Christmas Potpourri

I found something I wrote for a devotional many years ago.
It's about Christmas so I thought I'd share it here.
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It is Luke who goes into detail about the story of Elizabeth and Zachariah.
Mary and Elizabeth were cousins.
Luke uses words a doctor would use:
barren, womb, mute, etc.-
physical descriptions and an orderly
account of these events.
Luke, the Beloved Physician.
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When the angel told Zechariah that Elizabeth
would bear a son that would be a forerunner of the Messiah,
he reacted in disbelief.
He asked for a sign.
The angel told him that the judgment for his unbelief
would be muteness.
He wouldn't be able to talk
until his son was born.
But God, in His grace,
made the very judgment of muteness
the sign
that Zachariah was looking for.
Because he was mute,
he knew that what the angel said
would come to pass.
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When Mary was approached by the angel Gabriel,
and was told that she would bear a son,
she wondered how this would come to pass.
And God told her.
She didn't wonder 'if' it would come to pass.
She wondered 'how' it would come to pass.
And God gave her an honest answer.
When she had a bit of an understanding to
the matter at hand,
she said, "Be it unto me according to Your Word."

Those words...where did they take her?
She almost lost her beloved Joseph.
She lost the security of her roots and became a fugitive;
traveling where she needed to be for her son's safety.

Those words took her to the temple
to hear Simeon's words of blessing on Jesus
and his solemn words to her,
"A sword shall pierce your heart as well."

They took her back to that same temple 13 years later,
in search of her teenager,
only to hear His words,
"Why did you seek me?
Did you not know that I must be about
my Father's business?"

They took her in search of
a thirty year old Jesus
as He spoke to the crowds
that gathered around Him.
When He realized that His
family was looking for Him,
He said, "Who is my mother,
my sister, and my brothers?
He who does the will of my Father
in Heaven-the same is my mother
and sisters and brothers."

Those words
took her to a wedding,
where Jesus performed His
first public miracle
at her insistence.
He turned the water into wine.

Those words,
"Be it unto me according to Your Word"
have created a halo around her head
in nearly every picture painted of her.

But she was human, not divine.
She was afraid and not confident.
But she trusted anyway.
She was obedient.
She is to be envied and blessed above all women,
for she bore the Savior of the world.

God was her husband.

He who created her
was born through her.
He chose the genetics of His mother.
He chose her personality and the color of her hair.
He chose the beauty of her eyes.
He chose who His earthly father would be.

Where did they take her-
these words?
They took her to the cross
where a sword did indeed pierce her soul.
They took her to the home of John the Beloved.
They took her to a place of honor above all women.

Where will they take you?
When we hear the word of God saying,
" I am come that you might have life
and have it more abundantly,"
we say, 'Be it unto me according to Your Word.'

"My plans for you are for good and not for evil..."
'Be it unto me according to Your Word.'

"He that would be my disciple
must first take up his cross and follow me..."
"If a man strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also."
"Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."

"Be it unto me according to Your Word."

Those words are a blanket statement for all of the Word of God.
We don't get to pick and choose which Words we want to keep.

But if we say these words and mean them,
we will catch a glimpse of the adventure that
Mary had, and we too,
will experience selflessness, the cross,
and a place of honor.
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Immanuel-God with us.
The God who was with the Israelites in
the pillar of fire and the cloud
and the ark of the covenant,
was now with them in flesh
through Jesus Christ
and is with us now through
His Holy Spirit.
Immanuel-God is still with us.
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When the angels came to the shepherds they said,
"Fear not. I bring you good tidings of great joy
which shall be to all people. A Savior is born-
Christ the Lord!"
And then a multitude of the Heavenly Host
joined that same angel in praising God.
Nice little Christmas programs
with children chanting in sweet unison,
"Glory to God in the Highest..."
have stilted the magnificence
of what happened that night.

Imagine a sky full of angels
praising God individually
in multiple angelic voices,
crying out, "Glory to God
in the Highest, and on earth peace,
Good will towards men!"
They were excited.
They were all praising God
and they were most likely not
shouting their praises in unison.

Have you ever been to a prayer meeting
where everyone is praying and praising
at the top of their lungs?
This may give you a small flavor
of the glorious sounds
coming from the sky that night.

Later, on that same night,
Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus,
had many visitors,
because the shepherds went about
telling everyone what the angel
had said. "For unto you this night...
a Savior is born...you shall find the babe..
wrapped in swaddling clothes,
and lying in a manger."
Once again,
Mary pondered these things in her heart.
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What a woman of discretion was Mary,
the mother of Jesus.
She could have raised her other children
with the awareness of who Jesus
really was.
Instead,
they did not believe in Him
until after His resurrection.
The book of James is thought
to be written by Jesus' brother.
He later died for his faith.
Mary could have told everyone
what she knew,
but instead,
she pondered these things in her heart.
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And the wisemen?
Educated, Gentile wisemen probably from Mesopotamia,
sought for a Jewish king.
They traveled for months to find Him,
following the star at night,
and reading the story it told.

When they saw the star resting
over the home of Jesus,
they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Rejoice means to turn around and around
with estatic praise.
What did that look like amidst a
group of wise men?
We've gotten stuck on the idea that
there were only three wisemen
because there were three gifts,
but most likely,
there were many wisemen
and others who were in their caravan
as they traveled across the desert.
Surely they had men along to protect them
and their gifts.
They must have had numerous pack animals
carrying the food they needed to make
the long journey.

And when they saw Jesus, they fell down
and worshiped Him.
What did that look like?
Wisemen, falling down before a
two year old.
What did Mary think?
Just at the time in her life she may have
been getting a little tired of changing
Jesus' diapers,
wealthy wisemen come through
the door of her humble abode,
and fall on their faces
in front of her son.
Talk about getting your perspective
restored quickly.

And the gifts?
Gold..to help ease their way a bit
and to remind Him of Heaven's streets.

Frankincense...an incense to burn;
symbolic of prayer
and communion with God.

Myrrh...an oil that could be used
in perfume, incense, and medicines;
symbolic perhaps, of His destiny-
a reminder of His death and burial
and subsequent healing for the nations.
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King Herod was troubled by the
grand visitation of the wisemen.
He was afraid of a baby king.
When the wise men were warned
by God to head home another way
to avoid giving Herod any information,
he set out to destroy all male babies,
two years of age and under.
These babies were the first martyrs
for Jesus and I am sure that they were
given a royal welcome in heaven,
even as their mother's wept.

Mary and Joseph fled with Jesus as well.
The seeming detour of Jesus' journey
from Jerusalem to
Egypt to Nazareth because of the evil kings,
was not God's permissive will, but His perfect plan.
Matthew records the words spoken by the prophets,
"Out of Egypt have I called my Son,"
and "He shall be called a Nazarene."

It is interesting to note that nowhere are the words,
"He shall be called a Nazarene" recorded
by any Old Testament prophets.
Nazareth was such an obscure town,
it was never mentioned in the Old Testament.
It was considered an unlikely place to raise a Messiah.

But in Isaiah 4:2 and Zechariah 3:8,
the Messiah is referred to as
'The Branch' and the Hebrew word
for branch is 'Nezer.'
God kept this a secret
in the O.T. prophecies,
most likely to protect Jesus'
young life.
It was written in code;
a riddle.
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And finally,
the word 'peace.'

Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah
would guide our feet in the way of peace.

The angels said,"Peace, goodwill towards men."

When Simeon saw Jesus, he said,
"Let your servant depart in peace
for my eyes have seen Your salvation..."

And Jesus is described as 'The Prince of Peace'
by Old Testament prophets.

But Jesus, of Himself, said,
"I came not to bring peace, but a sword,"
referring to family relationships.
Those who accept Christ are opposed
by those who reject him.
"You will be hated," He said,
"by all men for My sake."

Externally, because of Christ,
there will be strife between yourself
and others.

But within yourself,
those who walk with Him,
shall have peace that passes understanding.
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He chose a discreet young woman
to give birth to Jesus
and a small, insignificant town
in which to raise Jesus.
Heavenly beings shared exuberant
news to faithful shepherds on a hillside
and Gentile astrologers
traveled long and hard
to find and worship this Jewish King.

Where do you fit in?

Are you discreet and able to quietly ponder the things of God?
Can God trust you with His secrets?

Do you come from an obscure place?
Are you willing to be unknown?

Do you walk humbly and faithfully?
Do you travel far within and without to seek Him?

Surely,
you identify with Him in one or more of these ways,
and most certainly,
He identifies with you.

Immanuel.
God is with us.
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Have a wonderful Christmas month.