A Journey to BethlehemНамуна

The Journey of God

Among those who made the journey to Bethlehem over two thousand years ago, the One that matters most is God Himself. God went to Bethlehem; God was born in a stable; God lay in an animal's feeding trough when He slept; God made the most important journey of all.

We know that Jesus was carried in Mary's womb until the time came for her to give birth. Jesus was conceived uniquely and miraculously, but there was nothing unique or miraculous about His birth. Mary reached full term, went into labor, and delivered the baby she was carrying. She was a young, unmarried woman of humble status, in a town that was not her own, and she had no family around except for her soon-to-be husband. She gave birth to her baby while lying in a stable meant for animals. Jesus came into this world in the most humble way. Both in His delivery and in the setting that awaited His entry into this world, Jesus entered into the fullness of a messy humanity. This was a very long way from reigning supreme on the throne of Heaven. Yet, that is the journey God made.

John chapter 1 tells us that Jesus was the pre-existent God. The one through whom everything was created, the author of life itself, and the light that penetrates and transforms darkness. He became human flesh and dwelled among us. The incarnation means that God came to Earth not only to be with us, but God came to Earth as one of us. That is quite a journey. 

Of course, we know that Bethlehem is not the end of the journey, nor the end of the story. The journey would take Jesus all the way to a place called Golgotha. Where He would be executed by Roman decree as He is crucified on a cross. In this, Jesus took upon Himself our sin, being made sin for us, so that we might become righteous through Him. His journey was from human flesh to death on a cross while bearing human sin, and He won victory for us over it all. But it all started with a journey to Bethlehem.

Perhaps Bethlehem is a good place for us to either begin our journey or renew our journey to all that God desires for us. As we move toward Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus into the messiness and brokenness of our world, we would do well to look toward Bethlehem. As we begin our journey, we hope to find the same thing the shepherds and the Magi found. We will discover the longing of our hearts, the eternal love, the incarnate God, the infant King, and the Messiah. He is Immanuel – God with us. He is our Savior and redeeming Lord, Jesus, and He is worth the journey. 

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