“Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
“And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.’
“And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’
“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
“And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.’ And he said to them, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” [1]
Did you ever witness an event of such magnitude that you were so disturbed for days afterward that you could not shake the thought that a turning point of life, perhaps a turning point in history, had been reached? As time passed you may have found a reason for the event or the thought, but you still on occasion mull over in your mind what meaning you should apply to that singular event. You have witnessed something momentous, but the full impact is not yet apparent. Something like that happened at least twice to Mary, the human vessel chosen to give birth to Jesus.
When we review the account that speaks of the childhood years of our Saviour, despite whatever fanciful accounts may be promoted and accepted within some communions, we discover that we are given but few details in God’s revealed account. More than that is unnecessary for the purposes of God’s Word or for the revelation of the Saviour’s Advent and ministry. However, in the abbreviated account of His birth and an incident when He was twelve years of age, our version provides a wonderfully poetic and insightful commentary on Mary's reaction to the events which swirled about her. Twice Dr. Luke says of this young mother that she “treasured up all these things in her heart” [LUKE 2:19, 51]. And even a cursory examination of Luke's words provide exciting insight into the treasury of the heart.
What is intriguing for us as students of the Word is that though Luke twice speaks of Mary treasuring up the things which were occurring following the birth of her firstborn child, in either instance Luke employs a slightly different word. A word study of his statement is extremely helpful to our understanding. VERSE 19 employs the word sunetérei, the imperfect of sunetéro, meaning “to keep in mind,” or as it is translated in our version “to hold or to treasure up (in one’s memory).” Other instances of the employment of this word are found in MATTHEW 9:17, “to keep safe and sound,” or “preserve” as translated in the translation I favour. The word is translated “kept … safe” in our translation in MARK 6:20, conveying the thought, “to observe strictly,” “to secure from harm,” or “protect.”
On the other hand, VERSE 51 uses the slightly different word dietérei, the imperfect of diateréo, meaning “to watch carefully” or “to guard with vigilance.” The only other instance of the use of this word in the New Testament is also by Luke in ACTS 15:29 where it means “to keep oneself” or “to abstain wholly from” an action or a thought.
The root of either word is the more common word teréo, conveying the idea of “watching,” “keeping,” or “guarding” as in the account of the guards at the crucifixion of Jesus [see MATTHEW 27:36, 54] and before the tomb [see MATTHEW 28:4]. The word would easily be employed for the concept of “keeping in custody” or for the idea of “jailing,” as in ACTS 12:5; 24:23; or 25:4.
Hold in your mind the thought that the Greek word teréo commonly speaks of security. Since this is the case, we should not find it surprising that the words sunetéro and diateréo speak of a particular act of keeping, especially as it relates to memories. Therefore, it becomes apparent that Dr. Luke chose a most descriptive word in either instance. And we know that the choice dictated by God’s Spirit is never superfluous.
After this extended excursus through some of the peculiarities of the language of the New Testament, the question may fairly be asked, “What has this to do with the message?” Indeed, the question could be asked, “How may we apply these truths to our own advantage as believers in the Risen Christ?” The answer, of necessity, lies in our desire to serve the Lord our God, to honour Him in every act, and to keep His sayings in our hearts. Focusing on the statement of Mary’s response to the events surrounding the presentation of her firstborn Son can provide us with insight of how we should react to the knowledge of the birth of the Son of God.
Moving through the account before us, I invite you to consider in the first place, The Impact of Spiritual Presence. Other than what we are provided in the nativity narratives the Word of God tells us nothing of the development of faith in this young Jewish woman chosen to share in the incarnation drama of the Son of God by bearing Him into the world. We do know that in time Mary became a worshiper of the One she bore and Whom she knew so intimately as her firstborn. Surely, that becomes obvious when we read what is written as John provides the account of Jesus’ first miracle.
In John’s Gospel we read the account of Jesus’ first miracle. “On the third day [following Jesus’ baptism] there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come’” [JOHN 2:1-4].
Take note of the verse that follows. “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you’” [JOHN 2:5]. Mary is expressing confidence in her Son. She trusts His decision. She is coming to Him when a problem—however petty that problem may be, however much the problem is the result of a lack of planning, however minor the impact will be if the problem is unresolved—presents itself. In effect, Mary is at this moment deferring to the wisdom of her Son—she trusts His judgement.
Here is the point that must not be ignored—other than the events that surrounded the birth of the Son of God, little of great consequence had occurred to reenforce the message Mary had received. Great events often grow dim in our memory with the passage of time. There had been that incident that occurred when Jesus failed to travel with His parents. This is the way Doctor Luke relates the incident. “Now [Jesus’] parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers” [LUKE 2:41-47]. Not many twelve-year-old boys are able to discuss theology with the scholars. Those who do attempt to do so are quickly revealed to be the neophytes we would anticipate them to be.
But Luke continues by observing, “And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.’ And he said to them, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them” [LUKE 2:48-50].
After this incident, we are told that “He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them” [LUKE 2:51a]. There were no other dramatic incidents to capture Mary’s attention during the childhood years of Jesus. Therefore, we read, “His mother treasured up all these things in her heart” [LUKE 2:51b]. This one event would stand out in Mary’s mind, but even this incident would not persist in the forefront of her memory. We have no indication that the boy performed any miracles during His childhood or as in His early manhood. In fact, we have a record of His first miracle, performed in Cana. He is said to have “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” [LUKE 2:52]. The image with which we are left is that of steady progress with the passage of years. We are left with an understanding of refusal to give in to sin, a desire to honour the Lord God, an attitude of quiet submission to Joseph as Jesus learned the trade of carpentry.
For Mary, each passing year moved her farther from the events surrounding the announcement of the angel, farther from the arrival of shepherds rushing to see the child she had brought into the world, farther from the arrival of magi who had trekked across the vast plains searching for a child whom they identified as King of the Jews. She eventually didn’t think that much about the flight to Egypt and the report that Herod had slaughtered the innocent children in a vain attempt to kill her own child. Years had passed since an angel had appeared in a dream telling Joseph it was safe to return home to Nazareth. And her memory of those distant events had grown hazy.
Mary was present at that startling moment as her Son surrendered His life while hanging on a Roman cross. John records, “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home” [JOHN 19:25-27].
After His resurrection and His ascension into Heaven, we know that Mary was present with the other disciples when they were gathered in the Upper Room. Luke informs us, “The [disciples] returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers” [ACTS 1:12-14].
Despite these multiple examples of Mary’s confidence in Jesus, and especially her certainty that He was the Son of God, we also know that Mary struggled with this matter of faith in Him during the days leading up to His sacrifice. You will remember that she was either carried away by the emotion of other family members or that she herself had begun to question His claims. On one occasion she came with her sons to seize Him by force if necessary, because they all agreed, “He is out of His mind” [MARK 3:21].
Mary’s faith concerning her firstborn seems not to have extended to her other sons when they had become adults, for we read that during the days of His flesh “Not even his brothers believed in him” [JOHN 7:5]. While a mother may have some influence over setting the direction for her children, we must not forget that each person must take responsibility for their own choices. A mother may set the bent for a child’s life, but the trajectory is determined by the child once that child has reached accountability. It would seem most logical to acknowledge that Mary was human, that she faced much the same struggles that any of us face when we become intimate with God.
At the time of the nativity, and during the months preceding that divine birth, marvelous things had occurred. For Mary, heaven had never seemed nearer to earth then during those days. Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, was with child in her old age, her husband Zechariah having been visited by an angel while ministering before the altar. Mary had been visited by an angel who announced that she was to bear the Messiah. Her body soon after yielded evidence that substantiated what the angel said. And her espoused husband had likewise been visited by the angel to calm his own fears concerning the pregnancy of his betrothed.
These were momentous events to be certain, but, these events were confined to the one family. Beyond a few neighbours and friends, what impact did the visit of angels have on the earth? And time passed! At last Mary gave birth to a little boy under conditions that could only be described as poverty-stricken and unthinkable, even for a Jewish teenager wed to a hard-working tradesman. Mary and Joseph were citizens of an impoverished and occupied nation, and it showed that night.
Think about this. The young teenage couple was resting in the sheepcote. There had been an exhausting delivery, and no doubt extended, as is common for the first birth. Mary had no attendant other than her new husband. The two weary teens managed the birth somehow. We can imagine they were trying to recuperate, resting to regain strength, when suddenly a group of shepherds came, clamouring to see the newborn baby. Did they come to reclaim their shelter for the sheep they tended? What could have brought them to this place at this moment? I can easily imagine that Joseph was taken aback, wondering if he needed to defend his wife and the child she had just brought into the world. It doesn’t take much imagination to think that Mary may have snatched up the child, prepared to protect Him with her own body, if need be.
However, it quickly became apparently that the shepherds were not hostile, nor were they seeking to drive the young family into the night; rather, they only wanted to see the child that had just been born. How did they know? And that is where the story becomes intriguing. They told, perhaps all at the same time, an account of an angel suddenly appearing to them to tell them of the birth. We are told that the shepherds, jolted awake by the angel’s appearance, “were filled with great fear.” Well, I guess!
If it wasn’t enough to be confronted by one angel, suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a multitude of angels. I have no idea how many angels are included in a multitude, but I’m left with the oppression that it would be enough to ensure that everyone present was wide awake. And this divine chorus was speaking in unison, saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
[LUKE 2:14]
I don’t know how many angels are in a multitude, but since we are informed that Heaven hosts myriads of myriads (ten thousand times ten thousand) and thousands of thousands [see REVELATION 5:11] of these heavenly messengers, I am comfortable suggesting that the shepherds saw—in the language of the Holy Land (i.e. Texas)—a whole passel of angels. For those unfamiliar with the term “passel,” think of scads of angels. The passage to which I just referred speaks of hundreds of millions and millions more of God’s holy angels. We can’t even begin to imagine the numbers! What we can say with considerable confidence is that if one angel is enough to fill a group of shepherds with great fear, we can’t begin to imagine what these men felt when they saw a multitude of these divine messengers. And I am certain that the message these angels brought would remain with these men for the remainder of their days. I suspect that when an angel, resplendent in all his glory, should speak, we would pay attention.
Again, I invite you to turn your attention to The Impact of Spiritual Purpose. The holy angels serve the True and Living God; and because they serve Him, they are obedient to His will by serving us who are His people. God has revealed in His Word something significant concerning His angels and their purpose. In the Letter to Hebrew Christians we are taught, “Of the angels [God] says,
‘He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.’”
[HEBREWS 1:7]
And soon after making this observation, the Spirit of God reveals, “Are [angels] not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” [HEBREWS 1:14]?
The angels of our Lord watch over us. Recall how the Psalmist has testified,
“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.”
[PSALM 34:6-7]
You who know the Lord may cry out in fear or in pain, and as soon as you cry our God hears and sends holy angels to deliver you. The angels of God are always at the ready awaiting the command of the Lord. Their eyes are always fixed on Him Who is their divine sovereign. They are always ready to spring into action, anticipating His command to deliver His child. And when that holy command is given, the angels move faster than light to hasten to deliver the divine answer that you so desperately require.
Isn’t this what we discover when the Psalmist writes,
“Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
“For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
[PSALM 91:9-12]
I know that some will demure from applying this Psalm to us who follow the Master. “Don’t you know,” they murmur, “that this was applied to Jesus when Satan tempted Him?” Of course I’m aware of what is written in the Word. But did you not note that it was Satan who cited this passage? And I refuse to allow Satan to be my instructor in sacred matters. More than that, did you miss who the Psalm is addressing in the ninth and tenth verses? God is giving His promise to one who has made the LORD his dwelling place. I have rested in Christ my Saviour; He is my dwelling place. And He is the secure dwelling place of all who come to Him in faith. Isn’t that what our Lord promised? Recall that the Saviour promised, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” [JOHN 6:37].
Surely, this is nothing less than a practical application of the promise that always comforts the people of God when Jesus testified, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” [JOHN 10:27-30].
The redeemed saint is secure in Christ the Lord. And while that chid of God walks the earth, God is always watching, and He is prepared to send His angels to guard His child. As an example of God’s care for His child by sending a holy angel, recall an incident that is recorded from the life of Daniel. Daniel was struggling to understand what God was communicating at one point. Suddenly, he was startled by the appearance of an august personage. The appearance of this being was so overwhelming, so frightening, so terrifying that Daniel fainted.
Let’s pick up the account at that point. “Behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, ‘O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.’ And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, ‘Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words’” [DANIEL 10:10-12].
From the first day Daniel began to seek to understand, God was listening. Now, a holy angel was sent to deliver the LORD’s answer to Daniel’s question. The angel not only delivered an answer to God’s prophet, but he strengthened Daniel, even as the man of God was equipped to tell the generations that would follow how the age would unfold.
I’m not suggesting that God sends an angel each time you question what He is doing, but I will remind you that there is an enigmatic verse written in the Letter to Hebrew Christians that encourages hospitality to mark our lives. That verse instructs us, “Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have entertained angels without knowing it” [HEBREWS 13:2 NET BIBLE 2nd].
Do indulge me one moment further. Jesus was instructing the disciples on the importance of avoiding sin when He uttered a statement that is at once perplexing and arresting. As He spoke, it seemed as if the Master ever so briefly drew back the curtain that separates the physical world in which we live from the unseen world in which God is always operating. The disciples were engaged in what appears to have been a favourite pastime for them—arguing about how individual standing in the Kingdom of Heaven. These men had a high opinion of themselves, and as you might suspect, no single argument prevailed. Thus frustrated, they asked Jesus to decide the question—they asked the Master to tell the quarreling disciples which of them would be revealed to be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Rather than simply speak, the Master used their pitiful question to provide an object lesson, and the object He chose was a little child.
Here is the account as Matthew recorded the situation. “The disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven’” [MATTHEW 18:1-4].
Jesus wasn’t finished, for He continued by speaking of the response of disciples to the humble souls in the Kingdom. Jesus taught, “‘Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” [MATTHEW 18:5-6].
You would have thought that this was the end of the discussion, but His instructions were not ended with that, though what He said was significant, even then. No, Jesus continued, delivering a solemn warning, “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire” [MATTHEW 18:7-9]. Well, that was more than any of the disciples had bargained for. Jesus was taking matters to another level. And even then, He wasn’t finished instructing these obtuse men.
Suddenly, as if He were deliberately expanding the subject, the Master said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven” [MATTHEW 18:10]. What Jesus said is germane to our study concerning angels that we have been conducting in this hour. In making this statement, Jesus has provided us with confirmation of a truth we long suspected; but now it is verified—each innocent child is assigned a holy angel.
Underscore this thought in your mind: each innocent child is assigned a holy angel. What the role of that angel may be, we are not told. Nor are we informed for how long that angel is assigned to serve the child. We are informed that the angels assigned to a child “always see” the Father’s face. And what that can mean for the individual who despises a child is left unsaid; but the potential for anyone who would harm a child must be dreadful considering what Jesus had just said concerning giving offense to the humble of the Kingdom of Heaven. Before the Living God, holy angels assigned to little children see the face of the Father; and that should terrify anyone intend on harming a child.
I invite you to reflect on The Impact of Spiritual Power. And this matter of spiritual power should be an issue of supreme importance for the people belonging to the Living God. The power demonstrated in the Advent accounts resides solely with the Lord God. I turn my attention to the words Gabriel spoke to assuage the doubts Mary first registered when he announced that she would bear the Son of God into the world. Mary had questioned what the angel announced, because sensible girl that she was, she noted that she was a virgin—and virgins don’t have children! The angel addressed her doubt, saying, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God” [LUKE 1:35-37].
Mary had no power of her own. The power Mary would experience was “the power of the Most High” overshadowing her. I don’t know that we can fully grasp all that this meant, but it does drive us to the logical conclusion that God is well able to do as He wills, both in that ancient day and in this present day. Mary was obedient to the appointment the angel had announced, but she is not denoted for possessing power. Nor was Joseph, the teenage boy who was to be her husband, denoted as possessing power. We know that Joseph submitted to the command of the Lord to take Mary to be his wife, but his obedience to the Lord was compelled only when he had at last been confronted by the angel in a dream. Nevertheless, nowhere do we see Joseph revealing spiritual power. And though the child that was born of the virgin was revealed to be the Son of God, we see no power manifested in Jesus until it was time to be revealed in Israel!
Following His baptism, we read in the divine account, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days” [LUKE 4:1-2a]. Following His temptation by the devil, we are told, “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee” [LUKE 4:14a]. We read the account, but we can’t possibly know all that is implied in these cryptic verses. What is apparent to me as I read what is written is that Jesus was empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, the same Spirit that would manifest Himself in the labours of disciples throughout this present age. And the power of the Spirit is the same power that was working when Mary accepted the will of God in her life. The power of the Spirit was evident then, and it is the same power evident in your life whenever you permit the Spirit of Christ to guide your actions and your choices.
There is power demonstrated in the birth narratives, and it is the power of God. We look at the issue of power thinking of the ability to destroy or to alter what now exists. Biblical power is the power to transform, the ability to change for what is good. When Mary questioned how she, a virgin, could bring a child into the world, the angel responded, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” [LUKE 1:35]. The power of the Most High would be manifest in the life of young woman to accomplish what the Lord God would do. The importance for us who worship the Lord God in this day so late in the Age of Grace is revealed when the angel reminds Mary, “Nothing will be impossible with God” [LUKE 1:37]. That is the message I need as I serve the Lord, and it is the message you require as you carry out the appointments you have received from the Risen Saviour.
Allow me to transition to the present Advent Season to make an essential point concerning the power of the Most High. After all, whatever occurred so many years past may be of some interest, but it is almost impossible for us to make immediate application in our own life now if we fail to see the continuity provided by the Eternal God. And God has been working, even in this day so late in the Church Age.
Christmas is coming on fast, and we will each celebrate in our own way. Our Christmas will either be secular or sacred, it will be either marked by the elements associated with this dying world, or it will demonstrate the power of God. Our Christmas will either be about feelings—warmth, family, festive drinks, eating way too much, or our Christmas will be supernatural—a memorial of the Eternal God bursting into history as a baby. Either our celebration will be forgettable—another mundane, pedestrian time of doing what everyone else is doing, or it will be a recognition of the God of Creation—the God Who called all things into being, the God Who gives us our very life, the God Who loves us and was willing to die in our place, doing what He alone could do.
When we allow ourselves to seek, and embrace, a supernatural Christmas, we will be transformed. Awe will fill our hearts. How can it be that the God Who lives would choose to humiliate Himself to fill the womb of an impoverished little girl just so He could be born as any child would be born before living a sinless life, obedient to His parents, until at last He offered Himself to the impoverished, occupied nation into which He was born, only to be rejected and at last murdered by judicial fiat? We marvel, wonder filling our minds, while reading the words that the Apostle of Love has written, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” [JOHN 1:9-11].
But we would not refuse to receive Him! We would gladly embrace Him because we know Who He is! Surely, we would not be like those benighted souls who refused to accept that God could do the impossible, even offering Himself as a sacrifice in their place! The promise is given, “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” [JOHN 1:12-13], and we are determined that we will be counted among those who believe in His Name. We recognise Him and we gladly receive Him. And having done this, our Christmas observance is transformed from the routine to being supernatural. Merry Christmas! Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
