Luke 2: 6-20
And so it was that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: For behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God and saying. "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, goodwill toward men."
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us."
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
So after that arduous, bouncing, 120-mile donkey ride, this young teenager went into labor and her Son was born.
This Son was no ordinary Boy: God's holy Angels came from Heaven to announce His birth! Who did they tell, the political rulers? No. The religious leaders? No. No leaders at all, just humble shepherds who weren't expecting anything. And it scared them half to death!
But when the Angels left, the shepherds said, in essence, "What're we doing standing around with our mouths open--let's go see what they told us about!" So they hurried into the City of David--Bethlehem--looking into every barn and stable on the way, and found Him, just like they said. And when they went back, they told everybody that would listen all about it.
Christmas Morning. Straw, a Newborn wrapped in rags, and shepherds. But also, marvelous, glorious light surrounding Heavenly beings, announcing that a Savior has come to save us, to give us Peace here on the Earth, and God's favor toward Mankind.
And His mother wondered and pondered and mused on all these things the Shepherds said about the Angels about her Son. Did she connect the dots between this and what the Angel Gabriel told her nine months ago? What Gabriel said, did come true, about the pregnancy. But what does this mean now? Does it have something to do with what Gabriel said about His kingdom lasting forever? What kind of a kingdom could He have while Rome ruled them all? Would He lead a rebellion?
Mary did not have all the answers yet. And we may not be able to understand what is happening in our own lives, either. We're still in the middle of the story, like she was then. We know the end of her story, because it was recorded for us by those who knew her, or talked to those who knew her. Her answer to Gabriel showed her faith, in trusting God to be God, even when she didn't understand (Luke 1:38).
And we can also trust God, even when things look like we may get stoned, or shunned, or thrown out (like what could have happened to Mary, being pregnant before she got married). Even when we can't see out the other end of the tunnel we're in, or when we feel boxed in with no way out. We can still trust God to have His plan work out just the way He planned it in each of our lives. But while we're still in the middle of it, that's when we need to have faith, to trust Him.
Some day we will be able to look back and see just how all these troubles and problems and sorrows fit into the Big Picture of God's Plan of the Ages, and our parts in it; how all our dark threads set off the gold strands in His Weaving.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
