12 21 07 The Baby

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. So the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God! Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will 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. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” The angel replied,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born will be holy; h e will be called the Son of God.
And look, your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! For nothing will be impossible with God.”
So Mary said, “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.”
(Luke 1:26-38)
There is a darker side of Christmas most of us choose to ignore, unless we are experiencing it. Perfect homecomings are rarely reality; even in the best of homes. Many Christmas memories are full of tension and strife, not tinsel and bows. Illnesses, deaths, parents and children at odds, bad choices, wrong turns, break-ups and make-ups…all part of this world we struggle through. Not unlike the unwed pregnant teen and her husband to be, two thousand and some years ago. Imagine the struggles; not only for Joseph and Mary, but their families as well. If only we would reply: “I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.”

Christmas is reminder that the one we love the most is far away – perhaps never coming back – or the relative we love the least will be placing his hands somewhere they shouldn’t be. I suspect there are far more people who hurt at Christmas than we would initially imagine. They find misery in mistletoe. For those tired of the hollow hope and the false fantasies of Christmas, the Good News is that God is with us.

Trust the baby born in smelly, unsanitary, heartbreaking conditions.
Trust the baby, who did not stay in the manger, but grew to be a man facing difficult choices.
Trust the baby in the manger, whose circumstances led him from a poor beginning to a violent execution.
Trust the baby who promises a hope-filled Christmas – Bring him the ashes of your life and he’ll give you beauty; bring him the mourning in your life, and he’ll give you joy.

Why trust the baby? The baby Jesus grew to become the suffering sacrifice for our sin, our despair, and our loneliness. The baby Jesus became our Risen Savior, overcoming death, sin, and the hell we deserve as sinners. The baby Jesus rose up from the grave to heaven and sent His Spirit in return to seal us (believers) for the Day He returns as the Victorious King. He’ll bring all who believe in Him (this one-time baby Jesus), now held securely in His arms, and welcome us home!

What a celebration believers will have one day! Until then, we go through some rather bitter and trying holidays, especially Christmas. We are saddened at times for sure, but Christ understands it all and knows our pain as well as our joy. We must take the bitter with the sweet, as the old-timers say. Joy to the world; even you and me. The Lord HAS come and WILL come again! Joy indeed comes in the morning. Maybe not quite this Christmas morning, but one fine morning when He comes! It’s worth the wait. The baby is now the King!