Saturday, December 15, 2018
Christmas Take-aways
The
true Christmas transformed the world. Whether someone believes what the Bible
teaches about Christmas or not, it must be acknowledged that the birth of Jesus
Christ impacted the world more than the birth of any other human being in
history. But it is even bigger than history. God coming to earth as a man (the
incarnation) may not have been the most significant thing God will ever do, but
it is certainly the most significant thing He will ever do as it relates to
mankind. It is classic God, and it teaches us a lot about his M.O. Consider the
following questions about God and His relationship with mankind that are answered
in the timeless, true story recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke
2:1-20 ).
1. Does
God force his will on mankind, or does he ask permission to include them in His
plans?
Mary had the privilege of carrying the flesh of God
in her womb, but God first shared his plans with her, so she could be a willing
participant. Joseph could have opted out of being Jesus earthly father, but he
responded to a dream by buying in to what God was doing. God always gives
mankind an option.
2. Does
God make life easy for those who are doing His greatest work?
Mary and Joseph were greatly inconvenienced and very
misunderstood as a resulted of accepting their assignment from God. Their plans for when to have a baby, where to
have their baby and where to live after they had their baby were all completely
altered as they accepted their key role in the salvation of mankind. Living for
God is costly, but wonderful.
3. Does
culture usually recognize the value and significance of what God is doing?
Not only did most of the world completely miss the
birth of Christ, but His entire ministry, His death and His supernatural
resurrection were not well known until the early Christians spread the stories
abroad. God seems to take pleasure in doing His greatest work under the radar.
Man thinks he is running things and that his systems are important, but God is
always in charge.
4. Does
God include people of different races or walks of life?
He began with an olive-skinned virgin and a decent,
blue-collar man who were both willing to be misunderstood and inconvenienced
with the task of raising the Son of God. God crafted the remainder of the cast
from some lowly shepherds, a group of foreign wise men, and an innkeeper that
had no room, but was willing to lend his barn. Notably missing were the elite,
the educated, the religious and the politically powerful people of his nation.
God doesn’t need us, but He gracefully offers people a place in His-story.
5. Is
God interested more in winning arguments with philosophers, kings and lawyers
or in touching the lives of simple believers?
The Christmas story tells of how God out -maneuvered
a King, fulfilled multiple prophecies without any help from religious scholars,
and lived an unassuming life amongst people who had no idea who He really was,
for three decades.
The
Christmas story is incredible because it is the story of God becoming flesh and
dwelling among us. It is also amazing because God did it all in a way that
demonstrates how He uses ordinary people who sincerely give their lives to His
purposes. That gives us all hope that our lives can be meaningful and
world-changing, as long as we are willing to be a part of His story.
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