Whatever else you celebrate, I hope and pray you celebrate the real meaning of Christmas:
THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.
Adoration of the Kings, Oil on panel, c. 16th Century, Master of Perea
Think back 2000 years. There came an angel to a virgin with a message from Almighty God, the creator of all things. You, Mary, the angel Gabriel said, have found favor with God. You will bear a son, you will call his name Jesus, and HE will be the savior of His people, and the savior of all humankind.
REJOICE, AND BE GLAD!
Not so, said Mary, for I have never known a man. Gabriel told her that she would be overcome by the Holy Spirit and that would produce the birth of the baby Jesus, for:
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.
NOTHING!
The Holy Family With Saint John the Baptist, c. 1605, Caravaggio
Mary kept all these things in her heart, REJOICING in her new incredible mission, praising and thanking God the Father.
ELIZABETH. Mary’s relative, of the tribe of Aaron, like her husband Zechariah, was elderly and barren. At an age beyond conception, Elizabeth herself miraculously conceived and in womb was baby John the Baptist. Elizabeth REJOICED in her Lord God, thankful beyond words, that she conceived and rejoiced in God her savior. Those two women, Mary and Elizabeth, would produce perhaps the two finest men in all of Christendom. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD, NOTHING!
MARY visited Elizabeth. When they met, baby John in the womb leaped for joy. John, even before birth, rejoiced at the birth of the savior of the world. Elizabeth, overcome with joy, said to her loving relative:
BLESSED ARE YOU (MARY) AMONG WOMEN!
And indeed, this descendent of David was indeed blessed among all women before, then, and after having found, like with Elizabeth, favor from God Almighty. Perhaps Mary lived in a world of joy, constant and overwhelming joy for the rest of her life, rejoicing in God her savior. Two incredible women, we as Christians who truly believe in the real meaning of Christmas, celebrate and honor Mary and Elizabeth. Two incredible men who changed the world we celebrate and honor at Christmastime, John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ. Let us honor with love and admiration these two women and these two men. Those four found the highest favor of the God of Abraham, the creator of all mankind and all things.
The MAGNIFICAT OF MARY, this humble servant, this handmaiden of the Lord, was full of praise, equally full of REJOICING. Her spirit was overcome with JOY. Mary:
REJOICED IN GOD HER SAVIOR!
She knew the unspeakable joy of being chosen to be the mother of the one who would change the world, the LOVING REVOLUTIONARY:
JESUS OF NAZARETH.
“My soul”, said Mary, “magnifies the Lord. Not me, but Him. Favored as I may be, I am but the handmaiden of the Lord.” The child in me will change the world.
And that, of course, my fellow Christian, is:
THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS.
When you give as you should at Christmastime to others, never forget the greatest gift of all, the gift of God of a son, His son, to us, the savior of the world:
JESUS OF NAZARETH.
JESUS THE CHRIST.
REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDING GLAD.
At Christmastime and always, read the MAGNIFICAT, the praise of Mary in the gospel of Luke, chapter one. They are the words of praise of a favored woman, which all women should cherish and should warm the hearts of all mankind. We celebrate Christmas BECAUSE of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDING GLAD!
ZECHARIAH, MICHELANGELO Buonarroti (b. 1475, Caprese, d. 1564, Roma)
ZECHARIAH. This good man was a Jewish priest. He was favored by God. He was the husband of the wonderful Elizabeth, and the father of the incredibly special JOHN THE BAPTIST. Zechariah would not believe the message of the angel, that he with Elizabeth would father a son; but he did, having found favor with God. Zechariah was made speechless as a result of that unbelief until his son was born of Elizabeth for the purpose of:
PREPARING THE WAY OF THE LORD THE SON OF THE VIRGIN MARY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Nothing is impossible with God, nothing. REJOICE at Christmastime and always, in the love, the wonder, and the power of God Almighty, and most especially the gift to all humankind of the greatest baby ever born:
THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM.
THE ANGEL(S). There were shepherds at work. They were tending their flocks at night, as they did always, protecting them to be shepherds, such an interesting choice, came the greatest announcement of any birth from the angels sent by God, who told these shepherds:
WE BRING A MESSAGE OF GOOD TIDINGS AND GREAT JOY FOR YOU AND ALL MANKIND!
The angel announced to them the birth, this incredible birth of Jesus of Nazareth, who was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea, the city of David, the savior which was Christ the Lord!
The birth, said the angel, would be humble. The babe would be wrapped in swaddling clothes and would be laid in a manger and not a royal bedroom. There would be no room for him, perhaps symbolic of mankind to come, so many of us making no room for him in our hearts. But it would be, said the Angel, the greatest journey, the greatest discovery of all mankind to:
FIND THIS BABE WRAPPED IN SWADDLING CLOTHES.
A babe, the son of the living God, who could forgive, change and fill any life with incredible love and joy.
This angelic announcement was so powerful that even the angels were overcome.
These angels were so overcome that they themselves broke out in HEAVENLY REJOICING, and they sang in unison:
GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND ON EARTH, PEACE AND GOODWILL TO ALL MANKIND!
Aldobrandini Madonna, c. 1510, Raphael
And so should we at Christmastime. We should praise God, we should glorify God, we should thank God for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the real meaning of Christmas. HE is the greatest gift. Relish those good tidings of great joy.
REJOICE!
CHRIST IS BORN.
CHRIST THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD IS BORN IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDEA.
So, my fellow Christians, rejoice and be exceeding glad. For as a result of the birth of this babe of Bethlehem, wrapped in swaddling clothes, great is our reward in heaven.
For me, and I hope for you, the greatest reward of all will be one day to see Him, fellowship with Him, and thank Him for coming to change the world and for:
