In a lowly stable, a long time ago, a young couple welcomed their firstborn, a son. And angels sang, shepherds danced and kings took note.

Joseph and Mary were not celebrities. They were not wealthy, and they were not even royalty. They were a very young commoner couple who brought into the world its very salvation.

Their baby was the Messiah, the world’s Savior. His name would be the name above all names.

Could you imagine the weight of that moment when this young couple held their miracle, our miracle, in their arms for the first time?

I am sure they did like all new parents: they counted fingers and toes. These fingers and toes were on the very hands and feet that would be pierced with nails some 30-plus years later. They kissed the very forehead that one day would be scarred by the crown of thorns. They patted the back that one day would be whipped for our sins.

Mary and Joseph knew their child’s future. They knew they would have a son, they knew his name would be Jesus and they knew what his ultimate destiny would be.

Joy, sadness, fear and love must have filled their hearts as they watched this tiny baby take in his new world. I do not profess to be anything close to a theologian, but I am a mom. I do know and have felt all the emotions you feel the first time you hold your newborn in your arms.

I can’t imagine the agony that Mary must have felt when she realized the brevity of the moment, when she finally let herself think of her baby’s fate.

Joseph had a son, an heir to the family business, and I am sure slaps on the back from all of his friends and relatives, but I am sure he had to share in the sadness of what was to come of his son – eventually.

But being the chosen couple they had to bear the emotions and the burdens of raising the hope of the world.

Mary was there when Jesus entered our world that night in a stable and she would be there when he left our world nailed to a cross. What a strong woman; what a mom.

Remember the woman who carried our Savior; who bore him, witnessed his life and grieved his death.

Remember the man who risked his reputation, his livelihood and his life to marry a pregnant unwed girl. He believed the baby she carried was the son of God and guarded the very life of Jesus from a jealous king, all while listening to angels.

Remember Jesus’ earthly parents this holiday season. They gave the world the ultimate gift: saving grace in the human form of their son, that baby in the hay, the Lord, Jesus Christ.