The Spiritual Pathway of Christmas

I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. Luke 1:38

                                                   

She is a young woman, most likely a teenager. She lives in an obscure village tucked away in the hills of Galilee called Nazareth. She is engaged to a man of the tribe of David named Joseph. Hers is an ordinary life in every respect except that her world is about to be turned upside down by an unexpected visitor.

The angel, Gabriel, has come to announce an event that will change the course of human history, but in order for it to happen he needs Mary’s consent: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.”

Scripture says Mary was deeply troubled. How could she, a virgin, give birth to a child? How could she explain the situation to Joseph? What would the people of the village think when they discovered she was pregnant and unmarried?

The salvation of the world hung in the balance as she pondered.

Mary’s response is an example for all:  I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. This is the spiritual pathway for all who desire to be Christ’s disciples: to take our place as servants of God, to believe his Word (even if seemingly impossible), and then to yield to his will saying, Let it be. In this way Christ is born in us and lives the miracle of Christmas through us every day.

Mary's response is an example for all.

The Gift of Peace

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.

John 14:27

To think of Christmas is to think of peace. It’s featured prominently in the Nativity when the choir of angels appears to the shepherds proclaiming, “Peace on earth, good will to men.” We sing of it in Christmas carols as we adore the Christ child by candlelight on Christmas Eve: “Sleep in heavenly peace.” The prophet Isaiah foresaw a time when lions would lie down with lambs (Isaiah 11:6) and swords would be beat into plowshares (Isaiah 2:4). And of course, Jesus himself, is hailed as the Prince of Peace.

 

All of this is in striking contrast to the world around us. Terror threatens many lands, including our own. Nations are divided into armed camps. Incivility and bitter division pervade our politics.

What a blessing, then, to remember that peace is a gift from God: “My peace I give to you,” said Jesus. It's a gift the world cannot understand, much less give. The Good News is he wants to share it with us. So as we experience the joy of giving and receiving this Christmas, let us keep Christ’s gift of peace foremost in our hearts.

Christ desires to share his peace with us.

I Will Come to You

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18

 Advent is the four week season of spiritual preparation leading up to the celebration of Christmas. It comes from the Latin word, Adventus, which means “coming”. During this season we focus on the coming of Christ in three ways:

First,  we look back to the birth of Christ in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago: “What Child is this who, laid to rest On Mary's lap is sleeping?”

Second, we look forward to the coming of Christ in glory at the end of time: “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

Third, we look to Christ's coming in the present. When Jesus said to his disciples, “I will come to you,” he wasn’t referring to the Second Coming, but to a many-splendored spiritual coming.

Among the ways he comes to us spiritually are the following: in providential events and deliverances, in answers to prayer, and in mysterious visitations of the Holy Spirit. He also comes disguised in the faces of the poor and needy (Matthew 25:40).

This Advent, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ in the past and focus our hope on the coming of Christ in the future, let us not neglect his spiritual coming here and now. For this is his promise: I will come to you.

Let us not neglect his spiritual coming here and now.

Are You Prepared?

Prepare the way for the Lord. (Mark 1:3)

As the calendar year draws to a close things get hectic. Our schedules fill up with meetings, school programs, and numerous obligations. The closer we get to Christmas the more preparations are demanded: presents to buy, houses to decorate, meals to plan. And let’s not forget about those holiday crowds and traffic jams!

Then amid all the clamor and activities come these words from Scripture:
Prepare the way for the Lord.

They remind us that, above all, we need to prepare for the Lord himself. That’s what Advent is all about – squarely focusing our attention on the thing that matters most: the birth of Christ.

Let’s face it: these days there’s no such thing as a stress-free Christmas. But the one thing we can do is be sure that, in all our preparations, we prepare for the Lord to come afresh into our hearts.



Above all, we need to prepare for the Lord Himself.