KINGDOM YES

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’”  (Matthew 1:18 – 21)

“… the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:27 – 34)

“Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth… “ (Luke 1:11 – 14)

“And Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.’ And the angel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.’” (Luke 1:18 – 20)

My late wife, Kathy, and I were married April 6, 1974, and our son, Shawn, was born on Feb 20. 1975. At the time you could see the people in our Catholic church counting in their heads the months between our wedding and the birth of our son which was 10 months.  What a stain it would have been had the time been less than 9 months. Today, unfortunately, it is no big deal for women to have children, outside of marriage, in the world view. Even among Christians.

Things could have been rough for us 45 years ago, had the time been less than 9 months. So, you can imagine how much rougher things were over 2000 years ago. Women were stoned for getting pregnant out of wedlock then.  Yet, Mary said, “Yes.” And Joseph said, “Yes,” and took her as his bride. That had to take supreme courage to agree for both of them. Zacharias was married to Elizabeth, both beyond childbearing years, yet Elizabeth became pregnant. That had to be rough on them, at that age.  When Zacharias questioned the circumstances when the angel told him Elizabeth, though barren and old, would conceive a child, he was struck mute and was unable to speak for nine months, because of his disbelief.

From a Kingdom perspective, this season is one of Hope, but is also a product of supreme sacrifice. In GriefShare we talk about the Christmas season as being the Sufferer’s Holiday. Jesus Christ was born to end our own suffering, by taking on the weight of our sins through His death on a cross. We can’t truly celebrate and appreciate this season without embracing all that this season represents. We celebrate Christ’s coming to this world as a man. We celebrate His life and ministry. We embrace with hope the sacrifice He made for dying in our place so that we might have eternal life.  As we gather this Christmas season, make sure to take a moment to remember those who are no longer gathered with us, but are celebrating with the One who willingly gave all for us.

There would have been no Christmas had Mary and Joseph not said “Yes.” There would be no Resurrection Sunday had there been no Christmas, and Christmas would be meaningless had there been no Resurrection Sunday. Consider the possible ramifications to saying “No” when God is looking for a “Yes” from you.

Believe! Hope! Say “YES!” Be Blessed this Holiday Season!