When my children were little, they were in a simple Christmas play at our small Milwaukee church that for some reason I often think about. The children playing Mary and Joseph went from door to door knocking, only to have an innkeeper (who happened to be the same man behind every door), proclaim loudly in a deep baritone the words “No room” as he turned them away again and again.
Those words “No room” seem to often fit into our celebration of Christmas. We have no room on our calendars for one more Christmas program, Christmas party or shopping outing. We have no room in our schedule to bake those Christmas cookies. We have no room in our pants from eating all those Christmas cookies that someone else baked! But most importantly, we have no room in our busy lives to ponder the meaning of Christmas.
Christmas doesn’t begin or end with the manger. The other day while teaching the homeschool class at Bible Study, I had a 4th grader correct me. I inadvertently said that Jesus was born on Christmas. He corrected me saying, “Jesus wasn’t actually born on Christmas, Jesus has always been, He just came to earth on Christmas.” (Well done to his parents for teaching him that!) This is a truth worth considering. Jesus as God is eternal – forward and back. He has always existed. But in His infinite love and mercy, He chose to come to earth as a human to live and walk among us. Why does this matter for us? One reason he came was to die on our behalf. His plan and purpose were predetermined from the beginning.
I am not trying to be a buzzkill here but this is absolutely part of Christmas that we must stop and ponder. The following was part of a blog post from John MacArthur from Grace to You Ministries. It is startling (but worth it).
Here’s a side to the Christmas story that isn’t often told: Those soft little hands, fashioned by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb, were made so that nails might be driven through them. Those baby feet, pink and unable to walk, would one day stagger up a dusty hill to be nailed to a cross. That sweet infant’s head with sparkling eyes and eager mouth was formed so that someday men might force a crown of thorns onto it. That tender body, warm and soft, wrapped in swaddling clothes, would one day be ripped open by a spear.
Jesus was born to die…
When I stood before Michelangelo’s Pieta in Rome, it brought me to tears. We have to make room in our Christmas story to hold both the manger and the cross together. Matthew 1:21 says, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” If our Christmas story ends with the manger, it doesn’t change anything; it’s just one more Christmas legend. However, if it includes the cross and the resurrection, it changes everything…forever.
The song “Mary Did you Know” seems to go perfectly with these two images. I encourage you to make room for a few minutes with this song. Click here.
May you experience the true wonder of Christmas this year!
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Bonnie Kotler and her husband Mitch have two daughters, three sons, seven grandchildren and three grand-puppies. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years before re-entering the workforce after receiving her M.S. in Counseling and Human Relations from Villanova University. She is a licensed professional counselor at The Peacemaker Center and her own private practice, True North Counseling. Bonnie has been on the Willowdale women’s ministry teaching team since 2012. Bible studies have played a key role in her walk as a believer, and in turn, she loves to help other women find their peace with God and grow in their faith. She enjoys writing Bible study materials, reading fiction, spending time with family and doing anything in the sunshine. Bonnie loves to laugh and considers laughter as the best medicine. Psalm 126:2
LOOKING FOR MORE FOR YOUR SOUL?
To read more blogs written by Bonnie, CLICK HERE.
The ARCHIVES page in the menu above includes five years of blogs sorted by topic.