Christmas Grace

Fir trees, multi-colored lights, seasonal music, movies, and TV specials, bell ringers, buying frenzies, eggnog and fruit cake, and Santa Claus. These are just a few of the many ordinary customs we see and possibly do every Christmas season in America.

With Authority and Majesty, God is capable of anything and everything. By God's grace he sent a Savior, a precious gift to the world, to atone mankind's sins. John 3:16

God favored two ordinary people and orchestrated an event that has been recorded and remembered for two millenniums. He chose a carpenter named Joseph, and a quiet, devoted, and humble woman named Mary to be the parents of his only Holy Son.

The world may have been ordinary to the people of that time. But, they had heard of this extraordinary event foretold by Isaiah ~ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

With God's perfect timing, he caused his desire to happen. Judea and surrounding regions of that part of the world was rocked. The ordinary became phenomenal, unparalleled, supreme, matchless, and untouchable.

God's messengers appeared to Mary and Joseph to prepare their ordinary lives for the remarkable birth of their first child, the Savior of our world. An unusual star appeared in the east that led the way for people to see and witness an infant they didn't even know but had heard of. Herod, the King of Judea was so intimidated by the rumors and prophecy of the birth that he ordered the murders of all young male children who were two years old and under. Life in Judea got crazy because of Mary's Little Lamb.

May we, as followers of Jesus Christ, not forget about the reason for this special holiday, let us not make it just ordinary. May we celebrate Christmas with the love that God has for us and has given to us.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

Luke 2:13 &14

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Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." Luke 1:38a

God chose to reveal himself to us in human form through the life of a virgin girl, named Mary. She was an ordinary girl, living her life without a lot of spectacular events. Then God shows up in her life. Her life becomes extraordinary when she chooses to follow after God, and to submit herself to His leading.

So often our lives seem ordinary and remain so because we don't stop and take time to figure out what God is doing in our lives. Sometimes His works seems so trivial, so ordinary, until we finally say "Yes" and chase after Him. Look for where God is already working in your life this week, and choose to chase after Him. Say "Yes", just as Mary and Joseph did.

Why me, I'm just a simple man of trade
Why Him, with all the rulers in the world
Why here inside a stable filled with hay
Why her, she's just an ordinary girl
Now I'm not one to second guess what angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save the world
--- lyrics, Strange Way to Save the World

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Luke 1:26-38

After reading this passage, can you relate to how Mary must have felt....fear, confusion, etc.? God had chosen her to be Jesus' earthly mother and to top that thought, she was a virgin. Yet, she realized that she was a servant of God and should show obedience. Do you serve God as a joyful servant or a complainer?

Mary accepted this role; can you say the same for your Christian walk? When God tries to challenge or stretch you to do something new, how do you respond? The Holy Spirit plays an important part in making the impossible, possible.

God blesses each of us with gifts and talents, and provides opportunities to apply these qualities and yet we doubt our capability or His timing. It's much easier to think that there are other more important, gifted, etc. servants, but God doesn't need for His servants to be over the top......no, just obedient and faithful!

He pushes us out of our comfort zone, knowing all along that He has provided the Holy Spirit and wants us to respond as faithful disciples. The next time you are given an opportunity, try to be willing and ask God to provide the strength, courage, etc. that you will need to be His willing servant.

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But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God." Luke 1:30

When the angel first appeared to Mary and spoke of the Lord's favor on her, she was afraid and confused. She didn't know what was going on, and probably didn't understand why the angel would come to her, a young, poor, Jewish girl, with such an accolade. After all, there were people of much higher societal standing who might have been more appropriate for such a greeting.

The angel's response, though, was that he had made no mistake; the words had been meant for her and her alone. She, Mary, had found favor with God. Gabriel's next words to her would probably do little to convince most of us that God favored us. "What? Me, a teenage virgin from the Jewish culture, is pregnant? With God's baby? Gee, thanks. That's a strange way of showing favor toward me, Lord," we might think. "I don't know what you've got going on here." Indeed, by our standards, that would seem strange.

Extraordinary faith, though, came out in this very ordinary girl. Rather than questioning God and arguing with the angel, she accepted it. "May it be as you have said." Her humility allowed the Lord to use her. She did not stand in the way of His plans, but got herself out of the way so that He could do what He needed to do.

What other people, places, and things of humble origins can you see God using? How can you see God moving in the ordinary things of life this Christmas season?

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This story reminds me that with God, anything is possible. This story shows that God used two ordinary people to do an extraordinary thing. He chose Mary and Joseph to be the parents of Jesus. A couple not yet married, but Mary "found favor with God". He chose a common woman and common man, who weren't yet married, no doubt raising eyebrows. Yet He still chose this couple. I am sure that the people of that time, waiting on their Savior would have never expected these two to be the parents of Jesus. I am sure that I would have thought that wealthier, worldlier people would be the chosen ones. But that's not how God planned it. He sent an angel to an unsuspecting woman, engaged to be married, and a virgin, that she was going to give birth to the Son of God.

Was she shocked? Verse 34 says that she was. "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" When the angel tells her that the Holy Spirit will descend upon her, she is probably still bewildered; so to prove to her that what he says is true, he tells her in verse 36, "Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month." Gabriel then sums it up by telling Mary, "For nothing is impossible with God."

Nothing is impossible with God. Can this really be true? How many times have we felt that we powerless? God uses people from all walks of life to do extraordinary things. Too often, we look for "great" people to do extraordinary things. God uses each one of us to do things that we once thought were impossible. It is the "ordinary" people that he wants to use. If you ever doubt that, remember Mary and Joseph.

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