“I tell you it has to be a stable of some kind. Where else would there be animal feeding troughs? They must be visitors, so let’s start at the inn’s shed to look for a baby in a feeding trough,” said a gruff voice.
There was a chorus of assent from several deep voices and then heavy footsteps.
Dorcas froze in fear. “Oh, no! Are they looking for ‘our’ baby? What could they want with him? And how did they know there’s been a baby born in such an unusual place?” she thought to herself.
“I should get Papa. He’ll protect the baby.” But to her horror, the sound of the footsteps stopped suddenly right at the opening of the shed.
“Hey! I see a light at the back of the inn shed. Yes, here’s a young girl we can ask.”
An older man stepped toward Dorcas and asked in a kind way, “Pardon me, Miss. We’re looking for a baby.”
Dorcas couldn’t decide whether to try to make a dash past the man and his friends or lie. But neither seemed feasible as the baby started crying at that very moment.
“Ah, lads, he’s in here!” cried the old gentleman. And all those rough looking men pressed forward together with determination. It was all Dorcas could do to get out of the way. There was a faint smell of sheep as they passed her.
The last person to crowd into the shed was a boy a little older than Dorcas. She couldn’t see him very well in the dark shed, but he gave her a shy smile.
Thinking he might be able to tell her why these men were looking for a baby in a barn, she took his arm, giving him a serious look and asked in a whisper, “Why did all of you come here? How did you know about the Baby? What do you want with him?”
The boy’s face lit up and his shyness vanished as he told the incredible story of his experience that evening.
“We were just guarding the sheep out in the fields tonight as usual. Out in the fields, we can talk as we please with no Roman soldiers to report us. We were stretched out around the campfire talking about how we hoped Messiah would come soon. He would save us from the Romans, bring back our nation’s glory, become an everlasting King, and bring us all close to God.
Suddenly our fire seemed dim. The ground around us shone brightly. And when we looked up, there was a mighty angel! We were terrified. None of us moved. But the angel talked kindly to us. He told us not to be afraid, that he had good news for us. He told us that Messiah was born today and we could see him if we looked for a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in an animal feeding trough.
As if that wasn’t enough, suddenly there was a vast angel army confirming the first angel’s message. They praised God and gave a blessing. Then they were gone.
We just sat there for a minute. Then I said to no one in particular, “Whoever heard of angels telling humans news?”
Uncle said thoughtfully, “I was at the Temple last year when one of the old priests had an angel visit. Nine months later a baby boy was born to that old priest and his wife just like the angel promised even tho they were too old to have children. That was three months ago and everyone has been talking about the baby wondering what he will become. His old father prophesied that his baby would grow up to prepare our people for the arrival of Messiah. And now we got an angel visit. God has remembered his promises from long ago to send us the Messiah!”
“Well, what are we waiting for?! Let’s go see what God has just told us about!” cried the others.
Dorcas drew in a sharp breath. “Messiah!?” Ever since she could remember Papa had talked about the Messiah. Her father, uncles, and grandfather would gather in a tight circle and talk in hushed tones about when Messiah comes, he will fix the problem with the Romans. He would bring his nation to freedom and be their Prince of Peace. His reign would bring justice and peace and everything would be set right. Could it be that this little baby who didn’t even have a normal place to be born could be the long-awaited powerful One? This wasn’t a very promising beginning. These rough laborers weren’t a very promising army to overthrow the Romans. But they had seen angels and their hearts were on fire. The angels knew about this baby and where he’d been born. What if it is true? What if I helped the Messiah be born?!
The boy kept talking, “I’ll never forget this night. Angels, a baby in a shed, can it be true? After all these years of waiting, God is going to help his people! The Messiah is here! I guess we’ll have to wait to be rescued from the Romans until this Baby grows up, but at least we know God hasn’t forgotten us. I may live to see it. My father says he hopes the government doesn’t hear about this. They’d get rid of him before he got a chance to grow up and deliver us.”
Dorcas shivered. She already loved this Child and the thought of someone wanting to kill him made her sick to her stomach. She had a baby brother that she adored. She wouldn’t want anyone to harm him. She knew the king was cruel and would do anything to keep his throne, after all, he had already killed his own wife and sons. She hoped the new parents would know how to protect their Child until he grew up and could set his nation free.
But tonight they would all rejoice, and marvel, and hope, and soak in the news, “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
For Further Reading:
Luke chapters 1 and 2