by Sharon O | Dec 11, 2014 | Uncategorized
Before we do a ninth person of the Christmas story
we need to return our focus back to Joseph and Mary.
They were alone in Bethlehem after traveling many miles to get there, soon to deliver a precious child.
Joseph knew there was no choice but to get there and even though
it was so close to delivery Mary had to go with him.
It was a chance they took not fully realizing that it was all a part of a bigger God ordained plan.
Their story is one of obedience, and trust, and love.
It is a story of a young mom preparing her heart for delivery and a
dad who would walk alongside her, as their lives would change before them forever in time.
I wonder sometimes about the birth story.
As they walked on the roads to Bethlehem did they talk and share with each other about their fears and concerns about what was to come for them?
Did Mary share her experience with him about her visit with Elizabeth, and what it was like for her to be there for those months before the birth of John?
Meeting Elizabeth was a pretty life changing moment for her as she proclaimed her words of praise and adoration for Mary and her child.
So many questions surround the birth of this Holy baby.
As they entered Bethlehem and realized there was no place for them to rest.
They had to look hard for a shelter, for Mary was soon to deliver their little baby.
There were so many people in town because of the census they had to find whatever they could, and that turned out to be a barn with a manger for the baby to sleep in.
Did God allow her a deep peace and extra comfort because of who she was, or did she have the real labor, like anyone else giving birth to a newborn?
What about a soft clean spot for her to lay down on, did they use the donkeys blanket full of hair and the smell of animal sweat or did Joseph make part of his tunic or robe as covering for her.
She knew she was giving birth to a very special baby.
I wonder how each contraction felt for her, as she pushed and waited like any ‘expectant mom’ wishing for it all to be over.
The journey to Bethlehem was just the beginning of their sacrifice.
Their lives would never be the same.
She would always be the mother of Jesus.
Mary might have learned some things about giving birth after being with Elizabeth.
The difference this time were the conditions and smells surrounding her, they were not perfect or even clean.
They were in a barn where animals had been.
It was birth. Raw. Real. Revealing. The details not told to us.
We know the Christ child was born and we also know
in a town called Bethlehem life began.
Hope appeared and a family was born.
Lives would forever be changed because of Mary’s little boy.
Can you even imagine being the first one to hold and touch and kiss
his soft little cheeks, feel his wispy hair and touch his baby ears?
To look into his precious eyes and see love already.
God trusted them because she had a pure heart and he was a man of integrity and honor.
Like many new parents, they counted fingers and toes,
and marveled at his beauty and innocence.
Holding their baby tight their lives would be changed forever.
I am not sure they understood the impact of his life and
the miraculous birth of their baby boy.
God’s chosen Son.
On this tenth day of Christmas I ask you to think on these things.
as we learn of the miracle of the Holy Child of Bethlehem.
It was all in the plan.
Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and she
shall call his name Immanuel. (God with us-the Messiah)
by Sharon O | Dec 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
Luke 2: In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.
This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
All went to their towns to be registered.
Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee in Judea,
to the city of David called Bethlehem.
He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged
and who was expecting a child.
While they were there, the time came time for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her first born son, and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place for them in the inn.
(or no lodging available to them because of the many people)
We move from Mary’s response from what Elizabeth had said
about her baby and the position she now finds herself in,
as the mother of Jesus.
To the knowledge that Mary is young and she is quickly moving into a life altering moment that would change her forever.
The journey back from Elizabeth’s had to have been more difficult as
she was getting further along in her pregnancy.
She wanted to return to her family and to Joseph and to rest.
Upon arrival from that journey, Joseph tells her,
“we must leave again.”
I imagine that was not the best news she could have heard.
I also imagine her exhaustion and many questions for him.
The last thing she would have wanted to do, was travel again this late in her pregnancy.
One of the verses said ‘she was obviously pregnant’, which I interpret as very large, with a birth coming very soon.
She had to leave her place of familiarity to a new and different place away from family.
The eighth person in the Christmas story is the Emperor Augustus.
By calling a census he was forcing Joseph, to go back to the city of David to the town called Bethlehem, in order for prophecy to be fulfilled, nothing is by accident or coincidental.
Jesus had to be born in a lowly setting in Bethlehem, where he could be placed in a manger as the story continues to play out.
For the word said, “you will find the baby lying in a manger.”
All this had to take place according to what was told, and Joseph
was following the decrees of the land, not fully realizing it was
‘God ordained’. Remember nothing is by accident.
Like characters in a play each one had some purpose and some reason to be in the Christmas story.
On the ninth day of Christmas we are introduced to Emperor Augustus who God used in order to get the baby where he needed to be, for his birth to take place in the city called Bethlehem.
by Sharon O | Dec 9, 2014 | Uncategorized
Instead of moving into the seventh person of the Christmas story.
I think we need to spend a bit of time focusing on Mary again.
When Elizabeth reacted so strongly to her and her baby to be,
Mary listened and took it into her heart.
Can you even imagine this moment between them?
They had been close for many years and then all of a sudden
Elizabeth is praising her as the one who is Blessed
among all women…and she was called “the mother of my Lord.”
That was very affirming and also very encouraging to this young
expectant mommy to be who was basically in a crisis pregnancy.
We find Mary’s response both amazing and prophetic in Luke 1: 46-55
Mary’s song of Praise begins:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will be called blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Her reaction was powerful.
She knew the Old Testament and knew the stories of old.
She realized that she was favored and chosen.
Elizabeth validated that within her as only a close friend can do.
She realized for ever in time, from now on she would be known
as the Mother of Jesus. It wasn’t enough to just be expecting
but she was expecting with great anticipation the Son of God.
What an amazing reaction to a life changing moment.
From a young very vulnerable and very trusting teenager.
On this eighth day of December we think of Mary and
the many things that would change for her as time moved on
in the Christmas story.
by Sharon O | Dec 8, 2014 | Uncategorized
The sixth person of the Christmas story appears many times.
The first appearance is before he was born.
There were already prophetic words spoken of him, which brings
to mind the knowledge that God knows us,
before we leave the darkness of our mother’s womb.
The sixth person of the story is John as a baby waiting to be born.
The word tells us that after Mary was told by the angel,
about her own ‘baby to be’ she hurried over to Elizabeth’s house.
Perhaps she was like a mother figure to her or just a great mentor.
They obviously shared with each other since Mary wanted
to talk to her first, maybe even before she talked to Joseph.
In Luke 1:39 the story begins:
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean
town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the child leaped in her womb.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed
with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and
blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And why has this happened to me, that the mother of
my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound
of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a
fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
This is amazing to me on many levels.
First of all because of Mary’s young age, I find it fascinating
that she left her home to go be with Elizabeth.
Did her parents say that was fine for her to go, or did she just
leave in haste sensing the need to talk and be with someone who was close to her.
I am not sure how far she had to travel, but it couldn’t have been too close and the risk was high for her to go alone.
Not only that, it says she stayed with Elizabeth for several months.
They didn’t have cell phones in that time so Joseph must have
had to wait with a lot of heavy thoughts in his mind and on his heart.
The other part of the story is Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
and the knowledge of Mary’s baby was revealed during that time.
Was that before Mary even told her about the ‘fruit of her womb’?
The other part of the story is the tiny baby John.
He heard and recognized something very significant before he was born, at this time he was nearing the pre-birth age of six months.
As Elizabeth went in to hiding for five months before Mary came to visit.
The baby leaped upon hearing. Which proves a point I have often
said and thought, that they are babies with the ability to hear and react and respond to different voices.
It also tells how he ‘knew’ that Mary was the mother of the Son Jesus.
The story tells us that Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months
before returning to her own home.
Which would put her own pregnancy nearing the fourth month.
Perhaps this is where she learned and saw the process of giving birth, in preparation for her own birthing experience.
It’s a wonderful way to learn when one can see it with your own eyes and experience it with your own heart and emotions.
Not only did John the baby react upon Jesus arrival then John the man was sent to prepare the way for him too.
On this seventh day of December we learn of the sixth person
of the story and I find it amazing how every character shares in the same experiences.
Holy Spirit God ordained moments.
by Sharon O | Dec 7, 2014 | Uncategorized
Today we are learning about the fifth person of the Christmas story.
Another very important person who was chosen by God.
This would be Joseph.
He was engaged to Mary and a carpenter by trade.
Unlike Mary I don’t believe we are told how old he was,
but I am sure he was older than her by a few years.
He was considered righteous and honorable.
I would imagine when he heard that Mary was expecting
a child and he knew for a fact it wasn’t his own
like any man in that position he was confused and perhaps
even angry at her.
This would be a life altering moment for him.
We aren’t really told how long they had been planning
on getting married or what the standard engagement time
was for that time period.
In Matthew 1:9 then 1:20-25 the story begins.
Joseph a righteous man unwilling to expose her to public disgrace,
planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved
to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream,
and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take
Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from
the Holy Spirit.”
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital
relations with her until she had borne a son,
and he named him Jesus.
What a tremendous and honorable thing to do.
Instead of running or abandoning her, he stood beside her
in the time when she most needed him to be supportive and loving.
I always find it fascinating that angels appear in dreams.
It was not uncommon in those times for this to happen.
It also is interesting that he didn’t question the dream or the words
spoken in the dream. That would mean he knew for a fact
it was real, true and spoken by an angel.
Joseph had to have been a man of faith to listen and obey
that quickly and then decide to not ‘make her his wife’
in an intimate way till the baby was born.
On this sixth day of December we learn about Joseph and
how willing he was to do what God asked of him and how
trusting he was in the process.
Later on he would leave his job, his family and his friends
to be with Mary… and the baby they would raise together.
Joseph is a wonderful example of love, companionship and
a servants heart. He was an earthly father to a heavenly son.
