Christmas Is...

A crazy story.  I was putting up our nativity and realized only One Author would compose such an outlandish origin story for His Superhero.
Mary was a poor girl pregnant out of wedlock in a culture where this was a capital offense.  Joseph was no doubt automatically assumed to be the cause of her situation after he still took her as his wife.  To make it worse they were both spouting ludicrous stories about angels and this being God’s child. 
So, since their explanation was “obviously” a lie, for the practical person, the options are very limited, either Mary or Joseph are the “bad guy” or they both were at fault.
But, since God had already foretold the virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14), for those who trust God, the options are even more limited, either they are the earthly parents of the Messiah or they are not.  If they are not, Christmas is humbug -- a farce.  If they are, their Son is God’s Christ.  He is the One all of history has been anticipating.  He is the One born to set His people free.
Most people throughout history, with their voices and lives, have said, “No, they weren’t and He isn’t.”  But a minority has used their words and actions to declare, “This is Jesus, God with us, Hope of the world.”  And each Christmas we join with them in declaring the glory of Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:23

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