With it being Christmas Eve, I can’t help but think
about the fact that on this day, some 2,000 years ago, people were going about
their daily activities, not knowing that the world was about to change. Little did
they know that the following day, a Savior would be born. The Christ child. The
King of Kings. The Lord of Lords. His birth greatly altered the trajectory of
this world. His birth caused significant change. This man was the greatest,
most influential person this world has ever known. Could you imagine the
thoughts that were racing through Mary’s mind in the following Scripture found
in Luke 1, verses 26-38…let’s recount the real Christmas story.
“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s
pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a
virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a
descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored
woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what
the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you
have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you
will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the
Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he
will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the
angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin. ”The angel replied, “The Holy
Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People
used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth
month. For
nothing is impossible with God.” Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May
everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.”
Jesus Christ is born…here’s the story from Luke 2, verses 1-20.
“At that time
the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout
the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor
of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this
census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to
Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of
Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously
pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She
gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth
and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. That
night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks
of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance
of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel
reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will
bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been
born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this
sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a
manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of
heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on
earth to those with whom God is pleased.” When the angels had returned to
heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see
this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried
to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the
manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and
what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’
story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought
about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and
praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told
them.”
Little did Mary know that she would birth a son who would
change the world forever. Over the course of history, the influence Jesus has had
on the lives of people has never been surpassed. Christ inspires positive
change in the lives of His followers. He can totally transform a life. He heals. He renews. He gives hope. He gives life. Abundant life. May
we never forget what Christmas really is all about, the birth of Jesus Christ.
May you all have a blessed and merry Christmas, keeping in mind that Christ is
the reason for the season. God bless and Merry Christmas.
Ford
