Twas the really early morning before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, but my brother, myself, and the episode of Psych. Last minute present wrapping continues since we had put it off, and Kyle's indie music meshed with the witty TV banter. I at my computer and Kyle at his was trying to figure out what topic to spit out this week.
Then I figured there was only one choice. I'd write the truth of Christmas.
If you'll forgive the absolutely terrible rendition of "A Night Before Christmas," this is my Christmas entry into the sea of similar posts. I don't think that anything else fits for me to write about this time except for the reason we even care about this season. If it wasn't for Jesus's birth, this would be nothing but the end of finals, and the wintry season where we goof off for a month (or take a January course). Instead, we have a holiday season that could arguably be called the happiest time of the year (on a whole anyway). And there's a reason for that.
This isn't a surprise, people suck. We all sin, and there's nothing we could do about that. In the old Israel nation they had sacrifices and long ceremonies to get back in good standings with God. Not the easiest thing in the world. Life was hard, sin was easy, and humanity was not in a good way. God decided to change that. He knew that a perfect sacrifice would be needed. And there was only one person that would fit: His Son.
But how would this man come into the world? He could come down in a blaze of glory and splendor, flanked by legions of angels with a heavenly choir singing his praises. But we'd be missing a crucial part in the person of Jesus, his human nature. In that, He had to come to earth as a man, but first a baby. Jesus needed to come into this world through a woman. and that woman was Mary.
Mary was a kid really, maybe only sixteen. Still young, but promised to be married to the man Joseph. The only thing she might be thinking of was rearing normal children and living a simple life. Then, God chose her to have the greatest responsibility of anyone on earth. An angel came down to speak with her and deliver God's message: she would bear the Son of God. We don't know what could be going through her mind, the fear and the stress, but in it all, she believed the angel when he said she was blessed and that God was with her.
That's one side, but there was another half, Joseph. Joseph found out about the child, but not his identity. He knew this could be trouble. Being honorable, he thought about silently disowning Mary and not humiliating her. Of course, God had to step in. He spoke to Joseph in a dream and told him about the child. He brought Joseph to His side and Joseph took Mary as his wife.
Then, as what was probably a move rooted in greed, Caesar Augustus decided to take a census of his kingdom. His rules were that every man had to return to his home town to register. This decree would send Joseph, and now his wife Mary, from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The two traveled to the famed Town of David since Joseph was part of the family line of King David.
While in town, they could not find any place to stay. Every inn was full. This would have been less of a problem if Mary wasn't so closed to giving birth. She was close and needed some place to be sheltered and give birth. In their desperate search, one kind innkeeper offered them shelter in the stables. That night, Mary and Joseph bedded down in the hay with sheep and horses, waiting to bring their son into the world.
That night, Jesus came into the world. Under the light of a shining star, the little boy that embodied all God's glory was born in a little town, behind a little inn, in a little stable, and placed in a little manger. And to a group of shepherds nearby, angels heralded the coming of this King. To the lowliest of society, the greatest news was given. These shepherds ran to Bethlehem and saw the baby King and worshiped Him there.
The rest we'll get to another time (probably Easter) but right now, we have this story, the reason for Christmas. There is so much in this story, more meaning than I could ever hope to uncover, and more truth about God than I could ever expect to be able to show. All I could think of tonight was to share the story of Christmas. Sure it has my flair to it, but the truth is there. If you want the real thing, go to Luke 2. The bible has told it better than I ever could. I've done my part to share and for this week, that's all I have.
Merry Christmas, see you all next week.
Just something to chew on.
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