Adore - the Teen Girl's Guide to AdventSample

A Humble God

Right before Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph were unable to find any inns at which to stay. The city was packed with people traveling for the census. Bethlehem wasn’t a very large town, so there probably weren’t a lot of places to stay. The ones that were there were full. Tons of people likely had to sleep outdoors because there was no room for them. However, Mary began giving birth. She couldn’t exactly do that outside! A kind soul offered them a place to stay in a stable or a barn.

Have you ever been inside a barn? They are dirty, there’s debris everywhere, and farm animals often don’t smell the best. But it was better than giving birth in the middle of the street, where Mary would be in the public eye! The barn offered some privacy. Joseph and Mary accepted the offer to stay in the barn, and soon after, Mary gave birth to Jesus. She swaddled Him in cloths and laid Him in a feeding trough full of hay to sleep. Not the most glamorous place for the Messiah to be born!

Jesus was born in the most humble conditions imaginable. He wasn't born in a hospital or even a clean bed. Instead, he was born in a stable. This is because Jesus Himself is the essence of humility.

Humility is the opposite of pride. Humility means believing that you have no special importance over another person. When we celebrate Advent, we remember the humility of Jesus - our God - who came down to earth not as a glamorous King, but as a poor baby who would one day be the sacrifice for mankind.