Chapter Eighteen/She Drew "Conclusions in Her Heart" -The Birth of Christ

 Mary must have drew a sigh of relief when she first caught sight of Bethlehem. As they mounted the hillsides, passing by olive groves -among the last of the crops to be harvested - Mary and Joseph may well have thought about the history of this little village. It was too insignificant to be numbered among Judah's cities, just as Micah the prophet had said; yet it was the birthplace of Boaz, Naomi, and later David, all more than a thousand years earlier. 

Mary and Joseph found the village to be crowded. Others had arrived to register before them, so there was no space for them at the lodging room. They had no choice but to settle down for the night in a stable. Just imagine Joseph's concern as he saw his wife suffering a sharp discomfort she had never known, which then intensified. Here, of all places, her birth pangs had begun. 

Women everywhere can empathize with Mary. Some 4,000 years earlier, Jehovah had foretold that it would be the common lot of women to suffer pain during childbirth because of inherited sin. (Genesis 3:16) There is no evidence to suggest that Mary was any exception. Luke's account draw a discreet curtain of privacy around the scene, saying simply: "She gave birth to her son, the firstborn." (Luke 2:7) Yes, her "firstborn had arrived - the first of Mary's many children, a least seven in all. (Mark 6:3) This one, though, would never stand apart. Not only was he her firstborn, but he was Jehovah's own "firstborn of all creation," the only-begotten Son of God! - COLOSSIANS 1:15. 

Next time: The Birth of Christ -Conclusion

From the jw.org publications