The Christmas story found in the Bible is one of the most powerful examples of God’s miracle-working power, His love for humanity, and His desire to have a relationship with each of us. Matthew and Luke’s Gospels are the two Gospel accounts that share the most insight into the birth of Christ. John’s Gospel primarily picks up at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, as does Saint Mark’s Gospel. With that in mind, there is a wealth of information contained in the Gospel stories provided by Matthew and Luke.
It’s important that we realize that the story of the first Christmas isn’t something that we should only focus on in December. In the same way that we don’t only look at the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ during the Easter season, we shouldn’t only consider the powerful truths contained in the stories of Christ’s birth during Christmas.
Today, let’s look at some parts of the Christmas story that can change our lives every day. Today, we will discover more truths about how God feels about us, and how we can more effectively live for Him all year long. Christmas is a wonderful time of self-reflection. However, it’s important that we don’t only allow ourselves to be changed during the holiday season. Instead, ask the Holy Spirit to help you change yourself every day of the year.
What Defines You?
Luke 1:26-28 (NLT)
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
Let’s begin with a powerful lesson from the life of Mary. History teaches us that Mary was around 16 years old when Gabriel appeared to her to let her know that she was going to be the vessel that God sent His Son into the world through. Since we read the story through the lens of knowing everything about how the story ends, we often assume that Mary would have been overcome with excitement. However, when you put yourself in her position, things change.
First of all, think about where you were at 16. Most of us were learning how to drive and figuring out what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives. You may have started looking at colleges and dreaming about what was next in your life. Mary didn’t get to make any of those plans. No, people in the Bible didn’t drive, nor was there colleges for them to attend. However, she probably had an idea about what her next steps looked like, and an unplanned pregnancy was not part of the equation.
Most of all, Mary was now subject to significant public ridicule. Women who were not sexually pure in the Bible were considered unworthy for marriage. In some parts of the world at that time, they could even be stoned to death!
Mary had to decide what was going to define her. Surely, people were not going to believe that she was virgin. She was pregnant! However, Mary opted to listen to what God said about her. Gabriel, the angel, said that Mary was favored, and that God was with her. She chose to let God define her instead of the world around her.
What defines you? Do you allow yourself to be limited by the labels that others have put on you? If so, make the decision that Mary made. Allow your Savior to be the only person who has the power to define who and what you are.
Joseph’s Integrity
Matthew 1:19-20 (NLT)
Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.”
Can you imagine what other people were saying to Joseph? “Joseph, you know she slept with someone else.” “You can’t marry her; she’s already cheating on you!” Initially, Joseph responded just like most of us would. He was going to call off the engagement. However, Joseph was such a good man that he didn’t want to do anything that would cause Mary to experience public shame. Instead of making a big deal out of the split, he wanted to end things quietly.
All of that changed when the same angel that appeared to Mary appeared to Joseph. Make no mistake about it, Joseph still could have backed out of the arrangement. They weren’t married yet, and he could call off the engagement based on Mary’s unplanned pregnancy. Instead, Joseph chose integrity.
Joseph knew what the angel had said to him, and that meant more than anything that the world around him said about Mary. Joseph committed to raising a child that wasn’t his because of his faith in God’s Word, and his integrity.
Joseph remained committed to Mary in the face of adversity. That’s integrity. We would do well to live with that sort of integrity in our own lives.
The Sin of Pride
Matthew 2:7-8 (NLT)
Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
Herod had no interest in going to worship the Christ-child. In fact, we find out in later verses that he was so driven by jealousy that he ordered the execution of every male child under the age of two in Jerusalem. Herod tired to lie to the wise men so he could easily find out where the newborn King was, but God ensured that they didn’t tell him. Once they had found him, God told them to go back to their homeland by a different route, allowing them to avoid Herod altogether.
Herod was jealous and insecure. Most of all, Herod was proud. He was proud of the title that he operated under. He was proud of his standing as the King, and he was not going to let anyone, even God, take over his rulership.
History teaches us that Herod was born in 73 B.C. He reigned for 37 years and died a few years after Christ was born. Jewish historian, Josephus wrote extensively about the death of Herod. According to his account, Herod died a slow, painful death that resulted in convulsions, breathing issues, and the rotting of his body from the inside out. Part of his account of Herod’s death even mentioned parasites that lived inside him.
The Bible is clear about the fact that pride can destroy us from the inside out. Herod’s pride drove him to commit what has become known as the “slaughter of the innocents,” and ultimately, his painful death was the result of his refusal to acknowledge the King of Kings.
Avoiding pride can be difficult but giving way to pride is dangerous. Don’t allow Herod-like pride to prevent you from giving God the worship that He so richly deserves.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to reflect the principles of Your Word in my life. I don’t only want this to be the case at Christmas, but all year long. Help me to find my true definition in You. Help me to practice integrity and to avoid pride. In Christ’s name, Amen.