Everyone knows that Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ. And if the extent of the celebration depends on how influential and famous the person is, it's no doubt that Jesus surpassed all the celebrities.
Christmas is celebrated all over the earth, and now many events, decorations, parties, and services are tied to this holiday. And it shouldn't surprise you, for in the short time that Jesus has lived on this earth He accomplished something that no man could: lived a sinless life and then gave it up as a sacrifice for all of us, and through that we received access to heaven with God. His coming marked the beginning of a new age.
And though now we all know it all and don't even question it, I started wondering what the actual birthday of Jesus looked like. If you think about it, not many people throw a huge celebration on the day their baby is born since it hasn't achieved anything yet. Most people (not including the baby's parents) would want to wait it out, see who they become as an adult, and then celebrate him with joy and gladness (or with sorrow - depending on what this person accomplishes in their life).
But the birthday of Jesus Christ turned out to be enough reason to celebrate in a certain circle. The Bible characters that we all know - the shepherds, the Magi, the angels - didn't think that Jesus was too little or too unpredictable. With full confidence, they bowed down before Him, worshipped Him, and even brought them gifts.
For some reason, this made me think about faith. On Christmas night none of these people had a solid reason to celebrate an unknown Jewish boy, born from a teenage girl in a stable. Their only reason and the proof was the word of God. And it was enough for them!
Celebration of Faith
The more I think about the Christmas story, the more faith I see in it. Mary believed the angel and humbly accepted God's extraordinary plan for her life. Joseph believed the angel and didn't call his fiance a cheater, but accepted her and took care of her. The Magi believed in their books, the stars, and then Jerusalem scribes, and came to worship the King. The shepherds left their flocks and rushed to the manger because they believed the angels. Even the angels worshipped God having zero doubts that the newborn baby was the true Messiah.
Maybe if I saw an angel I wouldn't doubt his words either, but I'm not talking about proof here. I'm trying to point out that the Christmas story is the story of faith! Faith that goes beyond human understanding. Faith in the impossible. Faith in God's words and confidence in Him.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" Heb 11:1.
Looking at the baby in the manger, his parents and his visitors were convicted of things they couldn't see and explain - they were sure of His divinity, His anointing. And now the whole world is witnessing how these people's hopes came to life. Jesus did become the King of kings though He didn't do it the way people expected HIm to.
Faith or Facts?
Now let's go back to our reality. Even though now we have way more that these bible characters - we have Scriptures and the New Testament, the testimonies of hundreds of generations, and the Holy Spirit - Christianity is still based on faith. You can not be a Christian without faith.
And still, so many of us (me at least) stumble and doubt. Once I caught myself saying in my prayer, "I believe that You can do it, but I can't imagine how You would do it with these people". We call ourselves believers and preach our faith in Christ, but we also really want to adjust His plans to ours!
Moreover, if we think that something is impossible from a human perspective or that only a miracle will help, how confident we are in the fact that nothing is impossible for the God of miracles? How much faith do we have in His words? And I don't mean simply agreeing with the Bible, I mean practical faith in His promises!
"I know You promised me your peace but in modern times it's impossible to not worry about anything".
"You told your disciples that you give them authority to heal sicknesses and cast demons, but this doesn't work in my life so I'm not even going to try".
"I've been praying for my relatives for years but they are so stubborn that I don't think anything would change them".
We can say or think similar things, but here's what we should say instead:
"we walk by faith, not by sight" 2 Cor. 5:7.
Don't look at the facts - look at Jesus!
Don't look at your children as a disappointment, look at them the way Mary looked at her baby - with deep confidence that her Son is special, blessed, and anointed. Don't look at your spouse as a mistake of your youth or someone who is unworthy, look at them the way Joseph looked at his wife - with trust and with faith in God's special plan for her. Don't look at your pastor as if you know better, look at him the way the shepherds looked at the newborn Messiah - as a person who was sent by God and is led by Him. Look at people around you through the eyes of faith, through the eyes of Jesus.
You may say that people aren't supposed to meet our expectations and you will be right. But I believe that Jesus had enough love and acceptance for all people He met in His life even if they didn't meet anyone's expectations. Even if you can't be like Jesus, you can act the way He taught! Pray for the ones who hurt you, bless your enemies, surrender them in the Father's arms and trust Him to do his work with their hearts.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with powerthrough his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" Eph. 3:16.
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