On that silent, holy night so long ago in Bethlehem, we all know what God did, don't we? We've heard it said many times: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son ..." (John 3:16). "The Word became flesh and dwelled among us ..." (John 1:14). Or, as the Christmas carol puts it:

Remember Christ our SaviorWas born on Christmas Day,To save us all from Satan's powerWhen we had gone astray.

Yes, we all know what God did at Christmas, but have we thought very much about how God did it? Have we given much thought to the manner of Jesus' birth, and isn't there a powerful message to be found in the way our Lord came into this world?

Consider how certain other babies might have been born on the same night as Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Suppose a child had been born to Tiberius that…