Shepherd Notes December 2025
God With Us
O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Luke 2:4-5 “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.”
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
It could not have been an easy trip. Joseph needed to get to Bethlehem for legal reasons, the census and he brought Mary with him even though she was on the verge of delivery. Even though we picture Mary riding on a donkey there’s a possibility they both walked. And the trip was at least 70 miles. Why not leave Mary home? Surely, she would have been more comfortable with her female relatives to care for her and a proper midwife to call on. We don’t know for sure. Perhaps they remembered the prophecy that Bethlehem would be Jesus’ birthplace. Perhaps Joseph just didn’t want to leave his wife alone in the hands of gossips. And then the birth itself—not in an inn, as there was no room for them there, for labor and delivery for a first-time mother—could Joseph find anyone to help? Who knows? At long last Joseph finds a stable with a manger, to keep Him off the floor, away from the mess of a stable and a cold floor. This was not what anyone would expect with the birth of the Son of God. This wasn’t what Mary and Joseph wanted. It wasn’t what they planned. But it was what God chose. This is how much God loves us that He sent His only Son into the world under such circumstances. This is how much Jesus our Savior loves us. Our troubles, our suffering, our poverty, our griefs—He shared them all from the beginning, every day of His life. He came for the purpose of being the “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” that the prophet foretold (Isaiah 53:3). He took those sorrows and griefs to the cross. And then He rose from the dead, triumphant over all of this—over evil, over sin, over death, over the power of the devil. He did it for you and for me, because He loves us. As He shared our suffering, so now we share in His Glory, thank you for loving us so much. Draw me closer to you I pray this Advent/Christmas season Amen.
Your Servant in Christ Pastor Brian