I read the Christmas story a couple times over the past week (both from Matthew and Luke), and it’s so cool because every year something new pops out to me.
This year, it occurred to me how cool it is that God wants us to find Him. Here’s what I mean.
I saw a quote the other day about how all other religions are about how you find God; yet our faith rests on the truth that God came to find us. And yet, in the Christmas story, we see these three truths:
God appeared to His people.
God appeared to Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph to explain His plan and how they would fit into it. He wanted them to be active participants:
- Zechariah would be the father of John the Baptist, who would be set apart for God (Luke 1:57-66).
- Mary would be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38).
- Joseph was to support Mary (Matthew 1:20-25).
He didn’t just thrust them into these situations. And still, to this day, He is with us every step of the way. Immanuel means “God with us,” and that’s a truth we can hold to. God appears to us; He is God with us.
God prepared His people.
Luke 1:17— “He will go before him…to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
This verse refers to John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin. God had prepared him to be a forerunner of Jesus, proclaiming His entrance into the world. In God’s perfect timing, Jesus would be revealed loud and clear for all to have access too. When you have a light, you don’t hide it in a basket; Jesus is The Light, and His message is for all.
John was the sign pointing loud and clear: “Here is the Lamb of God! Right here! Look over here! It’s Him!”
God showed His people.
God chose two groups of people to lead directly to His Son: the shepherds and the wise men. The shepherds’ sign was that they would find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. The wise men’s sign was a star to follow.
Again, God had markers pointing out His Savior. Have you ever had a gift that you KNEW the receiver would love? It’s hard for me to wait to give it to them; I’ll be giving hints and talking it up, and then when it’s finally unwrapped I have to give a discourse about why I thought that was the perfect gift, how they could use it, and even an anecdote about the shop I bought it at.
This reminds me of the Christmas story, when God gave us THE BEST gift anyone could ever give. It’s so amazing that it’s a truth that must be proclaimed from the mountaintops.
With our faith, there is no gatekeeping. You don’t have to look a certain way or have a certain skill or live in a certain area. God’s Gospel is for anyone and everyone, regardless of their past. It’s not a secret, either, which is why before Jesus left this earth He commanded His followers to spread the word.
Christmas provides us an amazing time to share with others the true meaning behind the gift-giving.
