“…
they will call him Immanuel” (Matthew 1:23)
During the holidays we often come so desensitize to the
story of the birth of Jesus. We see
again and again the figures of the manger and think, how adorable. We look at the manger and think how good it
is to celebrate this sweet story. But
lost in mix is the try joy of it all. So
many of us do not know how fortunate we are to knowing the story of the manger.
Why are we so fortunate you may ask? The answer lies in the history Bible itself,
for there is a period between the Old Testament and the New Testament, some
four hundred years, where the voice of the Lord was silent. This does not mean He was absent or
disengaged, it does mean that He was intentionally silent in a prophetic way. This means that generation after generation
was waiting to hear from the Lord.
Then came the birth of Jesus, the long awaited Messiah
and all of creation buzzed with excitement.
The angels spoke in words (Matthew 1:20-21; Luke 1:28-37, 2:10-12) and in
praises (Luke 2:14). John the Baptist's
made his joy known, even from the womb (Luke 1:39-45). Zechariah prophesied (Luke 1:67-79) and
Simeon spoke as the Spirit led (Luke 2:28-32).
And of course, Mary, the mother of the Messiah, sang a song of praise
(Luke 1:46-55).
So, you see, we ought to be aware that we are blessed to
know the story of the manager. And, as
we are in the midst of the holiday season, with all its festivities, let our
words and our lives sing a song of the babe born in a manger, He who came to,
“save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)”