It’s Christmas Eve and for many it’s a time for shopping for stocking stuffers or that last minute gift. Others are baking cookies, sipping eggnog, or preparing for Christmas dinner. Millions of others are traveling home to spend the holidays with family. It’s a busy, sometimes frantic, day, but one we look forward to all year round.
The scene on the first Christmas Eve, over 2000 years ago, was far different. Forced by Rome to leave their home in Nazareth and travel over dusty roads to Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph arrived tired, dirty and sore, alone in a strange place where they didn’t know a soul. Knowing time was short, they frantically looked for a room, only to be turned away time-after-time.
Mary has already suffered so much. Pregnant out of wedlock, she’d been scorned by family and friends, nearly rejected by her fiance, forced to travel long distances while 9 months pregnant. After dealing with all that, she must have wept when Joseph told her they’d have to sleep in the stable. After all, a girl can only take so much. Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, the contractions started.
Some romanticize this story, as if Mary’s delivery was painless and easy, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Being her first pregnancy Mary probably suffered for hours, as wave after wave of contractions hit. There was screaming, sweating, blood, excruciating pain, then blessed relief with that final push.
Exhausted, Mary just lay back in the hay and listened for a moment to her baby’s first cries, joy and wonder filling her heart. Then she gently lifted Jesus to her breast for the very first time, giving the Life-Giver the gift of life.
Ahead lay many sleepless nights, diaper changes, and midnight feedings. There’d be first steps, toilet training, scratched knees, and hurt feelings. When Jesus grew up, there’d be worry and pride, inexpressible heartache and grief at His crucifixion, followed by joy unspeakable at His resurrection.
All this lay ahead, but none of that was important right then. All that mattered to Mary on that first Christmas day, was the babe in her arms, Emmanuel, God with us.
Nothing has changed in over 2000 years. It’s not the gifts under the tree or the stockings “hung by the chimney with care” that are important. It’s not the bright lights, the shopping or the carols at night that should consume our thoughts. The only thing that really matters this Christmas and all through the year is Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. He truly is the “reason for the season.”
May His love surround you throughout this Christmas and may His peace fill your heart throughout the coming year is my prayer.
Merry Christmas!