Once upon a time, in the sixth month, the angel appeared to a virgin in Nazareth of Galilee. Her name was Mary-a virgin betrothed to Joseph.
Mary was such a blessed woman to conceive the Lord of the Universe in her frail womb. To think an uncomely virgin could be chosen to nurture the savior of the world in her seeming debilitated womb was unfathomable. However, God chooses the most unlikely candidates and qualifies them for His divine purpose.
Mary realized she would never deserve such a great honor in her low estate. She needed a mind reengineering, a heart renewal and soul cleansing process to receive the spoken word. She needed to conceive the word seed, nurture and deliver the holy child-the son of God. She simply said ”…let it be to me according to your word.”
Joseph, Mary’s fiancé found it hard to accept the reality. In his human understanding, he had been betrayed. His most cherished woman had been violated. I can picture him say in deep agony:”Mary, how could you let yourself be defiled? How could you sacrifice our precious vow for a temporary pleasure?
Undoubtedly, Mary had not related with a man. Her union had been with the Holy Spirit. She needed a divine relationship and communion to conceive the God of man. Who could have ever thought the savior of the world was in a frangible baby? Who could have ever thought the uncomely child was the solution to the world’s puzzle? Who could have ever imagined the world’s treasure; a messiah was lying in an undignified manger? There was nothing beautiful about His appearance. There was nothing majestic to attract men to Him.
The wise men asked:”Where is the new born king? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him. Oh! What a wonder! The child was born a king! He was not a child born to be made king. He had been made king from birth. All He needed was a revelation- a concrete expression to His world.
As the rising star rested on baby Jesus, the radiance of its light exuded an unending joy to mankind. The noble men rose to the sunburst brightness. The guiding star whose light still glowed was the attraction for WORSHIP.
In the early hours on Jesus’ birthday, like the mild brightness of the sun before midday, the glory of the Lord radiated the shepherds. The angel of the Lord heralded the good news of the born king. The heavenly seraphs sang the Christmas chorus with great delight:”Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, good will to all men!” That was Luke 2:14, my favorite childhood scripture that strikes a chord in my heart!
Beyond its memorization, I can see clearly the essence and reality of the Christmas story:
Finally, God came in the very nature of man
With a redemptive plan of hope
The God of light dispelled darkness in man
The God of splendor stooped to man’s fallen state
The God of the universe became poor for our riches
The God of peace knew pains for the gains of salvation
The King of Heaven was camped in a manger-man’s low estate.
On Christmas Day, we can feel excitement in the air, the ringing of Christmas bells, the gleaming of the Christmas lights and the singing of the old carol songs. The lyrics of the old familiar Christmas songs ring a bell in my heart, more than ever:
Long time ago in Bethlehem so the Holy Bible says. Mary boy-child Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day…
Silent Night, Holy Night, All is Come, All is Bright…
Joy to the World, the Lord is come...
God had broken the wall of partition
God had restored His lost fellowship with man
God had mended His broken link with man
The Christmas message speaks peace in chaos
Light beams in the darkness
To rescue men from the shadows
To guide their feet in the way of peace!
Beyond the excitement of Christmas, can we look beyond the manger? If we look intently, we would discover the man in the manger-CHRIST. He is more than the baby in a manger.
Like Mary, we must conceive, nurture and deliver the baby Jesus. Like the shepherds, we must herald the Savior. Like the wise men, we must search for the born king and reveal His star. We must offer our best gifts-Ourselves.
We must personalize the baby Jesus. He is our greatest reality. He is not an addendum to the script of our lives; He is the real script we live out. He is not some accessories we add on to our lives, He is our life! He is our personal Jesus that cannot be trapped in our wombs till forever. He was born to be revealed. He is more real than anyone else in the world. He is our message!
As you celebrate Christmas:
Look beyond the mask of everyone you meet and find a heart to love
Look into the eyes of a helpless child and offer him hope.
Look into the very heart of an abandoned orphan and give him a reason to live.
Reach out to the girl who has found no worth in herself and unleash her core.
Search for men behind the scene and help them find their ideal lives!
Beyond the baby in the manger, Herald the king in the manger!
