Shock & Awe in the Christmas Story!

Wow – less than 3 weeks until Christmas!! Where did this year go??

So far, I have bought exactly one gift. Well, three if you count the two that my hubby has already seen and one he’s already opened & used (motorcycle stuff he had to use yesterday for his Toys for Tots Run). I’m just not into the buying and rushing around and the general frenzy that usually accompanies this time of year. I just put our tree & lights up today! Maybe it’s that my kids are older and don’t want or need the latest greatest [insert toy name here]. All they want is money – cold, hard cash is all that’s on their wish list this year. Which certainly makes it easy on the Mister and I, but does take away a chunk of the fun of Christmas morning.

Or maybe it’s because this year I’ve been thinking more and more on the true meaning of Christmas. Each year, we read the Nativity Story on Christmas morning. We say we want to celebrate the real “Reason for the Season” – but… do we really? Or have we just been giving God some lip-service so He’ll know we have acknowledged Jesus for a few minutes on his “birthday”?  I have to admit, I think our family has fallen into the Lip Service group more years than not.

Look at how many hours we spend shopping, decorating, singing carols, attending parties.  Compare that with how long we spend truly celebrating the MIRACLE of Christ’s birth. How does your family measure up? I know mine falls short. Way short.

In church this week, our pastor talked about the miracles in the story of the birth of Jesus – yes, multiple miracles. The story begins “in the sixth month” (Luke 1:26) – of what? The king’s reign? The year? Sixth month of what?  We find out in verse 36 – it was the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy as she was carrying John – Jesus’ cousin.  The first miracle that God performs in the Christmas story isn’t Mary becoming pregnant with Jesus – it’s Elizabeth and Zechariah conceiving John the Baptist! Do we ever think about that at Christmastime?  I haven’t, not until today.

Why does Luke tell us about Elizabeth’s pregnancy in the same chapter, just before he tells us of Jesus’ birth? Because, Mary needed to be convinced of God’s miracles. Yes – Mary, virgin mother of Christ – doubted:  “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (v:34)  The angel convinced her it was possible by revealing the pregnancy of Elizabeth as a miracle in verse 36 – “And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.”

Can you imagine Mary’s expression when she found out that her cousin, who we assume from the Scripture was an elderly woman by this time, was pregnant?? And then to find out that SHE, Mary, would bear the Savior of the World??  Oh yeah, and she was still a virgin, at that. Talk about “Shock & Awe” – isn’t God the most shocking and awe-inspiring One ever??

I can just picture the young girl – at first frightened, then amazed,  then elated. So much so that she traveled to Elizabeth’s home to celebrate their good fortune! It’s important to note that Mary did not know of Elizabeth’s pregnancy prior to the angel visiting her – as stated in Luke 1:24 “…Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.”

So – how many times do we think about Mary & Elizabeth while we’re preparing for Christmas festivities? How many times do we just stop and think about the ultimate Miracle that was given at that time for us all? I know that I need to spend much more time thinking about that, not only at this time of year but always.  While I’m at it, I need to give thanks for John, and his parents who were obedient and blameless (v.6).  Do we ever thank God for those people in the Bible that did wondrous things, other than Jesus?

I challenge us all to use this month of celebrating the birth of Christ to really think on the miracles of His birth, His death, His resurrection.

I challenge us all to read and study the Story of Christmas with a new understanding of the “shock & awe”-inspiring miracles that happened then. Not only the Virgin Birth, but all that came before and after to assure that the prophecy of Christ would be fulfilled.

I challenge us all to put that above the shopping, the parties, the “noise” of December that can so easily crowd out the only celebration that any of us ever needed and never deserved – the Birth of Our King!

How will you spend the rest of the month?

Please share your plans to celebrate the Birth of Christ in a miraculous way this year!

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