There has been only one Christmas–the rest are anniversaries.”
–W.J. Cameron
“And coming in, he [the angel, Gabriel] said to her, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.”
–Luke 1:28-29 (NASB)
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I know, it’s not the Psalms. Monday is normally our day in the Psalms, but since it is Christmas season I thought I would forgo that study until the first of the year. Why? ‘Cause:
“Christmas times a-comin’…
Can’t you hear them bells ringin’, ringin’,
Joy, joy hear them singin’…
Christmas times a-comin’.”
—Bill Monroe
This is the season! This is the time when we celebrate the coming of the Child to earth. There is so much to the story and to begin to comprehend it is futile, but we must try.
I was pondering the other day–what was it like in heaven? I know that God doesn’t scurry around, but what of the angels? What do they think? Jesus, the Son, on the throne one day, and the next He is a baby in a manger. He goes from riches to rags. In fact, what was heaven like those nine months when Jesus was in the womb? Maybe they went about whispering to one another, “Why does the Holy One want to become a man? That’s crazy, they are lower even than us.” We can see they were excited from the verses in Luke when they appeared in the heavens; they wanted to see how justice and grace would be served out on man.
Wonder of wonders! The spiritual realm must have all been astir; both the heavenly realm and those of the darkness. Was the throne vacant? No, for the Father was there. Was Jesus a prodigal, leaving the Father? No, for He was sent out. The Father was very aware of where He was and what He was about. But something was different. The Son of God was now on earth, living, walking, working as a man. Fellowship with the Father now took the form of prayer.
From the start Satan was after the Son. Herod sought to kill Him, but Joseph was warned (aren’t we glad that Joseph had a heart and mind to listen to God?) and left Bethlehem for Egypt. For sure, the mysteries of God are not comprehensible.
God, all parts of the Trinity, were involved in this miraculous, sacred event. Here is finally the opportunity for man to be reconciled back to God. Man will be able to once again walk with God. Not exactly the way Adam did in the Garden so long ago before the Fall, but here is the Son of God bringing about something new–the showing of God’s grace.
He came into this darkened world of sin; this world controlled by the evil one. He was to bring the Light of God to men. John 1:1-5, may be the key verse of all Scripture. But for now just concentrate and contemplate on verses 4-5.
“In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (NASB)
Man still does not comprehend it. Christmas lights ablaze should help us take to heart that Jesus, the Light of the world, came to save humanity. But the darkness does not comprehend it. Jesus came to destroy the bondage brought about by sin. But the darkness still does not comprehend it. Oh, that the Holy Spirit would open the eyes of men so that they could see the Light that came from heaven.
This Christmas open your eyes to the “Light” as He comes to you. He does not shine it in your eyes, but in your hearts. Open your heart and let His light shine on you during this Christmas season of 2019!