Christmas morning is always a good day for pondering and reflecting.
But first a cute story:
The 6-year-old kids in their Sunday School class were re-enacting the story of the birth of Jesus.
The teacher wanted them “to stage it themselves” based on their own made-up narrative, so it was certainly going to be interesting, to say the least.
They had three Mary’s, two Josephs, six shepherds, two wise guys and one boy who wanted to play a cow. He wanted to Moo.
Another boy decided he would be the “doctor” who would deliver the baby.
The teacher allowed this all to go on, so the little doctor went back behind the manger, picked up a doll and carefully wrapped it in a blanket.
Then with a big smile on his face, he turned to all the Mary’s and the Josephs’ and said, “Congratulations, it’s a God!”
That little boy had a better grasp of “the incarnation” than many people – much older and wiser.
“Incarnation” is one of the huge fifty cent words that gets tossed around particularly at this time of the year and simply refers to God taking on “human form” or “God in the flesh.”
And Mary pondered all these things in her heart. It is a good morning I tell you, for pondering…
The word “pondered” is a Greek word which means “to throw together; to “constantly rethink and evaluate” even the “tiniest details” of an experience.
Mary certainly had more than enough “stuff” to ponder!
It started off with that initial angelic visitation, then hearing word that her much older cousin Elizabeth had conceived and was carrying a child.
The words of the angel continually replaying in her own mind – nothing is impossible for God…nothing…
Her hasty trip to see her kinswoman, Elizabeth… Zechariah’s silence… Her relationship with Joseph…the mean spirited people in Nazareth…then, this whole census business and the trip to David’s city…
Can you imagine the fear and anxiety Joseph and Mary experienced when they heard that because of “this census” they had “no choice” but to travel to Bethlehem?
They knew Mary was going to give birth any day, and it would be a long and difficult-arduous-trip; but they had “no choice”…none.
It was a difficult trek of more than 70-80 miles.
Everyone was aware of the scripture that prophesied 700 years earlier the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
Mary and Joseph probably found refuge in one of these limestone caves. One of the things Mary pondered in her heart that night was the trip itself to Bethlehem and the tough experience of having her firstborn child born in less-than-ideal circumstances.
So quietly, without a great deal of fanfare or trumpets, God quietly slipped into this world as a little baby. And Mary was his lifeline.
Exhausted from the difficult trip from Nazareth, weary from the physical ordeal of giving birth to her firstborn; she was probably too excited to go to sleep.
Sometime that evening, a group of shepherds arrive and say, “Yes, here He is, just like the angel said. What do you know, a baby in a manger. I’ve never seen that before!”
More to ponder… More to think about… More to analyze…
These unexpected visitors are so excited! One of the shepherds proceeds to tell Mary about “the angel” and “the whole army of angels” who appeared in the sky. This had to be a pleasant surprise as once again Mary receives confirmation that this little baby was to be the “Savior of the world.” It was so much to take in.
The fact that God chose shepherds to hear the first gospel message was not an accident. Shepherds were the lowest people in the socio-economic order of that day; they were a despised class with a bad reputation. Shepherds were known as thieves because they were nomadic; as they moved their sheep around the country, sometimes they got confused about what was mine and what was thine.
They were not allowed to give testimony in a Jewish court of law. Their work made it impossible for them to observe the Jewish ceremonial laws and temple rituals, so they were considered religiously unclean and unacceptable. It’s pretty amazing to think this “heavenly invasion” came to such social outcasts!
The weather was mild at this time of year, so the shepherds of the region kept watch over their flocks in the hills rather than driving them to the shelter of pens. There is some evidence these flocks were being raised to use in the sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem 7 miles away. There, an unblemished lamb was slain every morning and evening as an offering to the Lord.
Now the angel was about to inform the shepherds that the “Lamb of God” who would “take away their sins” by the shedding of His own blood had just been born.
And Mary had more than enough stuff to think about…
Merry Christmas, Everybody!