God’s Plan is Complete
Bradon: Why was the little boy so cold?
Jon: Um, I have no idea.
Bradon: Because it was Decembrrrrrr.
Jon: Tune in to our next Episode of the Bible Story Podcast to hear more about Jesus and Less corny Jokes!
Bradon: No promises the jokes get any better!
Discussion Episode
Luke 2
About the Story
Bradon: I do really enjoy hearing this story each year. It is one of the small traditions I find that I look forward to. It has a lot going on, there are many angles and people to consider, so each year I focus on one individual and try and learn something from their approach to the birth of Jesus!
Jon: You also focus on Jesus I hope…
Bradon: Yes, of course, But other than, well being born… he doesn’t do a whole lot in this particular story.
Jon: Fair enough. Okay some info to catch us up, We learned, in our last episode that Mary, would be giving birth to a child. She was told this by an angel and was also told that this child would be named, Jesus.
Bradon: Mary, and Joseph, were scheduled to go to Bethlehem in order to fill out the census.
Jon: A census is something we still do today that helps our government know how many people there are and where they live.
Bradon: Right, so they had to walk to Bethlehem, all the while Mary was still very much pregnant.
Jon: Once they get to the town, due to the census bringing in all the travelers there were no places left for Joseph and Mary to stay.
Bradon: could you imagine the panic of these parents – now Jon, I have yet to have kids, but you have three of your own, I can only imagine the whole process, especially the time when the baby is arriving can be a little stressful.
Jon: Oh, yeah! Particularly for the first baby, I was completely panicked and useless. I was not thinking straight, I am pretty sure Tahra, my wife, had to remind me to grab the stuff for the baby! And physically, you wouldn’t think anything would happen to me as the father but I was so stressed that my digestive system was a complete wreck. It’s a good thing Tahra held it together because I was definitely not ready for the baby to be born!
Bradon: I also can’t imagine the idea of not being able to make it to a hospital or even a hotel for that matter would go over all that well. I would be freaking out!
Jon: Yes, freaking out would be an understatement!
Bradon: As I said before this story really does hold a lot to learn from. I like to focus on Joseph from time to time, or Mary. They were facing a lot of difficulty in this scenario. Mary had been pregnant prior to the marriage of the two. They had received a message from an angel that they were to carry the Messiah as their child. Pretty big shoes to fill if you ask me!
Jon: It would have felt like a lot of responsibility, and then to not have a place that is clean or warm for the baby to arrive… would have most likely put a lot of stress on the couple!
Bradon: But, as we said last week, Mary was following the Lord wholeheartedly. There was never a question as to if this was the right thing to be doing.
Jon: Absolutely. The Birth of Jesus is miraculous for so many reasons.
Application
Jon: I think what we have been speaking of is a great reminder. We do not know the whole story. And that is okay! God’s plan is complete. He is the one that knows the beginning and the end. We don’t have to. So we get to celebrate the moments of joy and we get to mourn openly the moments of hurt!
Bradon: Hmm… I like that. If we were all-knowing, like God, our life would be filled with conflict, we would be unable to be in the moment. Allowing God to know the future and to trust Him is an essential part of our relationship with Him.
Jon: Exactly, and that is something that this season always reminds me of!
Bradon: God’s plan is complete! Well said.
