Because of the census, Bethlehem's inns were full of people making the journey home. And so, when the time came, Mary gave birth to Jesus in the only place available to them: a stable. She placed him in a manger-a feeding trough-because that's all there was. Surely this was not the birth that Mary would have planned for her firstborn child.

And yet, it was exactly what God had ordained. God showed us a lot about His Kingdom through the circumstances around the birth of His Son.

He showed us that Jesus is humble. Jesus was born in a stable and placed in a manger. The King of all Creation, yet such a humble beginning.

He showed us that the Kingdom of God is accessible. This King wasn't tucked away in a castle or a mansion, separated from His people and surrounded by luxuries-shepherds and wise men alike were able to come visit Him.

Continued

He showed us that we can trust the story. Mary had to trust God's story. Joseph had to trust God's story. Imagine how the story would have been different if Mary and Joseph had demanded that room be made for them in an inn, shouting, "This is the Messiah, people! Make room!" But they didn't do that. They accepted the situation in front of them, trusting God's story regardless of how strange or undesirable the setting seemed.

And from that surrendered posture and strange set of circumstances, God brought forth His Son, exactly as He had planned.

We can trust the story because God is the Author. Jesus' humble birth was not an accident-it was a message, a picture to all of us of what God's Kingdom is truly like. It's also an invitation for us to surrender our plans, our ideas, of how the story should be, and trust the trustworthy hand of God in our lives. We can trust God.