Christian Reflection and Prayer

Read Luke 1:26-38.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city
of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose
name was Joseph,of the house of David.... Luke 1:26-27A

Our Nativity scene has a shelter and a manger. Now it's time to
start adding the figures. My Nativity figures have a special
meaning for me because my dad hand painted each of them a
few years before he left us to go to his eternal home. He took
great care painting the faces of baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,
the shepherds, the wise men and the angel. Now, because of his
faith in Jesus Christ his Savior, Dad has spent 22 years looking
at those same glorious faces in his heavenly home.

As we begin placing the figures into the Nativity scene let's take
some time to examine each one. It is interesting that a shelter
and manger stand ready in Bethlehem for that special night. But
look as hard as you want, you can't find the virgin mother in that
little town just south of Jerusalem. You have to travel 70 miles
north to the region of Galilee and to a town called Nazareth. That's
where a young virgin lives. That's where God sends His angel
Gabriel.

Look closely at the virgin and the clothes she wears. It is obvious
this young woman has no claims to fame. Her family is not wealthy,
powerful, or influential. Her betrothed husband is a carpenter who
has no claim to fame either except, perhaps, that both he and his
virgin wife are descendants of King David. God could have selected
any virgin girl to be the mother of His Son, but He specifically
chose this young woman.

You and I are also unlikely people God has chosen. So often we
are self-absorbed and concerned about all the wrong things-problems
that in the end don't pile up to a hill of beans. These days before
Christmas we usually focus on the least significant things, and we
display our irritation and impatience to our families, co-workers, and
everyone we encounter who is standing in our way. Now is the time
to slow down and follow the story of our Savior's birth.

The angel explains to Mary that she will be the mother of God's Son
through the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit. He will be a holy
Child, whose Father is God. Being human He will be able to suffer
and die in our place. And being God's Son, He will be able to win
salvation for all people by His suffering and death on the cross, and
He will be able to stomp death into the dust.

This Christmas we would do well to learn from Mary's humility and
simple trust. "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me
according to your word. ..." (Luke 1:38a). When we approach
Christmas with that same trusting response, we will enjoy a more
profound and joyous celebration of our Savior's birth.

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, thank You for choosing an unknown virgin to be
the mother of Your Son. Give me true humility that I may live as
Your child and live with You in Your heavenly home forever. I pray
this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Scripture

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch
shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on
him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of
counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the
Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
 Isaiah 11:1-3

Voice

I do not understand the mystery of grace — only that it meets
us where we are and does not leave us where it found us
-Anne Lamott


Prayer

God, though we do not yet fully understand the mystery of
Jesus, we are thankful for his coming. This advent, do not let
the grace of Jesus leave of us where it found us. May we be
transformed into a people truly capable of courageous acts
of love. Amen.

"Do You Call That A Crib?"

Read Isaiah 7:10-17.
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,and shall call
His Name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14B

All right, we have some kind of shelter for our Nativity scene.
Now let's turn to the one object inside that shelter that is
mentioned specifically in the Christmas account: the manger.
A manger is a feeding trough for animals. Don't you think that's
a pretty shabby crib? I wonder if Joseph and Mary ever thought
about that. The best they could do for God's one and only Son
was to lay Him in a feeding trough inside a pitiable shelter? If it
was me, I think I'd be trembling in fear at the thought.

Actually, that's what a lot of people do at Christmas time. They
tremble in fear over problems in their lives: serious health
problems, bills they can't pay, jobs they've lost, marriages that
have crumbled, or loved ones who are no longer here. Sadly,
many Christians add the fear that these are punishments from
a displeased God.

Actually, one of the great prophecies of Jesus' coming was given
to a king quaking in fear. King Ahaz was a descendant of King
David and ancestor of Jesus. Seven hundred years before Jesus'
birth, Ahaz feared two kingdoms that were threatening his little
kingdom of Judah. The Northern Kingdom, Israel, and its neighbor
Aram (Syria) had allied together to conquer Judah and replace Ahaz.

God wasn't about to let that happen. Instead He sent the prophet
Isaiah to reassure him. God offered to perform any miracle Ahaz
asked, but Ahaz didn't trust God and refused to ask for one. So
Isaiah rebuked the king, then said, "Therefore the Lord Himself will
give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,
and shall call His Name Immanuel. ... For before the boy knows
how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two
kings you dread will be deserted" (Isaiah 7:14, 16). Within the time
a baby could be conceived, delivered, and grow old enough to know
the difference between good and bad, those two kingdoms would
cease to exist.

The virgin's Son is a sign for us as well. He is holy and pure, and He
gives us His holy and perfect life as though it were our own. He took
our sin upon Himself and suffered the punishment we deserve.
Because of His great exchange we can stand pure and holy before
God the Father by faith, clothed in Christ's holiness and righteousness.

Isaiah tells us the virgin "shall call His Name Immanuel." That name
means "God with us." This reassures us that no matter what our
problems may be this Christmas, God is right here with us just as He
was with Mary and Joseph. He has promised never to leave us or
forsake us. He will deliver us from all our problems too.

THE PRAYER:

 Almighty God, thank You for noticing our fear and anxiety. Thank You
for comforting and reassuring us. Remind us that You are Immanuel
and that we may know You are an ever-present help in trouble, until the
day You bring us to Your eternal rest. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)