I can only imagine what Mary thought when she gazed into the face of her newborn son. I wonder if, in her heart of hearts, she truly knew that she had just given birth to the long awaited Messiah. There in a stable on a bed of fresh straw, the Son of God had been born. An angel had appeared to Mary months before to tell her that she had found favor with God and was to bear a child. You remember the story. The angel had said “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Of course, Mary knew that she was a virgin and questioned how this could be. The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1: 26-38)
I’m sure Mary did just what you and I did as a parent. She talked soft baby talk to him. She listened to him coo. She soothed his cries. She made him laugh. She cared for him one day at the time and watched him grow. No doubt, as she cradled her newborn son in her arms and watched him sleeping peacefully, she remembered the angel’s words. Do you think – for just a moment – Mary had any idea tht she was holding the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in her arms? Clearly, the angel had told her that His kingdom would never end. If I had to guess, Mary was thinking her son’s destiny held something much greater than a wooden cross…but the cross was why Jesus was born.
Almighty God could have chosen any other amazing way to redeem this sinful world, but God Himself came, to you and to me, as a perfect baby. If you’ve not read the story in a while, find a comfortable chair by the window or in front of the fireplace…pick up your New Testament and just start reading. You’ll be amazed all over again. This sweet baby Jesus grew up and went to the cross to pay a debt that I owed – that you owe. He died for each of us. (Read John 3:16) Thank God that He didn’t stay in the grave! He’s alive and is coming again! Keep reading…that amazing story is in there too.
At this Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, I pray for each of you. I pray that you are well and surrounded by family and friends (unless you’re like me this year and many miles from them). I pray God’s richest blessings for each of you…
