It truly is weird, a few days before Christmas, being pregnant with a baby boy. As my friend Emily explains, "I really found Christmas to be especially moving when I was pregnant
with a boy like Mary was :) I cried thinking about her traveling on a
donkey! haha and of course wondering about all my own baby would be, and
I didn't even have a baby Savior in me like Mary!" So true... I feel the same way. Emily, I hope you don't mind I quoted your comment :-) It really is crazy though, to think how different my situation is from Mary's. I am married and we wanted this child. It is "socially acceptable" for me to be pregnant.
Mary on the other hand, was a teenager. Not yet married. A virgin. Yet God chose her to make his appearance on this earth in human form. Crazy. But God knew what he was doing. In fact, hundreds of years before
Jesus' birth, the prophet Isaiah explained, "Therefore the Lord himself
will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth
to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14 Immanuel means "God
with us." Which is exactly who Jesus was on this earth and is today.
I took a pregnancy test (ok a lot of them) to find out I was pregnant... Mary, on the other hand, heard from angels. "The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.' Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.' You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus." Luke 1:28-32. Favor with God- awesome. But hearing from an angel you are going to get pregnant and the name for your child is already chosen- definitely a little freaky. Mary of course, responds, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" Luke 1:15... Isaiah's prophesy is being fulfilled!
Nevertheless, this was life changing for Mary... just as having a baby boy in a few months is going to be life-changing for Grant and I. Except, as I explained before, our pregnancy is a source of excitement among our families and friends, whereas Mary's pregnancy was scandalous and reputation-changing.
In his [great] book The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey states, "Nine months of awkward explanations, the lingering scent of scandal- it seems that God arranged the most humiliating circumstances possible for his entrance, as if to avoid any charge of favoritism. I am impressed that when the Son of God became a human being he played by the rules, harsh rules: small towns do not treat kindly young boys who grow up with questionable paternity (p.32)."
Here's Faith Hill singing about how this baby boy changed Mary's life.. and ours...
Poor Mary... but to think that through the physical and emotional pain she endured, our Savior was born. God needed Mary to have that baby because he needed to come back to this earth he created and make things right again. So Jesus came and because of his birth, death and resurrection, we have been forgiven for all of our sins, past, present and future and can look forward to eternal life with him in Heaven.
"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to
live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify
for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good" Titus 2:11-14.
Here's a video of "Hallelujah (Light Has Come)," a great song by Barlow Girl and one of my favorites:
Enjoy :-) So while Mary & I both experienced a Christmas season being pregnant with a baby boy, hers was entirely different from mine... but I am SO thankful & blessed for what she endured to bring Jesus to this earth. I hope you have a VERY Merry Christmas and experience the joy & peace He offers this season!
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