The Manger Becomes The Cross Series

How's this going to happen? I'm a virgin? (Mary) the angel answers "The Holy spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will over shadow you…so the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

Mary's response it's even more remarkable "I'm the Lord's servant…may it be to me the Lord has said"

"Mary was nearly divorced, forced to become an immigrant in her teens, one day she would witness her firstborn's gruesome execution.

Have you ever realized that Mary was only in her mid-forties when she stood at the foot of the cross? She watches her beloved oldest child, arrested, beaten, tortured and displayed out for the world to see…nailed to a cross.

Terry Ocasey writes "From upon the cross, her Jesus deserted by his brothers, who mocked his messianic pretensions (John 7:5) speaks to his Mom and his best friend "Mom, John will take care of you. John care for Mom" (John 19: 26, 27)

If you ever wonder if God can bring good out of bad…think of Mary…from the manager to the cross she knew Jesus was the savior of the world…the glue that holds all creation together.

"For God was please to have all his fullness dwell through Him and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things…How? By making peace through His blood shed on the cross…once we were alienated from God…His evenness because of the way we think and act…but now we have been reconciled by Christ's physical body through death.

It’s God’s plan...even Jesus’ name, given before He was conceived reveals it...“Savior.”

Christmas is about God coming to be one of us...to reconcile us...to redeem us...to unite us with Him and with each other.

I can’t end today just looking at the manger and the cross...we must go beyond. It’s the great joy part of this good news plan

III. WHEN ALL THE FAMILY CELEBRATES TOGETHER

The last mention of Mary, Jesus’ mother is after His resurrection. She is present with all the disciples...but listen:

ACTS 1:13-14

Everyone is praying together, including Mary. Not just with the disciples but with her other sons...Jesus’ brothers who have come to believe.

Christmases are very different for me now that I’m older, people are absent...chairs are empty...I have great joy, especially with my grandchildren but the toys that used to excite me don’t really matter as much (although I’ve never gotten a new truck in a gigantic stocking under a gigantic tree.)

But being with those I love gives me the greatest joy...Being with my family is a big deal.

I can’t imagine the faith that takes you from trusting God as a virgin to lay your son in a manger...see Him grow in wisdom, stature and truth only to be nailed to a cross...And even have your other children mock Him...And then everything changes...His resurrection...those other brothers becoming believers...standing together in worship...knowing it all now makes sense.

I believe Heaven will be like that...and sooooo much more...THEN.

Let’s pray.