This post is Day 24 in a series of studies about “Babies and Children”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, you can do that today. (The form is at the bottom of the page).

Babies and Children – Day 24

On Christmas Eve, it seems appropriate to think about this baby born to His virgin mother. This verse speaks of Jesus having to sleep in a manger. That makes us think that they were poor. But is that true? There is no suggestion in the gospels that Joseph was poor!

Luke 2:6-7

While there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room available for them.

The Thought

On this Christmas Eve, it seems appropriate to think about this baby born to His virgin mother. This verse speaks of Jesus having to sleep in a feeding trough for animals. That makes us think that Joseph and Mary were poor. But is that really true? There is never any suggestion in the gospels that Joseph was poor!

There was no room at the inn because there were hundreds of people there for the census. Everyone went to his home town to register because of the census that Caesar Augustus had decided to do (Luke 2:1-3). We can imagine that many people had difficulty finding accommodation over that time.

The fact that this baby was born in a stable meant that the shepherds who visited could enter with no feelings of being in a strange place. Would they have dared to enter a four star hotel? Maybe they would in obedience to the angels instructions, which were very clear and life changing for those shepherds in that field that night.

Action

Imagine today if there was a governmental decree that meant that you went back with all your family to the town where you were born. How many old friends would you expect to see there? Each one with their children. The hotels would be full! Most of the campsites too!

Think about old friends today and pray for them to recognise all that the birth of Jesus means.

Praise God for His gift of His Son who fulfilled every prophecy given about Him.

Thank God for His love and His plans for every baby born on the earth.

For a full list of online studies available on this site, please click here.

If there is a subject you would like to see on this site, please use the comment section below or drop us an email (there’s a link at the very top of the page). We can’t promise to cover them all, and our studies are usually prepared a month or two in advance, so please be patient.

For a full list of physical resources available through this site, please click here.