Could Have, Should Have, But Didn't

For the next several days I have decided to blog about common misconceptions of the birth of Jesus Christ. I usually talk to the children every year at this time about these misconceptions because I like to encourage the children to study the Bible on their own to discover the true facts versus assumptions or historical narratives.

The first misconception is that Jesus was born in a stable because a cold-hearted innkeeper turned away a pregnant woman and her husband, giving the excuse that there was just no more room in their inn. This is incorrect. There was no inn because the actual translation of the word "inn" in the Greek is "guest quarters", and never was there any mention of an innkeeper that refused to give a room to Mary and Joseph. The Bible also does not say that Jesus was born in a stable, a barn, or a cave, just that His crib was a manger or feeding trough.

"And she gave birth to her first child, a Son.

She wrapped Him in strips of cloth

and laid Him in a feeding trough

because there was no place for them in the guest quarters."

Luke 2:7

If you had to go back to your husband's ancestors' birth place, and were about to give birth to your first child, the most sensible place to stay would be with your relatives: This is the most likely place Mary and Joseph went when they arrived in Bethlehem. However, both Mary and Joseph came from poor, peasant families, so any of their relatives' homes would not be very large with empty rooms or even spaces available.

The Bible never says that Mary and Joseph were inconsiderately turned away. The Bible just states that there was no place for them in the guest quarters, so Mary and Joseph probably had to sleep where the animals were kept, usually in the lower part of the house. In those days, the animals were stored there to protect them from getting stolen. They were also used as kind of a central heating system for the upper part of the house.

I will also point out that Bible never mentions that any animals were present when Jesus was born. I can't imagine Joseph allowing his wife to give birth with the stench of animal feces permeating the air, flies buzzing around, and mice scurrying about. After all, God was revealing to the world the humility of Jesus, not the degradation of Mary or the shame of Joseph. Not only that, but to assume poor people are filthy is wrong.

The true astounding part of the Christmas story is that Jesus Christ, God incarnate, King of kings, and Lord of lords, came down to earth to be born in poverty and to be laid in a feeding trough as his very first bed. The Bible says that his first coverings were nothing more than strips of cloth.

Jesus should have had a crib made of gold decorated with precious jewels, thickly padded and lined with new satin sheets, a cozy soft blanket to wrap his tiny sweet body in, and a beautifully-designed silk quilt to keep Him warm.

Jesus should have, but didn't. Jesus could have, but chose not to.