Christ in Who?

Christ in Who?

Luke 1:30–35 NKJV

30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Joseph’s Dream

Matthew 1:20–21 NKJV

20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Normal/Ordinary

The story drips with normalcy.

This isn’t Queen Martha or King Joseph

The couple doesn’t come with an entourage of servants, camels, banners and heralds.

Mary and Joseph have no tax exemption or political connections.

They have no clout.

However, they are not candidates for welfare either.

Their life is difficult but not destitute.

They are normal.

Normal has

callouses like Joseph

stretch marks like Mary

Normal is

Norm and Norma, not

Prince and Princess

Like any normal couple on that night.... Life happens.

Jesus is born into our everyday world....

Bills to pay

Beds to make,

Grass to cut,

Congratulations! You qualify for a modern day Christmas story!

The Splendor of the First Christmas is the Lack Thereof!

John 1:1 NKJV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 NKJV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Artist became the oil on his own canvas.

The Potter melted into the mud on his own wheel.

God became an embryo in the belly of a village girl.

Christ in Mary....God in Christ....

Col 1:27b “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Colossians 1:27 NKJV

27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Max Lucado:

Sometimes its easy to believe all the other prepositions:

Christ for me,

Christ with me,

Christ ahead of me. 

But hard to imagine Christ in me.  

We can’t blame Scripture.  

Paul refers to the indwelling of Christ 216 times. 

John mentions his presence 26.

No other religion or philosophy makes such a claim.  

No other movement implies the living presence of its founder in his followers.  

Muhammad does not indwell Muslims. 

Buddha does not inhabit Buddhists.  

Influence?  Instruct?  Yes. 

But occupy?  No.

Paul had travailed spiritually to see the Galatians turn to the Lord.

Much like the Corinthians to whom he said, “for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 4:15, NKJV)

But after all, the Lord Jesus had travailed on the cross to make possible their salvation.

Paul’s travail was nothing in comparison.

The Galatians were falling back into a second childhood, spiritually.

Galatians 4:19 NKJV

19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

We parents never seem to outgrow our children.

“ ‘When they’re little, they’re a handful; but when they’re grown, they’re a heartful!”

“When they’re little, they step on your toes; but when they’re grown, they step on your heart.”