#disciplemaking
#adventcalendarday2
#willyoujoinme

(Read Luke chapter 2)

Just like that we read all there is to know about Jesus’ childhood! But it doesn’t matter how many times I read this it still captivates me. Can you imagine the faith of Joseph and Mary? Mary’s been told she’s going to give birth to the saviour of the world. . . Joseph is going to marry her even though the child is not his . . . Ordinary people trusting in God for the sake of everyone else!

And just so we’re clear, there’s nothing in the text to suggest it was a last minute journey. (V6) “while they were there”. And what you can’t tell in English but is clearer in the original Greek is that the word “inn” really means “guest room” and was usually at one end of the house. Because of the census that room was already occupied so the family had brought Joseph and Mary inside the main house to be with them. You see the manger was not out the back somewhere but actually in the main living room of the house! (Probably a hole in the ground filled with straw. The animals were kept at a lower level of the far end of the house so that when feeding from the manger they were standing below the floor level of the main room but could reach across with their necks to the manger).

Jesus was born among ordinary folk (extended family) who loved him and welcomed him in their home. If you had the chance, how would you welcome Jesus into your home?

Then again, it’s the ordinary (very – considered unclean by most) shepherds who get the good news first, albeit by extraordinary messengers. And given the good news, they first go and check it out for themselves, like ordinary people would, then once they’ve verified it, they tell everyone else.

It’s very normal (and even expected) to check out the extraordinary claims people make about Jesus for yourself and then it’s equally normal to tell others about it when you’ve verified it – after all it’s good news!

• Is there something you still need to check out about Jesus?
• Is there something you’ve learned about Jesus that you’d love to tell someone else about?
• Anything stopping you? 😉