A Pause to Ponder God's Word
"I Wonder and I Wander…"
After starting the car to wander over to the college I turned on the radio. The words harmoniously streamed from the speakers. “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” A very familiar song but this time it caused to wonder as I wandered; “what does Christmas look like?”

Undoubtedly how one answers this question will depend upon several factors such as culture, area of the world, personal/family traditions, religion, to name a few. Those who live in New England might speak about snow, festive colorful twinkling lights, people walking along snow covered sidewalks laden with shopping bags full of gifts with snow falling, all sorts of evergreen and porcelain ornaments and Christmas songs playing everywhere.

Others might answer this question with different images; presents, Christmas tree, friends and family gatherings, people acting more kindly and courteously, war ceasefires or peace, and the list can go on and on. Christians would surely add to this a Crèche with all the figurines placed strategically around the Christ Child in the manger and a “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” placard strategically placed for all to see. Surely other countries and cultures have completely different ideas of what Christmas looks like.

But the question lingers; what does Christmas look like? Maybe our images of Christmas have nothing to do at all with how Christmas is supposed to look? Maybe Christmas is lost in all the stuff we do to celebrate it? Maybe we need to stop and hear the story again?
 

          For nothing is impossible with God.” I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:27-28)

         When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. 
         On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” 
         They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” 
         Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. (Luke 1:57-64)

         Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 
         But after he had considered 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 home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
        All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.” 
       When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Matthew 1:19-25)

      So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:4-7)

Herein is where we need to discover what Christmas looks like. I wonder; is it really beginning to look a lot like Christmas? Are we willingly choosing to be the Lord’s servant, faithfully listening and obeying Him? Are we allowing God to invade our status quo lives to accomplish His plans and purposes? Are we described as “being righteous…?” Are we proclaiming the Lord’s Favor and Salvation to all who will lend ear? Is God accomplishing the impossible among us? Oh beloved, let us pray that we live in such a way that it does indeed look like Christmas!

Keep Close to Jesus
Pastor Gerry


A Pause To Ponder God's Word is written and distributed by Gerald Whetstone, Ordained Elder and teacher in the Church of the Nazarene. These devotionals may be transmitted, duplicated, used in part or in entirety without permission for nonprofit purposes only. Responses welcome. To Subscribe Click Here.
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