Reflections on Advent Part 9

 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother,

 and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, 

they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.  Matthew 2:11

Who doesn't like to receive a gift?  Gifts speak love and acceptance.  Thoughtful gifts fulfill a desire and speak to who we are as people.  I tend to be a very practical person so I appreciate gifts that I can use, although I must say, I love an extravagant gift from time to time!  My in-laws are very good at balancing the practical and the extravagant so Christmas at their house is a comfortable and fun place for me to be.  I may get a new gadget which I will adore using or snug socks, but also get a beautiful piece of jewelry or comfy sweater which I would never go out and buy for myself.

When Alan and I first got married, my parents gave us a freezer.  I suppose that's where I get my practical nature!  Every year for about the first eight or nine years of our marriage we received a side of beef as our Christmas gift from them.  I was always happy to get that gift.  It meant that I could enjoy roasts and steaks and casseroles for practically a whole year.  It was both practical and extravagant. 

Besides the obvious focus on Jesus, the Christmas story in Matthew focuses on the magi and the gifts that they bring.  Bible scholars now believe that Jesus may have been as old as two when they arrived from "the East."  As I've considered my own care at choosing gifts this year I've thought of the magi.  The gifts they bring are a little unusual.  Gold.  Frankincense.  Myrrh.  Why these gifts?  Were they random or is there significance we can derive from them?  My guess is that these magi were the academics of their day.  They had studied the Old Testament scriptures as literature rather than as a moral  or religious compass.  Because Matthew tells us they've come to worship, I'm also guessing they got a better picture of who Jesus was than the religious elites who spent their time in the temple at Jerusalem.  They've come because they saw a previously unknown star appear.   And they investigated.  Pretty resourceful, right?  I think their gifts represent what they came to know about Jesus through their study.

Gold was the commodity of kings.  The book of Esther begins with King Ahasuerus, perhaps better known as Xerxes,  throwing a big party to show off the splendor of his kingdom.  His serving vessels were gold as were his couches. (Esther 1:1-7)  Daniel reports that Nebuchadnezzer erected a golden image of himself. (Daniel 3)  King Solomon, when he builds God's house, overlays almost everything in pure gold.  A house built by a king, for the King.  

Because the magi inquire where the king of the Jews was to be born I suspect the gift of gold represents the honor due a king.  Isaiah prophesies concerning Messiah, King.  

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.  Isaiah 9:6-7

It's quite possible, quite probable even, the magi had discovered this text and knew that a thoughtful, appropriate gift for this king is gold.

Frankincense was also a precious commodity that, in it's purest form, would only have been available to royalty.  It's quite possible that some of these magi came from the Saudi Arabian peninsula as this is where the finest frankincense has always been found, though frankincense was a product of India as well in those days.  Frankincense is a vegetable resin that has a wide variety of uses, but it is particularly useful for purifying and healing.  Malachi tells us the Messiah will "sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord." (Malachi 3:3).  Malachi also tells us regarding Messiah: "But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings." (Malachi 4:2)  It would seem these magi were familiar with these texts as well.  The gift of frankincense, quite likely, represents the purifying and healing that Jesus would bring to the world.

Myrrh, like frankincense, is a tree resin that was used for anointing and purifying.  It was generally produced in the area of the Arabian Peninsula known today as Yemen and in parts of Africa as well.  It is often associated with death as the ancient Egyptians perfected their embalming practice with myrrh.  The Hebrews likely brought this practice with them when they left Egypt as we know  Nicodemus came with a mixture of aloes and myrrh to bury Jesus after the crucifixion. (John 19:39)   Anointing, especially as a religious rite for priests, purification (as we saw with frankincense), and embalming characterized myrrh.  Of all the magi's gifts this one, to me, seems like the oddest as a gift for a child.  Yet as myrrh was associated with priestly anointing we see the psalmist king attributing this very character to the coming Messiah:  The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4)  The author of Hebrews also repeatedly references this exact verse as representing Jesus.  (Hebrews 5:6,10; 7:1-17)

King David associates Jesus' purpose in life with death as well.  Psalm 22 is categorically a Messianic prophecy.  Jesus Himself quotes from this psalm on the cross.  (Matthew 28:46, Mark 15:34)  The psalm details many manifestations of crucifixion, though crucifixion was not "a thing" in King David's day.  Perhaps the magi had explored Psalm 22.  Myrrh, then, may represent the death to which Jesus would succumb on our behalf.

We may never know in this lifetime why the magi chose these particular gifts.  Could it be that location specific gifts such as frankincense and myrrh tell us about where the magi were from?    Possibly, although what these gifts represent are the main event in my mind.  They were intentional gifts that tell us a lot about the child to whom the gifts were given.  Gold - He is a King.  Frankincense - He brings healing.  Myrrh - He is destined to die a significant death.  

The habit of giving gifts at Christmas very well may have begun as a means of reminding us of those early gifts the magi brought to young Jesus, the boy.  But they also are representative of the greatest gift associated with Christmas - that of Jesus Himself.  This gift reminds us of who we are, a needy people who have no means of reconciliation with God unless there is champion who may bridge that gap.  Jesus is our champion.  He is the greatest gift our hearts will ever receive.  If you haven't done so already, won't you receive this greatest of all gifts this Christmas?  And then come, as the magi came, and adore the King who is healer and Lord!

Reflections on Advent Part 8

"...for my eyes have seen your salvation

that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel.”  Luke 2:30-32

I remember showing up randomly for a class that seemed pointless to me.  I rarely went.  It wasn't a class I needed.  The professor never tested from his lectures, was boring to listen to and didn't communicate the material very well.  I got more from the book!  But on this day I made an arbitrary appearance I saw students poring over notes and their books.  I asked what all the fuss was about.  "Don't you know we have a test today?" was the response.  Gulp!! I didn't know!  I'd misplaced the syllabus.  It took me only a split second to decide what to do.  I picked up my backpack and headed for the door.  A call to the teacher's office phone later had me set for a make-up test.  Nothing like showing up unprepared!  I wish I could say that the was the only or at least the last time something like that happened, but, alas, I wasn't a terribly organized person in those days.

Perhaps it's because of God's sanctifying work in my life that things like that generally don't happen any more.  I like to be prepared!  Already this year I have my house prepared for celebration.  My Christmas playlist has been compiled.  I've made cookies ahead of time.    I've planned menus for parties and for my adult children's hiatus at home.  Most of my Christmas shopping is either done or planned.  

The Christmas story as told in Luke seems anything but prepared.  There's an unplanned trip due to a political edict, an urgent search for an appropriate place to deliver a baby, an  accommodation of straw in a dwelling meant for lambs.  Nothing at all seemed prepared.  Still I have to wonder - is there any way that God can't be prepared?  Isn't preparedness part of what it means to be the Sovereign God?

Despite chaotic circumstances God was still at work.  John, the one who would prepare the way for the Lord Jesus had already been born to Elizabeth, Mary's cousin (Isaiah 40:3, Luke 1:76-77).  And later Simeon was the first to confirm that nothing is out of order when he sees Jesus, babe in the arms of his parents, enter the temple.  Simeon had waited a very long time; day after day, month after month, even year after year.  Imagine his joy as he exclaims,  “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation  that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”  (Luke 2:29-32).  Simeon wasn't the only one God had brought to the temple that day either.  Anna, a prophetess who had been waiting for God's redemption bursts for joy and leads many in worship when she sees Jesus!  (Luke 2:38)

Indeed, not only had Jesus' birth gone according to plan, Jesus' death had gone according to plan as well.  In his sermon delivered on the Day of Pentecost Peter points out that "this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men."  (Acts 2:23)  Even though the events of Jesus' crucifixion certainly would have been chaotic for all who knew Him, it had all been prepared that way.

As we approach Christmas this year let's ask God to prepare our hearts. Prepare us to receive Him.  Prepare us to worship Him. Prepare us to share of His goodness to everyone we encounter.  It most certainly is something He'd like to do for us.  

Reflections on Advent Part 7

 But Mary treasured up all these things, 

pondering them in her heart.  Luke 2:19

Several years ago my in-laws decided to join with their suburban Chicago church family and work to get all their Christmas shopping done by December 1st. The reasoning for such a "radical" undertaking was that if their shopping was done by the first of December they would have time to treasure Advent rather than running around like all the other crazies trying to fulfill their gift buying "obligations." (When did buying a gift become an obligation?) Though they moved and became part of a new church family they have stuck with that commitment for the most part. And from what they've communicated it has served them well. There is a little more time for contemplation.

I've heard the story, and perhaps you have too, of the preschool girl who gets sent to her room as a consequence for some indiscretion. A few minutes later when the mother goes to check on the girl she hears her daughter reciting the Lord's prayer as "Forgive us our Christmases as we forgive those who have Christmased against us." We chuckle, but unfortunately in the wildly consumerist mindset that besets much of the Western world, there is a very real need for this prayer. We consume stuff and stuff consumes us. We run from one sale to the next sale trying to find the "perfect" gift. We plan and plot and pursue, rarely coming up for air, losing sleep. We try to one up others who are buying for those on mutual lists. According to Forbes magazine, total expected holiday sales are expected to top $1 trillion this year. The National Retail Federation is predicting that the average American will spend, on average, $700 on Christmas gifts alone this year according to ABC News. Those are staggering numbers, especially for someone like me who desires to place the real emphasis on the Person of Christmas rather than the commercialism of all of it.

It's so very easy to get pulled into the craziness of all that spending. It's easy to load schedules with event after event after event. I'd like to take a few minutes to slow down, breathe and ponder the wonders of the Christmas story, of the advent of a baby boy who would forever change the world at its core.

When Luke tells us that Mary treasured these things in her heart he's telling us that she thoughtfully kept things in mind in order to preserve them. So what, exactly did Mary treasure? According to Luke, Mary, along with Jesus and Joseph, had just been paid a visit by some very excited shepherds who had perhaps even shown up out of breath because of their haste. They had a remarkable story of an angel who appeared out of nowhere and told them he had some very good news to dispel, news that would bring great joy and be for all the people. To a young, country girl this must have sounded overwhelming. Her son, a baby bringing good news for all people. I can almost hear her say, "Just pinch me." Perhaps she had been confused by the circumstances of Jesus' birth, in humility and anonymity, no flashing neon lights, no one waiting to proclaim the news of the birth. But now shepherds are telling her that they had witnessed the most miraculous of all birth announcements. What could it all mean? Certainly her heart overflowed not only with love for her newborn, but also with awe, wonder at this news and even typical fears of a first time mom. She most likely would have been uneducated, as almost all women in those days were. She wouldn't have been able to journal about her experience. She had to internalize, to make these events an indelible part of her very nature. And so she treasured.

Have you ever had a moment that you wished you could capture and save for all time? A marriage proposal, birth of a baby or those first gleeful sounds of "Mama" from tender baby lips. That's what it is to treasure. Keep those moments. Don't let go. Burn them on your heart and mind. Don't let this Christmas season escape without treasuring a good, non-commercial gift from God: a warm embrace, a touch of the hand, a smile, an encouraging message. Don't run away and miss it. Pause. Hold it in your heart and mind. See if wonder doesn't ensue, followed by glorious thanksgiving and praise. Sometimes, I think, we miss the best opportunities to worship, our hearts overflowing in adoration for God, because we've been cramming our spaces with stuff and not stopping long enough to just treasure.

Reflections on Advent Part 5

 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, 

keeping watch over their flock by night.  Luke 2:8

This month there are many women I know who are participating in Dressember, a month long effort to bring awareness to the prevalence of slavery in the world today and raise money to help eradicate human trafficking.  My church, also just finished a two week commitment to Out of the Cold, an effort shared by 13 churches in Centre County to provide a hot meal and warm place to stay for those experiencing homelessness during the cold months of October through May.  You may ask, "What does this have to do with shepherds?"

Few people lived on a lower rung of society in the world to which Jesus was born than shepherds.  Though many believed in Jehovah God, I'm sure, they weren't welcome in the temple because they were considered perpetually unclean due to their work with animals.  It is quite possible, in fact, that the shepherds who were watching their flocks in the fields that fateful evening were watching the flocks that would provide the coming year's Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement lambs.  They would have likely been uneducated and had few possessions to their names.  They probably were a fairly roughshod group, hardly ever able to participate in regular grooming.  I'm quite sure they would have been smelly, if not from their own perspiration then from the smelly sheep they continually worked with.  You get the picture.  You and I would probably not cross the street to give them a big hug.  And certainly society of those days would not have.

Yet these men were chosen of God.  They were excluded from practically everything and God chose THEM?!?!  Unlikely, I know.  But our great God chooses the unlikely (foolish) of this world to shame the wise.  Paul confirms this idea in his first letter to the Corinthians, who would have been highly educated people, by the way.  "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong."  (1 Corinthians 1:27)  God's message to the world in choosing to make the birth announcement of His Son to lowly shepherds is this:  no one is excluded from the grace of God.  Did you get that?  NO ONE is excluded from the grace of God.

Jesus' ministry is a picture of this very concept.  He didn't first go to the religious big wigs of His day; nor did he go to the wealthy, though certainly there is evidence that some of them followed Him.  He chose to go to Samaritans (John 4), sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9, 11, 21; Luke 5, 7,13) and others in the margins of life.  The religious leaders of the day were always in an uproar about this very thing. (see previous texts)  

As we celebrate Jesus' birth this year, it would be easy for us to overlook those who are already overlooked:  the homeless, the addicted, the prostitute, the family barely able to survive from month to month.  You probably won't even see them unless you choose to look for them.  Yet it is not difficult to contribute to their needs without shifting much from the normal routines of life.  Think about the bell ringer and red buckets of the Salvation Army.  It is often to these residing at the "bottom of the barrel" the Salvation Army ministers.  And they're everywhere at Christmas.  If you're willing to go a little further there may be a homeless shelter that needs more volunteers, often overnight so you don't have the excuse it will cut into your work day.  My daughter, Kirsten used to drive around Chicago (when she had a car) with a box of granola bars on her passenger seat.  When she would be approached by homeless folks on the street while she waited at red lights she would offer them granola bars, which would speak to an immediate need for sustenance.  She wanted them to know they were seen and had value.  There are so many creative ways to help others who don't enjoy the amenities we have all come to accept as the norm.  The truth is that these people matter to God.  He demonstrates this when He sends angels to appear to those lowly shepherds.

Perhaps you just feel overlooked.  You're depressed.  You have an abusive boyfriend or parent.  You feel overlooked for whatever reason (everything is included).  The good news of Christmas and the gospel is that God has chosen you.  You are worth something because the Creator of the universe has declared it so.  Just as God extended an invitation to the shepherds, He extends an invitation to you as well.  It is your choice whether to accept that invitation or not.  We know that the shepherds did accept the invitation.  Why wouldn't they?  This was the news they had all been waiting for.  No doubt they had been taught that Messiah was coming.  Now told that they would be among the first to behold Him, they must have burst with joy and wonder.  Actually we know they did for Luke tells us "the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."  (Luke 1:20)  The joy of the Christmas, indeed, the joy available through Jesus is for EVERYONE.  You included.

Reflections on Advent Part 4

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; 

let it be to me according to your word.”  Luke 1:38

This past weekend we started our Advent series at Calvary Church.  Pastor Dan spoke on Hopeful Surrender as part of the series entitled "Upside Down Christmas."  (If you've got a little time it is well worth the listen.  I've provided the link here.) Though Philippians 2 was the text for the sermon, Dan mentioned Mary's response to Gabriel after he delivers the news that she is to bear the Son of God (Luke 1:38),  Her answer is a stunning display of surrender.  I'd been pondering the effect of this pregnancy on Mary's life anyway and this got me thinking even more.

The Bible does not tell us a whole lot about Mary.  We know from the text in Luke 1 that Mary has found favor with God (Luke 1:28).  Basically this means that God pursued her in grace, supernatural grace (though let's be honest - is there any other kind?).  Other than God's choice of her (and I suppose her lineage as a direct descendant of David) there is no reason  to believe that she should carry Messiah to His birth.  Yet here the angel stands before Mary and declares "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus."  

I remember my response when I discovered I was pregnant with my first child, a daughter we would name Kirsten (which means belonging to Christ for that was our prayer for her).  I was overjoyed and frightened all at once.  We hadn't planned specifically to have a child so soon in our marriage and it came as a bit of surprise since I'd been told that as a diabetic I might have a difficult time becoming pregnant.  My first reaction was not unlike Mary's first response to the angel, "How can this be?" (Luke 1:34)  But unlike Mary, I was married to a husband with a stable job.  And, like any newlyweds, we had engaged in sexual relations.  Nobody would question this pregnancy but would enter into our celebration with great joy.

I am not so sure Mary would have been welcomed in that way.  Actually, I'm quite sure she wouldn't have been.  You see, God had provided some pretty strict laws concerning sexual immorality. And according to Jewish law Mary could be stoned for infidelity. (Deuteronomy 22:23-24 is one such example).  Mary at the very least faced rejection from her family and friends; death at the worst.  Now I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure I would not have greeted the news of a pregnancy at this stage of my life with open arms.  

Many today face the news of pregnancy with trepidation and uncertainty.  Alan joined the board of directors for the Pregnancy Resource Clinic (PRC) this fall.  It is a place of grace that offers a hopeful alternative to Planned Parenthood.  Life is celebrated.  Medical care is offered.  Love is extended.  Wise counselors help frightened and confused women and men alike find hope and purpose.  They are holding an open house today, but arrangements can be made any day for a tour.  If you're looking for a place to give this Christmas season, do consider a gift here.  (AKA - year end giving advertisement.  😉)

The reality for Mary is that a Pregnancy Resource Clinic (or any type of pregnancy clinic) was not available.  There may have been no one she could think of who would stand by her through this pregnancy, other than, perhaps, her cousin Elizabeth (but going there is not in the wheelhouse today, even though we do know that Mary did find encouragement there.).  She certainly couldn't predict how Joseph might respond.  The possibilities must have been overwhelming.  Yet Mary stands before the angel and humbly responds, "“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”   (Luke 1:38)  The word servant used here is the Greek word doulē which means female slave.  Thus Mary is saying "I am a slave of the Lord."  His choice.  His will.  His purpose and outcome.  Let the chips fall where they may but I'm sticking with God on this one.  She is so courageous.  But she does have the Lord's favor and she believes it.  I can't imagine she was ignorant to potential problems, but her trust in God shrouded all the clamoring fears that could have beset her.  As she declares to Elizabeth when the two pregnant women had come together,

 “My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name."  Luke 1:46-49

49 

What are you afraid of today?  What do you need to surrender to God?  You see the good news of Christmas and the gospel is His will, His way,  His purpose and outcome.  

Reflections on Advent Part 3

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of 

woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, 

so that we might receive adoption as sons.  Galatians 4:4-5

Timing is everything.  You've heard the adage before.  And it's true for so many things.  If a baseball player's timing is off he will never hit the ball, a quarterback will never get the ball to his receiver, the ball won't roll under the windmill at the goofy golf park.  And we could go on and on and on.  If you've ever needed something from the store and you arrive moments before closing you might exclaim, "I arrived just in the nick of time!"  We've all been there at one point or another.

Here's the thing...timing is perhaps not more important anywhere than in the messiness of the Christmas story.  Talk about a comedy of errors!  But yet all according to a perfect plan!  Hundreds of prophecies dot the Old Testament, promises regarding the redeeming Messiah that would come to save His people, many regarding His birth.  Let's look at how timing plays into the fulfillment of these prophecies.

You have a young couple expecting their first child.  And not just any child, but one of royal, incarnate birth.  Mary is most likely in her ninth month of pregnancy when Caesar Augustus announces that everyone in the entire Roman empire needs to travel to their hometown to register (Luke 2:1-3).  Joseph's lineage required a trip back to Bethlehem from Nazareth.  Remember, Mary is in her ninth month.  When I was pregnant with my second child we lived in Flagstaff, AZ which sits at about 7000 ft. elevation.  I was probably in my eighth month when an opportunity came which required travel to Phoenix, which sits around 5000 ft. lower in elevation.  I was strictly prohibited from making that journey by my doctor.  I would imagine that any contemporary medical doctor would have insisted on making an exception to Caesar's order for a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy.  But in those days that wasn't an option for Mary and Joseph.  Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)  Caesar's declaration demanded action...no exceptions.  And so the young couple embarked on a three day journey to Bethlehem.  I can't imagine traveling 70+ miles by donkey in my ninth month of pregnancy!  Is it any wonder that Mary's need to give birth happens after such a long, arduous journey?

To make matters worse, there would have been quite a number of displaced individuals in Bethlehem in those days, I'm sure.  All traveling, according to the edict, to the town of their family origin.  Apparently Mary and Joseph arrived after many had already taken up the few empty beds in town.  They had no doubt spent a number of nights sleeping under the stars already but that would not suffice for the birth of a baby.  The accommodations they received, however, must have felt little better than those stars.  

They had arrived in a part of Israel that had hundreds of herds of sheep, and not just ordinary sheep.  Many, if not most, of the sheep raised around Bethlehem would have been bound for the temple as sacrificial lambs.  They would have been born either in or near Migdal Eder, the tower of the sheep.  The lambs once they were birthed would be wrapped in strips of cloth to protect them from blemish, since temple lambs were required to be perfect.  Does this sound familiar?  " And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths," Luke declares (Luke 2:7).  Swaddling clothes very well may have been these strips of cloth reserved for the sacrificial lambs.  Do you see the significance?

Jesus would have been part of the lineage of King David, thus necessitating the journey to Bethlehem, city of David's birth.  But rather than a royal birth, which most would have esteemed for the king of all kings, He was born in the humblest of all places.  God, in His infinitely wise plan, may have brought Mary and Joseph, perhaps, to the cleanliest of all stables, but a stable nonetheless.  And one which signified sacrificial death.

Without Caesar's order, Mary and Joseph most likely would have remained in Nazareth.  The timing of that command to register moved a series of events that brought the birth of Messiah to the very place (the very area at least) that the sacrificial temple lambs would have been born.  

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

John 1:29b

Reflections for Advent Part 2

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, 

and shall call his name Immanuel.  Isaiah 7:14b

Think about it...a virgin birth.  Inconceivable!  Yet that was the sign God chose to give to King Ahaz as his heart melted at the thought of his enemies (some of whom he'd thought he could consider friends) coming against Jerusalem.  God had told Ahaz that He had this.  These mighty looking armies were only playthings in God's eyes.  But Ahaz had a hard time believing that.  "Okay then, ask me for a sign." (Isaiah 7:11 paraphrased by me - don't hold that against me; it seemed good for the drama.)  But Ahaz refused.  So God did it anyway.  "The virgin will conceive..."  It was as though God were saying "Ahaz, if you can't wrap your mind and heart around me coming to your rescue I'm going to one up you.  Try this on for size!"  Of course, this wasn't a game of I can do one better than you.  But it was meant to be shocking.  Who had ever heard of such a thing?!?!?!  

I think sometimes we need to be shocked in order to be able to respond to God.  I know I do.  I will never forget the call I received from my husband, Alan while he was out making a simple run to get some butter for our corn.  In a shaking voice he said, "You need to call Carter's parents and tell them to go to the hospital."  I won't get into too many details here because this is not a post about a shocking life event that changed our whole family forever, but I will say the call sent shock waves through my system.  I could hardly breathe.  Prayer took on an entirely new dimension.  I clung to God in ways I had rarely experienced before.  You see, Carter, my son Andrew's best friend, had climbed onto our van's tiny hood and asked to be driven around the parking lot.  I think you can probably guess the outcome.  (Spoiler alert:  Carter did survive, but that's a God story for another time.)

A virgin birth is shocking!  What's almost as shocking as a virgin conceiving is one who gives birth to God Himself.  John starts his gospel by telling us that the Word was not only with God in the beginning; He was God.  (John 1:1)  The Word, of course, is Jesus.  John goes on to declare his own account of the virgin birth, "and the Word became flesh."  (John 1:14)

This promise God gave to Ahaz would have been not only shocking but comforting as well.  The name to be given to the child was to be Immanuel, which means "God with us."  I can almost hear God's consoling voice speaking into Ahaz's life, "Don't worry.  I'm right here with you."  I hear this echoed in Jesus words to His disciples after His resurrection, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  (Matthew 28:20b)

God is not ordinary.  We should not expect ordinary outcomes from Him.  We should come to expect some shocking outcomes!  But we can always rest in the reality that even when the hardships come, and they will, we can always move forward because He is always Immanuel, God with us.  No other religion in all of history can boast that!