No shortcuts or privilege. That’s how our God entered the world. The angel came to declare the Gospel, the good news, that the savior, heir of David, Messiah, and Lord was born, and the sign was that they would find him swaddled and lying in a feeding trough. 

They came to Bethlehem because there was a decree for all Jews to be registered, and since Joseph was from the line of David they had to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem. This was the infamous city that was prophesied as the birthplace of the Messiah. It’s interesting that they sought to stay in an inn, because if this was where Joseph was registering you would think he would have family that would allow them to stay. Perhaps his family had disowned him at this point because of his marriage to Mary in spite of her getting pregnant beforehand. Nonetheless, there was no room in the inn and so they perhaps stayed in a sort of barn.

Mary went into labor and when the baby was born they laid him in a manger. The circumstances for the life of Jesus are reminders that when he came he identified with the lowest of low. He was born into nothing and he would ultimately die a criminal’s death so that he could relate with every single person on the earth. No matter who you are, no matter your circumstance, God understands from personal experience the depth of human suffering, and he will take it completely upon himself so as to redeem it.