Monday, 30 July 2007

How COULD they have known?

Instead of the usual evening service, Cornerstone Baptist held a movie night (whoa!). In keeping with the Christmas in July theme, Pastor Carlson held a viewing of the film The Nativity Story in the multi-purpose room, even complete with Christmas cookies and popcorn. And I must say...

Wow. What a film. The producers did an excellent job making you feel like you were actually watching what Mary, Joseph, their families and friends went through. It looked very, well, real. I'm ordinarily not the type who cries at movies, and I didn't, but it DID really grip me and think about what it must have been like.

No one should have believed Mary. For all they knew, the girl had gone crazy, claiming that the Holy Spirit caused her to become pregnant and that she was still a virgin. Who'd believe a story like that? Joseph had every reason to believe that she had cheated on him, lied to everyone about it, and that she was a heretic to claim that the Holy Spirit had possessed her.

But God provided for them. They faced disgrace and what was likely a dangerous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. They BELIEVED what Gabriel had told them.

And then the baby was born. If a couple had a baby in a stable or barn today, most people would hit the roof.

Mark Lowry & Buddy Greene's song has become almost cliché, but imagine what they thought.

This was Jesus. The angel said He'd save His people. But how could they have known?

He'd walk on water.
He'd feed thousands.
He'd heal countless people.
He'd love the unloved.
He'd raise the dead back to life.
He'd lay down His own life.
He'd come back three days later.
And He'd promise to never leave those who love Him.

No one would really understand until years later how this baby actually WAS the Messiah. Yet Mary & Joseph, a group of shepherds, and some wise, scholarly types from somewhere far away still believed this baby was special. He was what everyone had waited for so long.

It's not good to think of Christmas as being only about presents, but in a way, it is. The greatest gift EVER arrived on Christmas. The way for sinners to once again have a relationship with our Maker finally came at Christmas. Jesus arrived at Christmas and we finally had Someone to live for.