I believe God always uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. The apostles were not “brain surgeons,” but God used them to accomplish His will after His Ascension; similarly, the Holy Family before His Ascension.
(WHAT): Prophetic Facts
The Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem, despite the fact that the Mary & Joseph lived 70 miles away in Nazareth.
The Messiah had to be born of a virgin, despite a humanly impossible task.
The Messiah had to be worshiped by wise men from the east, despite the fact that no one believed in a king other than those from the east.
(WHY):
To ensure that Jesus and ONLY Jesus could fulfill the facts above in accordance with God’s will.
(WHO):The Holy Family
Mary - a faith filled and grace filled teenaged Jewish girl of about 16, who said yes to God despite having no idea what was in store for her for the next 30 years. For Mary, it began as a horrific trip for a 9 month pregnant woman on a donkey with no suitable accommodations upon arrival. I guess the Motel 6 in Bethlehem forgot to leave its light on for the Savior!
Joseph - a faithful man, who also said yes to God despite having some idea of what was in store, i.e. knowing the impending shame and discomfort it would bring to him and Mary from his neighbors in Nazareth. God’s angels didn’t even speak to him directly as they did to Mary; instead Joseph had to understand and faithfully execute God’s plan via three dreams. Not to mention the amazing fact that Joseph is NOT credited with saying a single word in the scriptures. His obedience, even to civil authority, led him to take Mary to Bethlehem to accomplish prophesy because of a Roman census. What an awesome responsibility Joseph had, ensuring that both Mary and Jesus were cared for until his death.
Baby Jesus - I think it safe to say that the Baby Jesus didn’t seem to mind that He was placed in a feeding crib surrounded by smelly animals. God may have had bigger things for Him to do.
I think Einstein is credited with saying “coincidences are God’s way of remaining anonymous.”
But it doesn’t take a “genius” to understand that God’s ways are certainly not our ways…