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Before Christmas
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Luke 2:4,5 So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. It was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (She was now pregnant.)
Listen to the radio broadcast of Before Christmas
Download audio fileWhen we think about Christmas, probably the last thing we associate with that whole thing is the idea of scandal. And yet, the birth of Jesus was very much surrounded by scandal.
The age-old story of Christmas is one that most of us know pretty well I guess. At least, we think we know it. And yet there are some strange twists and turns in the story; things that we can all too easily gloss over and miss; things that speak volumes about what God really wants to say to us today through Christmas –things like Mary falling pregnant.
Now she was a teenager – probably rather young at that – fourteen, fifteen perhaps. That was pretty normal back then … today, not so much.
And speaking of scandals, she wasn’t married to Joseph yet. Now these days in most places, that’s not a scandal so much as a lifestyle choice. But back then it was a scandal – a huge scandal.
Luke 2:4,5 So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. It was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (She was now pregnant.)
“The Holy Spirit did it.” Sure Mary, we believe you!
So the lead up to that very first Christmas was anything but routine. It was anything but what you’d expect for the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.
But then that’s the way God wanted it to be; imperfect; in humble circumstances; confusing human logic.
God simply didn’t do Christmas our way. He did it His way. Question is, what’s He trying to say through all that, to you and me, here and now?
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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