesus, most will not be ready for His return either:

(Matthew 24:36–39 NKJV) "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Yet, Noah knew... And he was ready. We should be as well. This holiday season, remember that Jesus is the reason we have seasons, for He created them, and may God richly bless you!

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I adore You. Thank You so much for sending Your Son, Jesus, to redeem me. Please help me get in tune with what You are doing on Earth today. Speak to me clearly so that I understand, fill me with Your Spirit, and don't pass me by. I want more of You in my life today. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Happy Birthday, Jesus. Amen!