Christmas

Why is it meaningful?

Jesus was Born.  

In this there is love expressed, that he descended from his divine throne and descended below all things, even that he made himself a little lower than the angels.  He took our  burdens & brokenness on his shoulders & made himself low to lift us up.  

This makes me think of a parent with their little child, bending down to their level to communicate something really important.  This parent wants to make it as easy as possible for us to understand how precious we are in His heart, how deeply he loves us.  He doesn’t just stand up & leave when he has communicated this, he lifts you up, carries you, feeds you, comforts you, and teaches you.  How joyous it is to be in His arms!

The Circumstance:

The circumstance was about as humble as you can get.  In a foreign town, in a cave, surrounded by animals and their smells, only his mom and stepdad were there when the King of Kings was born.  After a few special moments with their new little one, the Father announced the birth and called his first visitors to come and see his son. Who were these honored guests to be?  Would they be royal? Would he choose a priest? Would they be well known?  Would they be men of repute in society?  No, the father chose shepherds who were watching their flocks at night.  They are just shepherds, and they are the first to see their Savior.  To me, the circumstance of this great event and the first chosen guests are an evidence of how God thinks about us.  He’s not worried about your job, your humble home, your place in society, your amount of influence.  This was the moment Glory came to Earth, arguably one of the most momentous occasions and select few were to behold Emmanuel as a baby.  The Father’s choice of his first guests says to me, “You do not have to be famous, wealthy, or in a specific job or high circumstance for me to want to reach out to you and show you the most marvelous things of my kingdom.  You, in your messiness, in your humility of circumstance, YOU are important to me.” Do you think that you are not important enough to warrant being on the scene of God’s miracles?  Think Again.  If you think God does not work in such humble circumstance, you couldn’t be more wrong.  He chose a cave for the birth of His Holy son.  Do not pride yourself- that your ability is limiting to what God can do through you.  Tell me, who was Mary? Would we know her name if God had not called her? He poured favor over her and magnified her to be the mother of His Holy son simply because she said yes to the call.  Who are you? Are you Rich or Poor?  Famous or Private? Are you simple or complex? Whoever you are, God knows your name.  He has a beautiful purpose for you to birth.  Mary could have said no, and so can we.  In saying yes though, we have to trust him.  Do you trust him?  What about when things seem to be going sideways & suddenly, you’re 9 months pregnant on a donkey to another city? Then you are shown a cave full of farm animals and this is your delivery suite? As you submit to God’s plan and let him steer your course, submitting to His plan and trusting His providence, He puts you where you need to be & watches over the details.  Perhaps, Mary was grateful for the privacy and for those few moments with her new little family before her babe was handed over to his purpose: to bring Joy to the world, to establish our peace, to be our light.  She had these moments first, she held him, & fed him, & kissed his little face.  

Mary is such an example of submissiveness… from her response to the call which Angel Gabriel spoke to her all the way through the chill “God’s got us” attitude she seemed to express as she entered a cave of farm animals to deliver a baby.  She received the “Holy Rest of God” which is a gift of the Holy Spirit and allows you to be at peace regardless of circumstance.

Then there is Joseph.  I imagine him sometimes being just stunned by revelations, but moving forward because that’s what you do.  I imagine him carrying toddler Jesus on his shoulders, showing him how to walk, telling him that it hurts when you tug on beard hairs.  I imagine this and think of how remarkable these simple moments are, Jesus would carry the world on his shoulders some day.  He would walk on water, He would turn the other cheek to those who would “pluck out the hairs”.  Joseph taught the trade of carpentry to his stepson.  I wonder at that too- that Jesus could likely identify the wood he carried, and many times he had nailed pieces together to frame different works, how many times did he accidentally hit his thumb before hitting the nail?  How sad it is to think that the carpenter’s son would meet this end- with nails and wood.  I think of his prayer in the garden… when he says, “Not my will, but thine be done.”  He had humanity, a desire to not experience pain, a desire to eat every time his tummy grumbled, a desire to continue his life, but he chose the will of the Spirit and lived not under the rule of those mortal desires.

So, it’s his Birthday- or the day we celebrate his birth anyways.  We celebrate the firstborn of the Father.  We celebrate the impact he has had on our lives.  We celebrate gratitude for our Lord who came and lived among men.  He who then died for our sins, yet, through his eternal nature, he rose again! He took down the victory of death and offered us Eternal life & resurrection to wholeness.  He tore the thick veil in the temple because we are now invited into the presence of God and His temple is in us.  We are Living stones built off of the chief cornerstone! We are a Royal Priesthood under the Son of David!  Why are you grateful for Jesus?  What would he want for his Birthday?

I hope you have a Merry Christmas.  I hope that even if you have humble circumstances this year, or even if you are alone, that the Holy Spirit is there with you and comforts you and reminds you how valuable and important you are in His heart.