A Journey Begins….

Part 1 Mary and Joseph’s Family Vacation

On a dusty road, in Northern Israel is where the greatest story of all time takes place.  The story of our Savior’s birth.

A census had been ordered, and Mary and Joseph were about to begin their trip to Bethlehem.  Now this wasn’t any ordinary trip…..and they weren’t just a couple of ordinary people….for Mary was with child.  And not just any child…..but the Child of God.  For the angel Gabriel had visited Mary and told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High;  and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end (Luke 1:30-33.)”

So nine months later when Joseph said, “Hey, pack your stuff and let’s go,” I’m sure that Mary said with great enthusiasm, “Let’s do this.”  When in fact I’m sure Mary said heck no we aren’t going.  I’m about to have a baby you…….well, you can fill in the blank.  But for whatever reason, she decided to go.  God’s plan was always in place.  But like so many of us, Mary wasn’t privy to all of the details.

Now I know from experience how trips are with a pregnant women…..I once visited the top of a volcano in Hawaii with my wife when she was about 6 months pregnant….so I could only imagine what went on in that household.

The road from Nazareth to Bethlehem wasn’t paved…..it wasn’t a nice walking trail that they could stroll down with water fountains and gift shops along the way.  There weren’t gas stations and IHOP’s for a good breakfast.  Everything they needed they had to carry…..food, water, clothing.  The journey is roughly 80 miles long and in certain spots climbs of 3500 feet weren’t unexpected.  How hard must that have been for Mary?  Where did they stay at night?  I don’t know, but I’m sure there weren’t Hilton Garden Inns spread out amongst the hills.  I’m sure they spread out an old rough blanket and slept on the rocky ground.  I’m sure they were absolutely miserable….uncomfortable….unhappy…..moody.

Mary rode a donkey…..a stinky, dirty animal.  Joseph walked beside her.  The average winter temperatures weren’t what I would call bad…..high 60’s during the day, low 50’s at night……but the inconvenience of a census at this time in their lives made things interesting I’m sure.

I’ve watched enough Amazing Race to see the most loving of couples wanting to rip each other’s head off….and that’s with modern-day transportation and the knowledge of a shower at the end of the day would eventually come.

I’m sure they travelled with friends and family, though it isn’t said, but I’m not sure that made it much better.

The two of them, Mary and Joseph, for all intents and purposes were alone….on a dirt road, travelling up and down hills, to a stable that they had no idea they were heading towards.  They had no idea what they were in for….what Mary was bringing into the world…..they were just heading to a census.

The normal journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem would have taken about 4 days….but with Mary as pregnant as she was I’m sure it would have taken longer.  Longer than either Joseph or Mary would want to spend away from home in Mary’s condition.  Longer that either one of them would probably want to journey on a good day.  But like most of God’s great revelations, they begin with the first step of a long journey……and they took that step together.

The Savior of Mankind was slowly being brought to His earthly birthplace on a donkey…to Bethlehem……the irony of it all is that only 33 years later He would once again be brought into Jerusalem, only a few miles away on a donkey….eventually leading to the place of his earthly death.

So Mary and Joseph’s journey of just a few miles, on this dusty, dirty, hilly, uncomfortable road was just the beginning of the greatest story ever told…..the story of salvation, the story of redemption….the story of a loving God who sent his only Son to die for all of us.  Jesus could have been sent down from the clouds…..but he started his life like us……in miserable conditions…..on a messy journey………to a stable on the outskirts of town.