The Difference of Christmas is Everything

"Poverty must be enriched by Him in whom are infinite treasures before it can venture to commune; and guilt must lose itself in imputed and imparted righteousness ere the soul can walk in fellowship with purity." –C.H. Spurgeon 

In this "I'm okay-you're okay" world, where many blasé university religion professors tout the so-called equivalence of all religions—I am very grateful for the difference Christmas makes.

I'm not talking about "fa-la-la" and tinsel, festive lights and trees in the living room—I'm talking about the divergence from similitude that was laid down by one Baby.

God Himself, in the vulnerable, fragile form of a human infant.

The All-sufficient One, Who created the entire universe—and you and I—laying down His consummate position, exchanging royalty and absolute independence for tenuous flesh and blood; suddenly becoming the epitome of mortal dependence. (Nativity scene: Somerset House Publishing) 

The Apostle Paul described it this way:

"Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross." (Phil.2:6-8)

John, in the first chapter of his Gospel, wrote:

"And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us . . ." (John 1:14 -AMP)

Just in case that doesn't yet strike wonder in your heart, really think about this . . .

Mary was created by the very Son she bore.

How's that for a time-space-continuum vortex?!

And just when you start to think the astonishing mystery of Christmas is too unattainable for you to grasp; God has made the message and the purpose of His mission very simple.

Any loving parent and any child can understand it.

. . . To be with His children, and for His children to be with Him.

"There it was—the true Light [was then] coming into the world [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person. He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him].

"But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name—Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!]" (John 1:9-13)

It's summed up in two names bestowed upon God's Son—one the immediate promise: Immanuel, which means "God with us."

"Look! The virgin will conceive a Child! She will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" (Matt.1:23)

The other name; the one and only key to unlock Heaven's door. It's the mission statement and also a reminder that what we could never do ourselves, God has done for us: Yeshua (Jesus in the Greek), which means "God saves."

". . . you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (Matt.1:21)
"There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under Heaven by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

It's the greatest gift we could ever receive; it can't be earned and it is offered to everyone.

God with us now, and us with God when our mortal life is done.

It is the assurance of constant companionship of the One who has authored our very lives and the world in which we live, and the One who knows our future. The assurance and the peace of knowing that even death cannot tear us apart from Him—He is with us through and on the other side of it.

Nothing in this world; no person, no substance, no prosperity and no religion can offer what a relationship with Jesus does.

Again Paul wrote in Corinthians:

"You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty He could make you rich." (2 Cor.8:9) 

It is the absolute difference that Christmas—the birth of Jesus—makes to each one of us who will open that preeminent Gift.

Mary's Heart of Faith—an Example for All of Us

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 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. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

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. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible."

Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. –Luke 1:26-38

As you look at the story of Jesus' miraculous entry into our world as a baby, you can't help focusing on the incredible way God introduced Himself to a teenage girl, radically shaking up her paradigm—and all of mankind's—forever after. (Photo: Keisha Castle-Hughes/The Nativity Story-IMDB)

When I look at Mary portrayed in the pages of the Bible, and especially in this passage of Luke, I can't help but notice some familiar, and then amazing qualities of this young woman, which speak to all of us.

Here was a teenage girl, of the lineage of David, and the tribe of Judah. Great ancestry, yes, but, what is so inspiring to me is Mary's simple, yet solid trust and faith in God, even when she didn't understand the whole scope of His plan.

An ordinary day suddenly became extraordinary when her routine was interrupted by the visit of the angel, Gabriel. Having been sent by God with the news that would forever change the course of history, Gabriel greets Mary accordingly, calling her "highly favored," "blessed among women," and that "the Lord is with" her.

Understandably, she is taken aback and troubled by his words to her—trying to figure out what this greeting could possibly mean. (Of course, the fact that AN ANGEL was standing in front of her was probably unnerving at the very least—Daniel had another reaction, but I digress)

Gabriel goes on to explain God's plan to bring the long awaited Messiah to the world. I can imagine that it must have been hard for Mary to hear anything the angel said, past the part about her conceiving and "bringing forth a son"!

When the Heavenly messenger takes a breath, it was the first thing—and the only thing—that Mary questions him about.

"How can this be?" she asks, "since I do not know a man?"

Now, earlier in the chapter, Zacharias received a little visit from Gabriel as well. When told about his own coming miraculous event, he poses a similar question to the angel. Why is it that his question brought him rebuke and discipline, while Mary's did not?

The angel rebuked Zacharias for his unbelief. After all, his scenario had happened before—with Abraham and Sarah. And he was a priest; of all people, he should've responded in faith.

Mary, on the other hand, had a very legitimate question, and she was not chastened for unbelief. In fact, after Gabriel explains what will happen to Mary, she responds with a heart of obedience, surrender, humility and trust…

"Behold the hand-maiden of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to Your Word," she said.

This young woman rose to God's occasion for her and chose to embrace His plan in FAITH, though she didn't comprehend it all.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm frequently mystified by what God seems to be doing at various times in my life. But, I—and all of us—are given the opportunity to embrace it in faith, trusting the benevolent love of the God that we've come to know.

These are precarious times—financially, emotionally, and in many other ways. But, the Apostle John reminds us in 1 John 5:4, "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—OUR FAITH." (emphasis mine)

It was Mary's example, and it still holds true for each of us some 2,000+ years later; that solid, simple trust in God—faith.