There is a lot more to Christmas than what we see and hear from secular society. For them it means standing in long lines, and shop till you drop in order to get that perfect gift. For others the meaning of Christmas is a time of loneliness, depression, lack and possibly suicide. Then there are those who truly know what the meaning of Christmas is really about. It's a time of celebration, joy and peace on earth good will toward man. Christmas is a time for miracles.

Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

As I said earlier, Christmas is a time for miracles. It was a miracle for Jesus to be born of a virgin.

Luke 1:26-38 - Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. “For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

When Gabriel appeared to Mary of Nazareth, she was perhaps no more than 15 years old. His startling announcement that she would soon bear the very Son of the Highest meant the end of a normal life. Mary's name would forever be on the lips of gossips and rumor-mongers. Joseph, her husband to be, could have decided to end the engagment through a public, humilating divorce. Even if he "put her away secretly," she would still have to return in shame to her father's home or else survice on her own by whatever means she could.

The Mosaic Law was very specific at this point and time. It said that a woman who was guilty of being unfaithful should be stoned to death - that was the extreme penalty. However this man Joseph was a remarkable man. A hot-headed man would immediately have had her stoned to death or would have made her a public ezample by exposing her. But Joseph was not that kind of man. He was a gentle person. He was in love with her, and he did not want to hurt her in any way, even though he may have felt that she had been unfaithful to him
(Read Matthew 1:18-25).

Notice Mary's reaction to Gabriel's message of how this miracle was going to happen. She reacts in faith.

Luke 1:38 - Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

From this verse from God's Word, we can see that the miracles of God don't just happen, there must be a willingness and obedience on our part for them to come to pass. We see Mary's willingness and obedience to the message.

Luke 2:8-11 - Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

The Miracle of His Mission:

Matthew 1:21 - "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

I John 3:5, 8 - And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, . . .; For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Christmas is a time of remembering and recalling of His mission, the greatest miracle that one could ever receive. The miracle of reconciliation. The miracle of restoring relationship between God and sinful man (See 2 Corinthians 18-21).

The miracle of Christmas is simply the miracle of a birth. The birth of a Savior from a virgin, and the new birth of the human spirit when receiving Jesus Christ as Lord (See John 3:3-8; Romans 10:9, 10 and 13), and the result of this miracle is right standing with the Father.

May this Christmas season be a Christmas of miracles for you and your family. May the true meaning of this season be a time of rememberance of what He has done for you. When you unwrap the gifts that where given to you from the ones love you, recall to your heart the gift that was given to you in the manger so long ago. The Gift of Salvation from the one who loves you with an unconditional love. As you have received your gift of Jesus be like Mary, and be a willing and obedient vessel and allow God's miracles to flow through you to someone else who needs Him the most. CLC
 

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