Jesus Christ

Mary’s Christmas Carol

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And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,  Luke 1:46-47

From the very beginning Christmas seems to be intertwined with music and song. In the Biblical story leading up to the birth of Jesus everyone seems to be singing. Elizabeth sings, angels sing, and even Mary herself has a song. How many of the Christmas carols can you sing by heart without even a glance at a song sheet? Whether it is one or a thousand, each song had to take a journey from the lips of your mother, a church choir or a group of carolers outside your door, till it took up residence in your heart. In some mysterious way those carols have become your songs.

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For the young Virgin Mary her song had traveled the journey from the moment she heard the greeting of the angel Gabriel, till the first cry of Jesus in the manger. With each passing day she was learning new verses, hearing deeper harmonies and sensing more fully its tempo. In the same way we who have Christ living in us are learning day by day a little more of His song in our lives. If we are straining to hear we will hear his melody in the voice of the needs of others. When we are listening we will hear the gentle rhythm of those by our side blending with the harmony of God’s grace carrying us through hardships. If we are willing then note by note, and one measure at a time the Christmas song of heaven will become our own.

 

 

Beautiful Feet

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How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7 ESV

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Joseph’s strong feet traveled many miles guiding Mary’s donkey on toward Bethlehem. She must have felt little feet kicking within her. “Maybe just a little faster Joseph!” she might have urged as she sensed the time drawing near for her time to give birth. Later the feet of shepherds loudly slapped at the entrance to a stable where they found the baby Jesus and the air rang with their telling the exciting news of angels. Mary could not even have yet imagined that far away over dark roads came the clop of camel’s feet as they carried wise men with gifts for her child.  All of these were beautiful feet. But then see the tiny feet of Jesus being kissed by Mary as she quietly laid him into the manger. They looked just like any other baby’s feet but she knew, even on that first night, that some new path lay ahead for them. His were feet that would one day be pierced by nails at the end of His journey here on earth. Jesus’ feet were the most beautiful of all because they brought the good news of peace, joy and salvation as He stepped out of this life to take His place on heaven’s throne. Today as those beautiful feet are standing in heaven we need to remember that while He was still here on earth He commanded us to wash one another’s!

The Longest Journey – Part 1

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  But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law Galatians 4:4 ESV

On the night Jesus was born the shepherds had followed long dark pathways down from the hills where they had been watching the flocks. Joseph and Mary had wearily journeyed all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem at just this right time. Farthest of all came the wise men who had journeyed all the way from the east. But of all who were there in Bethlehem no one had traveled father than the one for whom they came.

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The shepherds came at the time they heard the angels. The wise men journeyed at the time they saw His star appear. Mary and Joseph arrived when the time was completed for the birth of the child. How interesting that Jesus also came at just the right time,

 

It was at His chosen hour that God sent His Son. It was the longest journey from the place of the pure love of God to a world where King Herod ordered the execution of innocent children. It was an enormous distance from the halls of worshiping angels to a stable with the snorting of cattle and the rustle of mice in the hay. But at God’s exact day and hour Jesus came. He could wait no longer. Our dark and cold world awaited Him as angels stood on tip-toe to witness His birth. He came as hope when all our hopes had been wrapped in night. He arrived in the natural pains of child birth and but He opened His eyes His journey was only just beginning.