The Drama of Christmas: A Story of Unexpected Pregnancies, Teenage Moms, and Divine Light

 “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”(Luke 2:10-11, NIV)

In the insignificant town of Nazareth, a teenage girl named Mary found herself at the center of an extraordinary adventure.

Her life took an unexpected turn when the angel Gabriel visited her, proclaiming that she would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit.

Mary faced the daunting challenge of her unplanned pregnancy and the awkward task of explaining this to her fiancé and family. 

It’s understandable that Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, was plagued with doubts after hearing of her miraculous pregnancy. I mean, it’s not comforting when your fiancé becomes pregnant, and you’re not the father.

However, he was fortunate to have received a visit from an angel who confirmed Mary’s story.

With this confirmation, Joseph trusted God and had faith despite the challenge it posed to his reputation and the rumors he would face in the community.

As if that were not enough, as Mary’s due date was imminent, a decree from Caesar Augustus disrupted everything.

The couple was forced to embark on an arduous journey to register for a census in Bethlehem. 

When they arrived in Bethlehem, they discovered that the crowds occupied all the rooms, leaving them with no other option but to sleep with the livestock.

In this cramped and humble setting, the Son of God was born, surrounded by the lowly and meek, in a feeding trough instead of a crib. 

God decided to come into the world in poverty rather than luxury to identify with the struggles of ordinary people.

He became like us. He loves us. He wanted to be a God with us. God chose to be an average man, not an elite or a wealthy man, but a regular “slob like one of us,” as the song goes. 

The God of Christmas deliberately chose an ordinary life devoid of grandeur or privilege.

The God of Christmas is not just the God of the joyful and triumphant. He is not just the God of silent nights when all is calm and bright.

He is the God of the marginalized and oppressed. He is the God who empathizes with the teenage mother facing an unplanned pregnancy,

He is the God who loves the homeless and the outcast, and He is the God who comes to the refugees and the impoverished.

Amidst the glitz and glamour of the holiday season, it’s important to remember that the first Christmas was not Mary and Joseph’s most wonderful time of the year.

It was not filled with the aroma of pine and gingerbread. Instead, it was filled with a spicy bouquet of animal urine, wet hay, sweat, and blood. 

That first Holy Night the stars were brightly shining against the blackness of poverty, political unrest, and terrorism.

Nonetheless, amid that great darkness, the light of the world was born. When it seemed hopeless, God’s plan to save the world was set in motion.

The first Noel demonstrates God is not a stranger to our struggles.

Is your Christmas season feeling devoid of resounding joy?

Would you rather deck your uncle than deck the halls?

Has a pandemic, a pregnancy, or poverty made life less than jolly?

Remember this!

Beyond the family drama and the bad news, God is working to bring hope and light into your life. Let God give you rest, my less-than-merry gentlemen and women.

Do not be dismayed. Remember that Christ, our Savior, was born on Christmas day. Let your heart be merry when your days are dark. We have hope that God is working to make our seasons bright. 

So, go tell it on TikTok! Over “The Gram,” and tweet it everywhere! Go post on Facebook that Jesus Christ—the God that loves us and is with us—is born!

*For more wisdom from Jason, visit The Chaplain’s Corner on Mission:Milspouse’s Expert Blogger Page.

*Chaplain (Major) Jason Hohnberger is a chaplain serving in the US Army. Currently, he is stationed at the Armed Forces Network Broadcasting Center in Riverside, California. Jason is endorsed and supported by Calvary Chapel, and he resides in Southern California with his wife, children, and trusty Labrador. If you need to contact him, you can reach out to him at jason.c.hohnberger.mil@mail.mil.