I spent the majority of last week studying the history of Christmas and the Bible’s account of the angels announcing Jesus’ coming to Mary and Joseph. Every time I drill deep into the story of Mary and Joseph, I find myself taken aback by what was taking place. First, the story of Christmas itself is the story of God looking at us and realizing that we will never manage to climb the ladder of perfection that is required to reach Him. So, He chose to come down to us. Many people find Christianity difficult, because they assume that it requires them to be perfect. The exact opposite is what it is actually about. God knows we can’t do it, so He does it for us. He meets us where we are at, on our terms, in order to raise us out of the mire and brokenness that we make of our lives. It is amazing and absolutely the opposite of what many people understand following Jesus to be.
That having been said, the story of Mary and Joseph illustrates that He also does things on His own terms. Both of them had to submit to God’s will and direction in order for God’s plan to be accomplished. Mary was likely around 13 years old when the angel announced her pregnancy. She was betrothed to Joseph, but not yet married. In Jewish culture, Joseph could have chosen to publicly shame her. The cultural process for this set of circumstances would have been scary and humiliating for a very young lady, who had done nothing untoward. God asked her to face ridicule and ruination as a part of His plan. Joseph also faced a great deal. In a small town, Mary’s pregnancy would have been known fairly quickly. His choice to quietly end their engagement was a merciful one for Mary. He was certainly humiliated and would have faced some pretty harsh judgements from his neighbors for the rest of his life because of Mary’s pregnancy. Both were reassured by an angel that this was a miraculous work and part of God’s plan for redeeming His people. They both agreed to submit to God’s will. It was no small thing for either of them and would have required that they trust God in the face of challenges and difficulty.
Even though God comes to us where we are, in our imperfect states, He is still God. He desires to know us and loves us. He wants us to be His people. In all of it, He remains God. We meet Him where we are at, but on His terms. We are called to learn His ways and follow them. He teaches us and helps us grow like a father to his children. Ultimately though, He is still God.
That is perhaps the most amazing thing about Christmas. God comes to us and invites us to walk with Him. It is the best time to celebrate. I can think of no greater gift.
