Can you remember your first Christmas? How about your first kiss? How about your first encounter with God? Or, how about getting your first debt/bill? How about your first child? Your first car? All of these are memorable events for sure. I sometimes think about Mary and Joseph in how they remember Jesus’ birth! Brother Conte sung the song “Mary did you know,” which portrays a well written dialogue did Mary know that your baby would become the savior of the world, but at the cost of being crucified for your sins and mine! This my friends is a day to remember with the birth of our savior—the birth of Jesus!
This being the eve of Christmas is a symbolic note where Mary and Joseph are traveling and in just a few hours, Mary will experience the pain of child birth and Joseph will be watching near helplessly while becoming a midwife! The air was crisp, stars shinning brightly, and smell of hay, sheep and many other animals were present, and yet, the manger was waiting to be filled with the young saving blood of our great redeemer. Mary and Joseph truly I’m sure had no real idea what the future expected, except what was already told to them because you see, this moment in time started months earlier on a very somber note to first Mary when the mighty angel Gabriel came to her and she became scared. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” At that moment, I’m sure she did really understand what the angel was doing here, except we know she become comforted as she knew her relationship with God was pure, was honest, was truthful. She trusted God and God favored Mary. This would be a day that Mary would never forget. The angel continued, And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Wow! You know Mary was scared, shocked and frightened to a point, especially hearing the news while she was a virgin. What would people think? Who would believe me? Whom can I trust in my own family? Mary had a lot on her plate! Mary was young as some theologians say between 14 and 16yo. Defiantly immature from todays standard. Vulnerable, fragile herself and hardly able to take care of a baby let alone herself potentially. But, God knew Mary and Mary knew God—that was enough! And from todays standards, what an extraordinary risk, to trust the infant of God to a frightened, young, inexperienced young giggly girl! But guess what! God didn’t see it that way. As a matter of fact, God not only knew but planned this event of Christ birth millenniums ago. And while we think just how wonderful a day Jesus birth was to always remember, it is Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel which brings it all into focus. And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.”
Mary was equipped! She was ready and willing to go with the plan. She didn’t know where she would be going but she knew who was leading the way. It would be a day she would never forget! A day to remember.
And it is this I would like for you to reflect upon today as what a day to remember, the story of Emmanual, God with us! Down deep in your heart of hearts, how do you reflect and respond to God’s message of redemption by way of His only begotten son? Is Christmas more about family, friends and a wonderful meal, or is it about what we should always remember it as being a day where God physically came to save us from our sin—even as undeserving as we are! You see friends, when God’s words, God’s message of hope falls upon deaf ears, we are stricken with certain doom. When our heavenly Fathers splendor, His visible image made into the infant Jesus our God, peerless among counselors, prince of peace, father of the world to come, the model after which Adam was formed, for our sakes and without any assistance from man, God took flesh to complete what He promised. How can we reject, forget or not even respond with the forsaking all things with idle words, shunning our passions for Him, raising ourselves as if WE are the reason for Christmas, not Christ. Who are we amongst God? We are nothing without God. Who are we fooling? Only ourselves! Are we ashamed of our salvation, are we afraid to tell others about Christ with the virgin birth that came to save us all? If anything, this should be a story of love, hope and absolute praise knowing hurray! We are saved! But what happened? Where did the memory go with what Christmas was to be about? Right at this very moment, we should be asking God to show us mercy for forgetting Him whom is full of riches and grace; saved and preserved us; enabled us to obtain good things to come which will never know an end. This Christmas friends, let us say this. I waited patiently for the Lord; And He reached down to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the mud; And He set my feet on a rock, making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the Lord. What a day to remember friends, is the birth of our savior whom we owe everything. We celebrate His glorious birth who ultimately took upon Himself the sins of the world in order for me and you to be saved! This is the message not just for Christmas but for everyday of our lives.
In closing, I would like to share a poem I wrote, and I read this last year as well so you may remember it.
“If you look for me at Christmas, you won't need a special star. I'm no longer just in Bethlehem, I'm right there where you are. You may not be aware of me amid the celebrations. You'll have to look beyond the stores and all the decorations. But if you take a moment from your list of things to do and listen to your heart, you'll find I'm waiting right there with you next to your heart. I am not only present during songs and celebrations, but I move throughout the year to save souls and make preparations. You're the one I want to be with, you're the reason that I came, and you'll find me in the stillness as I'm whispering your name. So go forth throughout the year, spreading Christmas love to the far and near, witnessing to others of what has happened, and sharing My love to the forgotten and abandoned. Love, Jesus”