Have you ever wondered what Joseph, Mary, and Jesus did the day after the birth of Jesus in the stable manger? Perhaps it was not much different than what most of us do today. What do we do? Well, if possible, we sleep in and then lounge about, eating, napping, and generally resting up after a stressful time leading up to the day of Christmas. But if needed, we possibly entertain a few more people, just as Joseph and Mary did. Sound familiar?
Joseph and the pregnant Mary had just completed an arduous 90-mile trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem, which likely took Joseph and Mary 7 to 10 days to complete, considering Mary’s condition and the rough terrain. They arrived at Bethlehem in Judea late on the day Mary would give birth to our Savior, Jesus. Does this sound familiar: arriving at your destination late in the evening after a long drive, and you just feel exhausted? And if you do not make advance plans or reservations for accommodation, you are likely faced with no vacancies at motels or hotels, which are all booked up in your city or town of destination.
Such was the case with Joseph and Mary. No phones or any other forms of quick electronic communication back then. Joseph and Mary arrived late in Bethlehem, when the town was overcrowded with other travelers who were there for the Roman census. They had to scramble to find a place quickly where Mary could deliver her baby. But God the Father was in control of the situation and provided a humble manger where Mary could give birth to the Son of God, because there was “no room in the inn” (Luke 2:7).
It was there in the manger where Mary delivered the Christ child, an event that had been prophesied in the Bible hundreds of years in advance. So, all went just as planned for Jesus Christ to arrive in human form in humble circumstances. No sooner had Jesus been born than the Holy Family was visited by local shepherds, who had been informed of the birth of the Messiah by an angel while attending their flocks in the nearby fields. The shepherds came that evening to pay homage to the newborn King.
Just as we are exhausted after entertaining family and friends into the wee hours of the day after Christmas, I reckon Joseph and Mary felt similar exhaustion and wanted to get some sleep after attending to the needs of their newborn child. The couple most likely tried to sleep in a little bit, if that was at all possible amid the hubbub and noises of the animals in the manger. I reckon Joseph then set out the day after Christmas to find suitable accommodation for them.
I used Bible scripture to plug in what the couple did in the days, weeks, and up to two years following the birth of Jesus Christ, while they lived in Bethlehem, for us to conclude the couple’s Bethlehem experience. During this two-year period, Joseph probably worked at his occupation as a carpenter.
Eight days after the birth of Jesus, the Christ child was circumcised (Luke 2:21). Then, 40 days after His birth, Jesus was presented at the Temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:22). Approximately two years after Jesus’ birth, Joseph, Mary and Jesus, were living in a house in Bethlehem when the Magi from the East arrived to worship Him and give Him gifts, after following a star to Bethlehem to see the prophesized King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-13). After this, an angel warned Joseph to flee with Mary and Jesus to Egypt. That ended the family’s stay in Bethlehem.