God

They were minding their sheep and minding their business when the angel suddenly appeared. In an instant, the darkness of night turned to brilliant light. The angel, coming from the presence of God, brought with him God’s glory and the place lit up! No wonder the shepherds were terrified. But the angel addressed their fears.

Without any pomp or circumstance, a royal baby was born. In the chaos of the Roman Empire, the Prince of Peace entered the human race. All heaven looked on as God wrote his story of love in living letters. Jesus became, in Paul’s words, “the image of the invisible God.”

When God sent his Son into the world, he did not make it easy for the parents or the child. He stripped the Anointed One of every royal privilege. Already tagged as an illegitimate child, Jesus breathed his first breaths of air in a musty stable. Jesus learned obedience through suffering…all the way to the cross.

The sovereign God used Augustus to move His chosen couple from Nazareth to Bethlehem. As the Proverb says, “In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him” (Proverbs 21:1).  

We all need a Savior to save us from the sins that separate us from God. That’s the eternal salvation that Jesus came to give us! Once our eternal salvation is in place, we can trust Him for the other issues. But we must start with first things first.

The Promise was not a politician who came to change the laws of the land. The Promise was not a philosopher who came to teach morality. The Promise did not come as a military leader ready to take troops into battle. The Promise did not appear as a religious leader paving a way for man to work his way to God. The Promise “became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

God was with John as he grew and “became strong in spirit.”

God came to rescue. God promised to send a deliverer “as he said through his holy prophets of long ago.” In Jesus, this promise was fulfilled. Jesus came to rescue us from the world, from our sin, from the devil, and from death.

The angel told Mary that her cousin, Elizabeth, who was well beyond childbearing years, was six months pregnant. As soon as the angel left, Mary hurried to the hill country. Seeing Elizabeth’s pregnancy confirmed to Mary that Gabriel’s visit was not a dream; she would indeed give birth to the Son of God.