“Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” Luke 2:19
Every mother treasures the moment she gets to hold her newborn child, particularly that first one. It’s something they never forget. In contrast to the weight gain and water retention and lack of sleep and painful delivery, this moment of getting to hold their little child is one of the great highlights of their lives.
Mary experienced all of that for sure, but think about what else was happening: people were discovering that a new baby was born in this little town of Bethlehem, shepherds were arriving with stories of angels and radiant skies, and Mary had the deep-down satisfaction of knowing that she had stepped out in faith, cooperated with God, and now had been a part of the advent (appearing) of the Messiah.
This event we call Christmas is something that has become so big and colossal, so adorned with decorations, parties, shopping, and gifts, that if we’re not careful, we’ll miss the treasure of it all. What a tragedy that would be.
This Christmas, pause sometime during the day or evening and soak in the reality of what Christmas means: God coming and living amongst us—Immanuel; God becoming flesh to live a perfect life so that He could die a perfect death for us—The Lamb of God. If you miss everything else, get this: Jesus is the Treasure; He is the Gift; He is the One this is all about.
Jesus, thank You so, so very much for Your willingness to live amongst us and die for us. I treasure You. Amen
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