Let us leave behind the glitter of Christmas sales, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer-and consider the central figure, CHRIST.
Christ = Kristos (Greek), Messiah (Hebrew) = Anointed
In this part of the Christmas story we will see how the Christ was accepted by:
Mary and Joseph
Luke 1:26-38 Matthew 1: 18-24
Mary, a teenager engaged to Joseph, was willing to accept the message of the angel Gabriel that she would be the mother of Jesus, the Son of the Most High. ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God’ Luke 1:35.
At first Joseph, being a righteous man, wanted to divorce her, but after God spoke to him in a dream ‘He took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus (=Saviour) Matthew 1:24-25
Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist
Luke1:39-45
When the pregnant Mary visited the pregnant Elizabeth, the latter exclaimed in a loud voice “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear” Luke 1:42.
The Shepherds
Luke 2:8-20
The shepherds (who were referred to as ‘people of the dirt’ and were of very low social status) recieved the message of the angel “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the time of david a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” Luke 2:11
God the Father confirmed this message by sending a great company of the heavenly host, praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.” Luke 2:13-14
After they had seen the baby Jesus, these rough men returned “Glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:20
See also the stories of; The Magi (wise men who were gentiles) Matthew 2:1-12; Simeon (who was righteous and devout) Luke 2:25-35; and Anna (an elderly prophetess) Luke 2:36-38
As Christmas Day approaches will we be among those mentioned above who joyfully accepted and worshipped Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
The Micah Mandate is a Christian-based public interest advocacy ministry that seeks a transformation of our nation through justice, mercy and humility.
