Baby Jesus

A Child is Born

Did the angels gather to proclaim your birth? My mother seemed to think it was quite the occasion for my birth although things might have gone the wrong direction since. The scripture tells us that the angel Gabriel was sent from god himself to proclaim to the city of Nazareth, that the child was to be born.

What is your most treasured image of this scene? Can you even imagine the beauty that encircled the Mother Mary and her son. This is a grand moment that many before us had wept about; the coming of a savior. For many years the promises were foretold and finally the time had arrived. How can we do it justice today?

For the women here today, did you consider yourself highly favored when your child was born? Mary was thought to be highly favored, (NRSV)

6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. This scripture talks about praise but can we possibly imagine the blessing given to Mary? and yet think of how torn she must have been between mine and the Lord’s. Was Mary not a surrogate mother and as a surrogate mother is she not in agreement that she gives up all claim to the child? How this must torture a person.

As Christians we can carry this very burden as we have our children for they are a gift from God to us but before they were given to us they were his. We are called to give them to the Lord. But even this act of giving them to the Lord is only a partial reality in this instance because if we think about it, Mary was a surrogate and even Joseph was a surrogate father; a father only in name.

I ask you to think about the second half of verse 28, (NRSV)

28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” favored one, have you ever thought that at times being favored might not be an advantage. But the angel says do not be afraid.

We may not understand everything about our Christian walk but what we should definitely understand is this do not be afraid.

What does not being afraid look like? (NRSV)

35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. This is what I believe God wants us to know about His son. This is the peace that comes with the season.

(NRSV)

37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” This is the season of miracles for the child is born.