Come with me to Nazareth. This town was the home of a pregnant young girl betrothed to Joseph, a local tekton, or builder. The talk of the community was Mary?s claim that her pregnancy was a result of supernatural intervention and that her son would be the long awaited Messiah. No doubt some of the neighbors questioned the story, perhaps even spoke of it in derogatory terms. Mary and Joseph may have felt some relief at the requirement to leave Nazareth for Bethlehem prior to the baby?s birth. It certainly would remove them from the ?talk? of the town.

The trip to Bethlehem would not be an easy one however. The timing of Caesar Augustus? decree for the census meant that Mary would be almost due to deliver. The thought of walking all the way to Bethlehem must have been discouraging. And this was not a walk in the park. The likely route would take them down the Jordan River Valley to Jericho where they would take the Jericho Road toward Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Parts of this road were narrow, rocky and dangerous. This would be a difficult path for any young girl but especially challenging to someone about to give birth.

Upon arriving at Bethlehem, a town of about 200 people, Mary and Joseph seek out the local inn. This guest room of the community was already taken, so Joseph and Mary accepted the offer to stay in the stable. What other choice did they have?

The stable was probably cave-like in appearance, dark, and was certainly dirty and smelly from the many sheep frequently held there. A rocky partition separated the area where shepherds could stay to watch the sheep. It was there that Mary could deliver her baby, just slightly separated from the manure-covered floor of the stable. After giving birth Mary placed Jesus in the watering trough which was probably the cleanest place in the stable. It was not where you would expect the Messiah to be born.

Why do we so often try to make Christmas white, or glistening with ornaments and garland? Why do we have parties, eat fancy desserts, burn sweet smelling candles and give elaborate gifts? Why do we send cards with twinkling stars, snow covered spruces, decorated trees, cute manger scenes? Why do we have two weeks vacation?

We fill our homes with scents and sounds that are as festive as possible. I think we celebrate Christmas in this way because we like to focus on Christ as God?s gift to us. I believe our motives, for the most part, are good. We want to remind our children of God?s love and that is certainly something to celebrate.

The problem is that our celebration often becomes the focus of Christmas. We enjoy the fine food and music. We enjoy the lights and festivity. We shop for weeks or more to find the right gifts. Even in solid Christian families where the intent is to honor God and thank him for his wonderful love, we frequently need to be reminded of the ?reason for the season.?

Although we make an honest effort to focus our attention on Jesus and his love at Christmas we can?t do it justice. How can we begin to understand what Jesus gave up in order to be born of a young unwed teenager in a sheep coral?

We must focus more on what that first Christmas was like and try to understand that Jesus ?did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.? He demonstrated that love from his birth (a place none of us would tolerate today) and each day until his purpose was fulfilled.

That first Christmas was not a merry, festive event at all. Why do we take the smell and pain away from Christmas? In doing so we lose a perspective on just how much God loves us.