We are three days away from Christmas, and it may feel like crunch time! Or perhaps, the busiest part of the month, with concerts and parties and so many events, is finally over, and you’re starting to relax and anticipate, really anticipate, the celebration of Christmas. Wherever you find yourself today, think about how many times you’ve heard – or told – the Christmas story. If you’re a parent, you’ve undoubtedly retold it numerous times already this season. If you love and collect nativity scenes, as I do, you mentally retell the story as you set out each precious scene and again in bits as you enjoy them around your home during Advent. The Christmas story – the story of Christ’s birth – is familiar. But maybe it’s too familiar.

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There’s a saying – “familiarity breeds contempt” – I’d alter that a bit to make it sound a bit less harsh. But the familiarity of the Christmas story does breed dulled senses, apathy, and pride as we think we know it all. I hope this December the Director’s Cut series and devotions have helped cut through your layers of familiarity and brough fresh wonder, joy, and gratefulness for the amazing way that God wrote an unbelievably great story – a story that’s all true.

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As I read the verse for today, my first thought was again – this is so familiar. What is new here? And then I prayed. Just a quick side note: Do you pray as you read the Word? It makes all the difference. When we invite God to speak to us through His WORD – His living Word – He is faithful. It’s not a genie-in-a-bottle prayer, but when I come to Him humbly and ask Him to show me what He wants me to see and hear and learn from a passage of Scripture, I’m most often amazed at what pops out at me. He speaks through His Word!

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Today, the word that jumped out at me from this verse is “while.”  While Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, the time came. Is that how you tell the story or how you picture it? I’ll be honest, I picture them walking into Bethlehem and searching for lodging their first night as Mary is in the beginning stages of labor. I picture this happening “as they arrive.” But this was while they were in Bethlehem. Does it make a difference?  

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I think so. It’s one thing to arrive late and not find lodging. Everyone’s settled for the night. Inns are full. People are focused on evening things. If the seeking was during that time – and only that time – it makes a bit more sense that nothing suitable was found. But the birth of Christ doesn’t seem like it happened as they arrived. He was born while they were in Bethlehem. This was a multi-day stay taking care of business – registering as they were required to do by Roman law. So, in all the days they were in Bethlehem – where were they?  

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They may have been with others from Joseph’s family, but they most likely were in a common, communal, humble setting. The animal enclosure in those days was often the lower level of the home. The family dwelling was above the “stable.” It’s not exactly how the nativity scenes I collect picture it! When Bethlehem was overcrowded for the census, the private rooms were full, and it was common to house additional guests with the animals in the lower level. Common – for the commoner. Humble. In this case, no one was budging from their upstairs room to give priority to a young woman about to give birth. She was in the midst of the masses and the mooing next to the manger.

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So, what’s the point? How does this impact my view of Christmas 2025? It is another reminder of God’s amazing grace and love for me and for you. He sent His Son, Jesus, and orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem – which fulfilled prophecy given by Micah hundreds of years before (Micah 5:2) – and born in the most humble circumstances. God could have sent His Son in any way He chose – but God chose a virgin named Mary, a godly man named Joseph, and a humble setting in Bethlehem.  

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Think about it – Jesus embodies humility. As Paul writes in Philippians 2:6-8, “He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” From birth to death and everything in between – Humility.

Jesus is our example of humility, and we are to model ourselves after Him. This is challenging on good days, and even more so during the busyness and demands of the holidays. But the point is, we can’t do it on our own. We need Him. We need the strength of the Holy Spirit.  

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God, thank you for writing a story that is perfectly crafted to demonstrate your amazing love for us. Help us to see the details with fresh eyes and a soft heart and then respond as You speak to us. May we imitate the humility of Christ to our families, neighbors, and world around us. Amen.