DECEMBER 26-27

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” -
Isaiah 9:6

Reading yesterdays Christmas message, written by Pastor Sam, the words of the song “Mary Did You Know,” kept running through my mind and brought back Christmas's past and family get-togethers by the fire, listening to mum reading to us the nativity story.

As a child of course, it never occurred to me, but I wonder now what my mother's reaction would have been had I, at the age of Mary(13ish), one day said to her, “Mum, an angel of the Lord visited me last night and I'm pregnant – going to have a baby.” Boy, wouldn't Joseph's equivalent have been in for an ear-bashing – to say nothing of my father's few choice words!

But seriously, we read a lot about Mary and Joseph, but how would Mary's parents Joachim and Anne have felt? Were relationships between them and Joseph strained or did they believe Mary?Legend has it that they were a wealthy couple. Their daughter had been compromised – they were disgraced. Were they the talk of the town? As a local craftsman/businessman, did Joseph lose customers, or did they flock in for a chance of an 'exclusive' tit-bit they could gossip around the neighbourhood? How did they explain Mary's advanced pregnancy when she returned from visiting Elizabeth. Were they all shamed and disciplined, or even barred by the local Synagogue High Priest?

The Incarnation and WHAT God did in sending Jesus to earth makes sense. We can teach it, graph it, and write endless theological books about it, but the WHY and HOW of Jesus coming here, defies logic and surely must be considered a far-fetched legend....one second in the glory and riches of heaven with His Father, the next, born to a girl – little more than a child herself, on the cold, stinking floor of an animal stable. From King of the universes, to a helpless baby – holiness in the filth and stench of animal manure. WHY endure this? For love of us – to ensure eternal life for all who love Him.

Mary found herself with God in her arms, and this brings me to the questions. Who delivered Jesus and cut the umbilical cord – the inn-keeper's wife? or Joseph who had experienced it all before with his existing children? Where was Joseph when the nappies needed changing, or in the middle of the night when Jesus was restless, did he take his turn and pace the floor?

Mary's baby was as human as your child. He laughed, cried, burped, spilt his milk and slurped his soup. When he fell over and hurt himself, he would cry for his mummy to rub his leg and kiss it better. In his book, “God Came Near” (2004), Max Lucado poses these questions - As He grew, did Jesus ever mention a flood when He saw a rainbow? How did Mary feel when she was teaching Him about the world He created – did she know it was her Son? Did she ever get her facts wrong, and Jesus corrected her? Did they ever count the stars together at night....and succeed? What was His reaction when He first saw a lamb being slaughtered as a sin offering? Did Jesus have a friend called Judas? How did Joseph's sons treat Jesus, was He welcome among them? - and His cousin John, what did they talk about as they played? And did Mary ever think, “That's God eating my soup!” Without doubt, Mary, Joseph, Joachim and Anne were very special people.

Finally, as Mary watched Jesus in the carpenter's shop, perhaps making crosses, was there any hint of the sacrifice He would soon make, and any twinge of the agony her heart was to feel when she watched her Son nailed to the cross....dying to save us....to save her?

So many questions, and so many answers yet to discover....not just a baby, but a Saviour. Thanks be to God – so much more!

The music was chosen by Richard early in the week, but the video is so applicable it bears repeating - "Mary Did You Know," this time sung by ‘Celtic Thunder.’

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here