God Notions

This Christmas has been a different one. I am sure it was different for many of us. The loss of a loved one, broken relationships, loss of a job or maybe even a loss of hope that this Christmas would be different. I celebrated Christmas day this year with an abbreviated version of my family. We could not all be together. My Christmas tree is still up with presents waiting, some from me and my husband, some from Santa. Waiting to see the faces of our loved ones.

As I have been waiting, I have been thinking a lot about Christmas, about the day Jesus left heaven and came to earth. Jesus was not only bound by swaddling clothes but also by the boundaries of time, of flesh and blood, and governments. I have always been bound by these. I don’t think of these chains of restraint because they have always been a part of my life. The restraints of time, my flesh and blood, and the government I am under are a part of who I am. I am vaguely aware of them, but I am very aware of the weight I carry from them.

In listening to my pastor teach he said something that I cannot stop contemplating. “God makes a way…” He was talking about the shepherds. I have read conflicting thoughts about the shepherds of Christmas. Some say they were lowly and not allowed in town because they were considered unclean. I also read that the shepherds were priests, protecting the flock of sacrificial sheep for the temple. I have read that Mary and Joseph were in a stable, a guest room, and a few other places. These things I don’t know for sure. What I have found is the miracle of Christmas, the miracle of Easter and Pentecost are about God making a way for reconciliation and working out His perfect will. Thinking of God making a way, made these events in history even more for me. Thinking more about Christ Jesus as a baby, a man, my Savior. Thinking more about God’s faithfulness, trustworthiness, and authority over all things.  

Let’s say the shepherds were not allowed in the city because of the lack of ceremonial cleanliness. There they were with the burden of being outcast, the burden of survival for themselves as well as for their flock and any other burdens that come with being a working man in ancient times. Let’s say Mary and Joseph are outcast because of her being unwed and pregnant. They went back to Joseph’s home town, where were his parents, Mary’s in-laws? Cousins, grandparents, friends. They went back to his hometown, not to a strange town. They were sent away, to a stable with a manger. So here it is, the Savior of the world, born outside of a town filled to the brim with people, unaware of the weight of the burdens they carry. There in a field outside the city are the shepherds, possibly in the quietness of the night, more aware of their status as outcasts.

…and here comes God. Making the way, for those deemed unworthy to come into His presence. A stable outside the city, open to those not allowed in the city.

Luke 24:49-53, Acts 2

The Jewish feast of Pentecost brought crowds of God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. The disciples were all together waiting, praying and praising God for what Jesus had done and told them.

…and here comes God. Making the way for the good news of the gospel to be spread. Filling each disciple with His Holy Spirit, enabling them to speak to each nation in their own language. Genesis 11, at the Tower of Babel, man is trying to reach God by his own means. At Easter and Pentecost, God made the way, in His time, for His glory. That men cannot boast, but that we can be saved. That the Spirit of God could live in the hearts of man.

Holy Almighty God, I Am Who I Am, has come to mankind, has died for mankind, and dwells in the hearts of those who love Him. God is faithful to His word, He is merciful and loving to provide The Way for all that will come. God has made the way and He continues to draw people to Him. He continues to work circumstances and time for those who are seeking to find Him. He gives everlasting life, life to the fullest, when we look to Him and not at our circumstances, time, or government.

This Christmas is different. I am encouraged, empowered and enlightened.

I can rest among the burdens of this world. I can have peace and joy even in the trials of daily living because God has the authority and power to make my path firm as I walk through this thing called life. He has made the way for victory over the one thing feared overall, that is death.

John 14 Jesus said,” Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me…”