Destiny

"Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (Luke 2:34-35 NKJ)

During the Christmas season, it is easy to get carried away with the mystery and breathless wonder of the babe in the manger. This wonderful story is filled with love and can be sugarcoated to such a degree that God's intended message becomes obscure.

And if we miss the reason for the season, we have missed the most important part of the story. The story contains elements of difficulty, heartache, fear, and mystery. The story is introduced with Mary and Joseph. It continues with the baby's birth and angelic heralds to shepherds and the visit of wise men, but these elements comprise only the beginning of this beautiful story of the love of God.

The gift of Christmas -- Christ -- was for the purpose of eternal salvation, but this gift wasn't completed at the manger in the stable. Yet, we can get trapped by the warm fuzzies and envisioning a cute, cuddly baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. For many, Christmas begins and ends there at the manger scene.

But life goes on . . . Mary and Joseph went to the Temple to perform the purification rite for Mary and to have baby Jesus circumcised, officially register his name, and dedicate him to God. All this was according to the custom of the Mosaic Law. While in the Temple, Simeon the Devout spoke words of wisdom and knowledge to Mary about the future of her son.

It is an exciting, mysterious element that encourages the reader to continue the story in order to know how it ends. It began with an espoused couple and a baby's birth in the little town of Bethlehem of first century Palestine. He was swaddled and laid in a manger. Outside of town, angels appeared to shepherds, heralding this baby's birth. Mother and child go to the Temple to perform the prescriptions of the Law. And we learn that this young mother will suffer heartache because of her son's destiny. What is that destiny?

Dear Father, thank you for the gift of Christ and the gift he gave. During this season, remind us again of the ultimate gift of your love. I pray this in the name of Jesus. AMEN

Receive Christ's gift of love today,