One Baby Inside Manger

One cold hill. Sheep dey shift up and down for darkness. Some shepherds gather near one small fire. And then, without any warning, di night sky shine with light.

But di story start some months before, for Nazareth, one small village for di hills of Galilee. Almost nobody outside dat area don hear about am. One young woman wey her name na Mary dey live there. She don engage to one carpenter wey im name na Joseph, one of di children-children of King David. Dia life na ordinary life. Work, family, village life. Di Roman Empire dey rule di land, and God people don dey wait for long-long time for di king wey God promise dem.

One day di angel Gabriel come meet Mary. “Greetings, you wey God favour well-well! Di Lord dey with you.” Mary mind no settle. Which kind greeting be dis? “No fear, Mary,” di angel talk. “You go born one son, and you go call am Jesus. Dem go call am di Son of di Most High, and im kingdom no go ever end.” Mary ask di question wey clear. “How dis one go take happen? I never marry.” Gabriel tell her say di Holy Spirit go come upon her, and dem go call di pikin di Son of God. “Nothing dey wey God no fit do.” Mary keep quiet small. Then she talk, “I be di Lord servant. Make e happen to me as you don talk.”

Months pass. Then one order come from Caesar Augustus for Rome. Everybody must go register, each person for im family town. For Joseph, dat one mean Bethlehem, di town of David. So im and Mary waka di long journey go south, many days with leg, and Mary don near to born. Bethlehem full with people. As dem dey there, her time reach. She born her first son. She wrap am well with pieces of cloth and lay am inside manger, because space no dey for dem for di guest room.

For di hills wey dey near, di shepherds dey watch dia sheep. Suddenly one angel of di Lord stand for dia front, and God glory shine everywhere around dem. Fear catch dem well-well. “No fear,” di angel talk. “I bring good news of big joy for all people. Today for di town of David, dem don born one Saviour for una. Na im be di Messiah, di Lord. See how una go take know am. Una go find one baby wey dem wrap with cloth, wey dey lie down inside manger.” Then di sky full with angels, dem dey praise God. “Glory to God for di highest place, and for earth, peace and goodwill to people.” When di angels comot, di shepherds no wait. Dem rush enter town and find Mary and Joseph, and di baby, exactly as dem tell dem. Dem tell everybody wetin dem hear, and everybody shock. And Mary keep all dis tins like treasure, she dey think dem well for her heart.

Matthew Gospel add anoda visit, some time after. Wise men from di east follow one star, all di way reach Jerusalem and go Bethlehem. Dem find di pikin with im mama inside one house. Dem kneel down worship am, and dem open dia treasure: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then, because God warn dem for dream, dem take anoda road go dia country.

Make we talk about dat manger. Na di box wey animals dey chop from. Kenneth Bailey, wey spend many-many years dey live and teach for di Middle East, show say for village houses for dat area, families dey always bring dia animals inside house for night, go one lower part of di house, with manger near. If e correct, e fit be say dem no born Jesus outside for cold, but inside one ordinary family house, among ordinary people, because di guest room don already full.

Di birth of Jesus. You go find am for Luke chapter 1 and 2, and for Matthew chapter 2. Di first people wey dem invite to come see am no be kings or priests. Na shepherds wey dey do night duty. So see one tin to think about. Why you think say God first announce dis news to shepherds?