“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7
Can you imagine giving birth in the conditions that young Mary must have experienced? With all the modern conveniences we have today, it is hard to imagine what it must have been like. We are not given many details of her birthing experience except this one verse. The Bible speaks of a manger and swaddling clothes. By these two clues, and that she could not stay in the inn, most assume they stayed in a stable or cave for shelter. The manger implies that there were animals near them. It is because of these possible scenarios that the nativity scene is thought of and has been presented in art forms over the centuries following.
We may also wonder why would the innkeeper turn them away? Or was there even an innkeeper at all that they interacted with? The text does not say. There are different speculations on how it all played out, but it’s important to remember that the entrance of the Messiah happened exactly how God intended. God placed Mary and Joseph in a place of complete reliance on His divine care.
The earthly arrival of Christ Jesus was humble and secluded. If we think about it… what if Mary and Joseph had been in the inn? Would the birthing experience had been secluded? The text says “there was no room”. Therefore, the inn was probably crowded. Crowds tend to be noisy and germs will float in the air more. Was the place of seclusion planned as a place of protection? Was Joseph the only one helping Mary as she delivered the Babe or was there a midwife? That is another question which we do not know the answer. This one verse gives us a lot to think about.
It is truly amazing how this short verse can raise so many thoughts. Yet, the greatest thought about this pinnacle moment in creation history is that our Creator, God, became a tiny helpless infant babe!
In Times Like These 