Although most scholars agree that Jesus wasn't born on Dec. 25, my mind still wanders back to Bethlehem this time each year. I wonder what Mary was thinking the day after Jesus' birth. I wonder if they were still housed in a crude stable, or had someone helped them find a more suitable place to stay? We know that shepherds came the night of the day he had been born. The Bible tells us that Mary treasured these things in her heart.
Today her amazing new baby is a day old. Her body is still feeling the effects of just having given birth. She probably didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Or perhaps she was so exhausted that she was able to sleep despite the rustic conditions. It would have been normal for a Jewish mother to keep her baby close to her during the night as she nursed him and kept his body temperature stabilized. By the light of the new day, is Mary marveling at all the things the shepherds said? Of course, she already knew exactly who Jesus was. She knew that she was still a virgin despite having given birth yesterday. She knew that the baby suckling sweetly at her breast was the Very Son of God.
Oh how I wish that I could interview this amazing young mother. I can only imagine the joy radiating from her face as she recounts the miraculous events of the last nine months. I would love to hear her talk about her reaction to the angel's announcement that she would give birth to the Messiah. It would be fascinating to hear her describe those difficult early days when she first told her beloved Joseph that she was with child and the amazing relief she must have felt when God protected her by sending an angel to Joseph as he slept.
Perhaps one day in Eternity there will be time for a birth junkie like me to share a few minutes with Mary. But for today, I will simply rest in the certainty that God, in His amazing providence, chose the perfect young woman to bring forth, nurture, protect, love and teach His only Son!
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