Page 26 - Life of Christ - textbook (3)

There was no way around it. Even though she was great with child, they both would have to make the
4-day journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to obey the decree.

The trip was long and arduous. They probably journeyed over to the Sea of Galilee, traveled down the
Jordan River Valley to Jericho, scaled the Judean wilderness up to Jerusalem, and then turned south for
the last 6 miles to Bethlehem, a trip of about 80 miles. Both Joseph and Mary were poor, just starting
out in married life, and probably did not have the money to purchase a donkey. In those days, a donkey
was purchased for an entire month’s salary. They most likely walked the entire journey arriving late at
night. Mary was at full term.

The requirement that every person return to their home city brought hundreds of new people into the
small village of Bethlehem. The guest houses and inns were completely filled. When the two arrived,
there was no place for them to stay overnight, but some caring person allowed them to stay in their
cave in which they housed their animals. That night, the Son of God was born and placed in a feeding
trough. His birth speaks of His humility.

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Philippians 2: 5-11 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he
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was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by
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taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he
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humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God
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has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess
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that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Bethlehem means “house of bread,” the ideal birthplace of the Bread of Life. It was the historic
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heritage of Rachel and the birth of Benjamin, marriage of Ruth, and the exploits of David. Benjamin
means “son of my right hand” and David means “beloved”. Both names apply to our Lord, for He is the
Beloved Son at God’s right hand.

Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes,
strips of clothes, like wrapping a mummy.
Some infants were wrapped this way to keep
their limbs straight and unharmed. Others
were placed in a blanket. The shepherds
were told to look for a swaddled baby.

Shepherds were outcasts in Israel. Their
work not only made them ceremonially
unclean, but it kept them away from the
temple for weeks at a time so they could not
be made clean. God does not call the rich
and mighty; He calls the poor and lowly! The
According to tradition, this exact spot, located in the basement of poor were also not permitted to testify in
the Church of the Nativity, is supposedly where Jesus was born. court, but God used them to testify of his
Son’s birth (I Corinthians 1:26-29).

11 https://www.britannica.com/place/Bethlehem

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