§ First, God offers forgiveness to all (cf. Isaiah 11:1-2). The underlying message, woven throughout the Christmas story, is “God and sinners reconciled”. Whether we’re proud of our ancestral roots or not, we’re stuck with them. And while we don’t get to choose our lineage, God chose Christ’s human ancestry right from David’s seed. David — the man after God’s own heart, yet David — the man who committed adultery. This speaks to our Father’s abundant mercy! The Messiah descended from a royal human bloodline, but one riddled with human frailty. But Christ’s heavenly ancestry rang perfect, pure, and holy. This is the ministry of reconciliation.
§ Second, Jesus will be our shepherd (cf. Luke 2:13-14). Shepherds were looked down on in Bethlehem society. People didn’t exactly rub elbows with them at social events. But God’s message was clear — this hope was for ALL people, including shepherds! Christ came to bestow peace, but also to lead us. What a comfort!
§ Third, God can perform the impossible (cf. Luke 1:46-50). Cousins Mary and Elizabeth each had miraculous reasons to rejoice. God had honored both with miraculous pregnancies. Both seemed impossibilities; one, an old woman of 80 years; the other, a virgin. As the angel said to Mary upon the announcement that she would conceive in holiness, “For nothing shall be impossible with God”.
§ Fourth, God provides in His way (vv. 6-7). We tend to glance over the stable birth, forgetting how traumatizing that would be for an expectant mom. I’m sure Mary was no different. The long trip, the crowded city, and the dirty accommodations of a barn were just the beginnings of her concerns. But God used Mary, an unwed teenage girl, to deliver His Christmas gift on a trip in a barn. He provided in His way, in His time.
Celebrate this evening before the birth of Jesus with a knowledge that God is doing miraculous things among us today as well!
No comments:
Post a Comment