Looking Back on Christmas
Christmas snuck up on me this year. One minute we were preparing for Thanksgiving, and the next, it was time to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
In the middle of the rush, in the middle of those panic-fueled shopping trips and Amazon browsing, God began prompting me to focus on the Christmas story. But it was John’s version of Advent that came to mind. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us,” (John 1:14).
Sometimes I get caught up in the image of the baby, peaceful and still. But this year, it was about God who became flesh; God, who could have chosen any circumstance to be born into, chose a situation wrought with the appearance of shame; Born to parents who would suffer for their obedience to God, because it would look like sin; To those who did not know the details of Mary conceiving by the power of the Holy Spirit (“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Luke 1:35), it would look like a baby born out of wedlock.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Hebrews 4:15. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet He did not sin.” From the moment Jesus came into this world, He chose to be involved in the difficult - in the struggle - in the human condition. To Jesus I have the freedom to say, “You understand my circumstances.” I know He went through it. And I know He prevailed.
Long lay the world -
In sin and error pining
‘Til He appeared
And the soul felt its worth.
(From the Christmas Hymn, Oh Holy Night)
By Joanna Austill, NBC Student
Published: 01/13/2020
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