While they were there, the time came for her Child to be born. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7

A few weeks ago my wife was explaining this story to her 3-year-old niece. It was incredible to her that there was no room for Mary and the baby, so she would make-believe knock on doors looking for extra space for Mary. She and Jesus couldn’t possible be born in a stable. It wasn’t right.

We smile at the innocence of a 3-year-old on a mission to help Baby Jesus.

God didn’t want the fanfare of thrones and castles and crowns and the delicacies. Instead, the couple found comfort in front of shepherd boys, straw, hay, and smelly animals. It would have to be a sufficient place for the King of Kings to be born. Centuries later we talk about the remarkable birth.

Today you’ll hear about this remarkable birth with many other Believers. You’ll marvel at the sheer audacity of God to send Jesus to us in human form and to birth him in a stable. I presume Joseph was a desperate man to find shelter for his family. He, like our niece, searched high and low for a temporary home in relative comfort, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

It just wasn’t meant to be.