This blog could have been titled, “The Most Amazing Time of the Year,” or “The Most Astonishing Time of the Year.” The events that surround the Christmas story are indeed filled with wonder, amazement, and astonishment. The Christmas lights and decorations are wonderful. The gift giving can be wonderful, as can be the time spent with family also. The trip down memory lane of past Christmases can also be wonderful. But none of these can compare with the birth of Jesus, the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity.
How can it be that the sovereign Creator of the universe, the very One who spoke into existence the millions of galaxies, who exists outside of time, stepped into time and clothed Himself with human flesh? How can a virgin be pregnant? Why did God choose a 16 years old Jewish girl to carry in her womb the second person of the Trinity? How does a teenage girl process this? “How will I tell my husband?” “What is he going to think?” Imagine the confusion and heartbreak Joseph must have felt to discover his virgin bride was pregnant! Did he feel betrayed, lost, bewildered? Surely Mary must have told Joseph her pregnancy was of the Holy Spirit. Did Mary point to the old scrolls of Isaiah and tell Joseph, “Look it says here in Isaiah a virgin will give birth. That virgin is me! This Baby will be called Immanuel”? Probably not. We can surmise that Joseph did not believe her because he’d planned to quietly divorce her, thus leading to the angel’s appearance to Joseph in a dream and telling him that Mary’s pregnancy is of the Holy Spirit and that he is to keep Mary as his wife.
Why was Jesus born in a manger in a stable? Why such a humble environment for the birth of the King of kings? His birth was not announced to leaders or to the powerful. His birth was announced to shepherds in the field and to astrologers in a foreign land. Why did Mary and Joseph travel 70 to 80 miles on donkey to Bethlehem while Mary was 9 months pregnant? Joseph’s famous ancestor was also from Bethlehem – King David. God promised David that his kingdom would have no end. That promise was fulfilled in Jesus, the son of Joseph, the son of David. Jesus’ reign will have no end.
How does the sovereign God limit Himself to be enclosed by human flesh? How does God empty Himself (Ph 2:7)?
Perhaps the most wonderful and amazing part of the story is the “why.” Jesus did all this ultimately to glorify the Father, but wrapped in that glorification of the Father was His mission to save mankind. Jesus became as we are, human, to show us the way to life. He is the bread of life, the true light, the way, the truth. Having shown us the way, he secured our passage to eternal life through His death on the cross. But why do all this to save man? Do you know what man is like?
Man is but dust. We are dead in our sins. We have rebelled against the One who created us and gone our own way. We did not honor Him as God the Creator nor did we submit to Him. Often we don’t even acknowledge Him. Instead we rebelled against Him, the One to whom we owe our very existence. As a result, we are objects of wrath prepared for destruction. This is mankind. This is us. For us the second person of the Godhead became a baby, born of Mary in a manger. He laid aside His glory in order to lead us into glory. He died so that we might live. He took on the limitation of human flesh so that we might be alive in the Spirit. He came in humility so that later we might be raised in glory.
There are many questions for which we have no answers, but this is okay. We don’t always need answers. We would do well to wonder a bit more, to be amazed and to be in awe as we contemplate the incarnation. Let us think and meditate on these things and lose ourselves in the wonder of the Christmas story. This wonder exceeds all the gifts, the decorations, the food, and even time with family. May our spirits be refreshed during this holiday, which is often filled with stress and hectic schedules. A good place to start is the hymn written by Charles Wesley.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King: peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with th’angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin’s womb: veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th’incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel.
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.
Merry Christmas!
Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come. 