"Somehow, in the weakness of a baby born in a lowly stable, the power of the Almighty had come to earth. It was a mystery that would occupy my mind on many nights as I nursed God's Son and kissed His tiny face." ~Mary (from Charles R. Swindoll's A Bethlehem Christmas)
My favorite part of the Christmas story has always been the way God chose an "ordinary" yet faithful young woman as the vessel for His physical entrance into the world. I cannot imagine what Mary must have felt when Gabriel showed up and told her she would give birth to a son. And not just any son...the Son of God. As a Jew, she must have understood Gabriel's prophetic words: "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:32-33). She knew that the baby she bore was the promised Messiah, but she couldn't have known how all of the prophesy was to be fulfilled. All she knew was that she wanted to obey the Lord's will for her: "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said" (Luke 1:38).
What would it have been like to be the earthly mother of the almighty God? She certainly experienced normal motherly instincts, desiring to nurture and protect her son out of her deep love for him. Yet she was probably reminded constantly of her son's divinity as well. Her child, the baby boy she delivered in the humble environment of a stable, was also her Savior. The thought blows my mind! Tears come to my eyes as I think about the creativity and wonder of my God!
At Christmas time and all of the time, I want to be open and willing when God seeks me to perform His will. Just like Mary, I want to be a part of His awesome and perfect plan. "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished" (Luke 1:45).
Merry Christmas!
