“God chose the stable for His Son to be born in for a very important reason.
You see, when God sent His only Son to live on this earth,
He made a strategic decision not to shelter Him from the harsh realities of this life.
God had no intention of shielding His Son
by having Him born into the make-believe world of the rich and famous.
God wanted His Son to experience life in its blue-collar boldness. …
From day one, God the Father determined not to shelter His Son
from the rude, crude realities of life on planet earth. …
For our sake, Jesus was given no aristocratic advantage.
He had humbler beginnings than any of us.
He was born into a real family, and He worked a real construction job.
He lived in a neighborhood. He had real friends.
He suffered hardship like the rest of us have,
and He died a cruel death for a crime He didn’t commit.
So when the Bible urges people who are going through disappointment and pain
to pour their hearts out to the now-ascended Savior,
we Christians can do so with the absolute assurance that Jesus understands.
He’s been there.”
Bill Hybels