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The Christmas Mission

Merry Christmas! As I sit here Christmas Eve thinking about the original Christmas I can't help but think it was not as 'neat and clean' as our portrayals. Think about the circumstances' A pregnant unmarried teenage girl, a Fiancée who knows he didn't get her pregnant, having to relocate before the marriage, an assassination plot to kill the newly born child, a visit from three foreign dignitaries, and a need to flee to a foreign country to save the child's life. No doubt that during the past month you have seen or heard many portrayals of the Christmas story. Mary and Joseph shown kneeling, gazing into a wooden crib fashioned out of branches. The portrayal of that scene is displayed on front lawns, in windows, store displays, and even in controversial locations such as borough halls. Sometimes the images we see have been 'tidied up' for our consumption. In the midst of the whispers and gossip a young unmarried woman feels the kicking once again of the baby growing in her womb. "Could this be happening to me? ... Will it really be like the angle told me? ... Was I just imagining all this?" Then another kick ... "No this is real. Let God's plan be done in me ... even in the midst of public shame." And what about Joseph? He was committed to marrying Mary. "But how did she get pregnant? Certainly not by me ... but who?" Joseph must have loved Mary because we are told he wanted to break off their betrothal quietly. I cannot imagine the confusion Joseph must have had. But then God, in only the way God can, spoke to Joseph. In a dream that may have felt like a nightmare Joseph was told that Mary's pregnancy was God's plan. In fact, Joseph was part of God's plan. He was to continue with his plan to marry Mary. God was bringing about a promise made long, long ago. So Joseph and Mary continued with their plans to be married in Nazareth where they were living. Before they were able to be married Caesar Agustus ordered that all people of the empire return to the town of their families origin so they would be counted for the purpose of collecting taxes. This meant Joseph would need to make a 3 day journey south to a small village called Bethlehem. Mary traveled with Joseph to register even though she was very pregnant and not yet married. So they finally reached Bethlehem. Bethlehem, a village now crowded with people gathering for Caesar's census. Without any success they were looking for a place to stay. Perhaps, their last hope ... an inn, a boarding house. But there was no room there. And the owner, looking at them did not think they were important enough to bump someone else out of a room. So he offered them the opportunity to stay with the livestock. And in that setting Mary, tired, frightened, far from home, gave birth to Jesus. Jesus, a new born, was wrapped in strips of cloth ... maybe torn from Mary and Joseph's own clothes ... was laid in a feeding trough, a manger. And now the old prophecies of Isaiah and Micah were fulfilled. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. So God used an Emperor to order the known world to relocate for tax purposes so that the prophecy of Micah would be fulfilled. Jesus, who's mother and step-father are from Nazareth, would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. But far far away ... off in the east ... Magi noticed something in the eastern sky that, through their study of the stars meant something significant. A new King was born to Israel. Magi were students of astrology and the religious priests of Persia. So these Magi, living east of Israel saw in the sky to their east something ... probably an alignment of planets and stars they interpreted to be a new born King in Israel. Modern day Astronomy does show that in fact there were seven such alignments near the time of Jesus birth. So these Magi headed west, to the capital city of Israel, to pay homage to the new born King. What the magi found in Jerusalem was a paranoid King, Herod. When Herod heard about a new King he immediately felt threatened and decided to assassinate this new threat to his throne. The Magi did not want to assist Herod, having been warned in a dream not to go back to him. They left their gifts with Mary and Joseph; Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. The Magi then returned secretly to their homeland by a different route to avoid Herod. Joseph had another dream. This time God warned him of Herod's plot to assassinate Jesus. He was told to flee to Egypt. But Mary and Joseph were poor. When they made the purification sacrifice after Jesus' birth in the Temple in Jerusalem they offered two doves or perhaps pigeons (Luke 2:24). The Law in Leviticus 12:8 says that was the sacrifice God allowed for those who were poor. How would they be able to afford to flee to another country to live? Remember the Magi? They gave very valuable gifts to Joseph and Mary. God provided a way for them to escape to Egypt. He sent the Magi from Persia. God showed them a sign in the stars that sent them on their way. The stars and planets are fascinating! Their movements are like a clock. Their paths can be projected in time because God made their movements consistent. God set the universe in motion at creation. When the universe was set into motion He designed it so that at a certain time the Magi would see the alignment they needed to see to know a King was born in Israel that would send them on a journey to give valuable gifts to Joseph and Mary that they would need to escape to Egypt to save the life of Jesus from that assassination plot of Herod.

WOW!!! What a Christmas story. God is incredibly powerful and has everything worked out. And He worked it out so that we can experience Shalom.

Merry Christmas! -tom