The Lady Behind Christmas

Whenever we as Christians think of Christmas, we focus on Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season, and this is why we call it Christmas. But have you ever stopped to think what Christmas would be like, or whether we would have Christmas at all, if it was not for a certain lady. I'm talking about Mary, the mother of Jesus. 

We all came into this world as a result of our mothers carrying us in their womb for nine months and then giving us birth. God chose this selfsame method to bring His Son into the world. But it would not have happened if Mary had said "no" to the angel. I imagine the conversation going something like this:

Angel: Hail Mary, full of grace, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.
Mary: Huh?
Angel: I am the angel Gabriel and I'm sent to tell you you're going to have a Son and you will call His name Jesus for He shall save the people from their sins.
Mary: Are you sure you're an angel? Because if you're an angel, you would know that I'm still a virgin. I'm engaged to a good man named Joseph and we have not had sexual relations.
Angel:  With God nothing is impossible.
Mary (turning away) : I don't know about that. This is impossible. I'm not having a child out of wedlock. They will kill me.

What would have happened then? But instead, Mary said to the angel, " Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her," (Luke 1 : 38).

And we know the happy ending of the story. Mary gave birth  to a beautiful baby boy and laid him in a manger, so that we can have eternal life through Him and celebrate His birth this Christmas season. Are you doubting God, saying 'no' to something He asks of you? Mary had every reason to say no. First, what the angel told her sounded impossible, not just from a biological standpoint, but from a social standpoint as well. Virgins don't become pregnant and if by some miracle Mary did become pregnant, she would face dire social as well as physical consequences. Her fiance would break off their engagement and she would be put to death. 

So, this Christmas season, examine your heart and say 'yes' to Him. It might be as simple as accepting Jesus as your Savior, or as complicated as leaving your home for the mission field. Whatever it is, say yes and leave the rest to God, as Mary did.

You can learn more about Mary and other women who trusted God by clicking on any of the links below: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/34069 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1432760424

Should We Cease To Celebrate Christmas?

This week I came across an article on the origin of Christmas. According to this article, Jesus was not born on December 25th and the Christmas celebration has nothing to do with His birth, but has its origin in pagan worship of the god Saturn. The article also mentions the Christmas tree, wreath, mistletoe and Santa Claus as icons of pagan origin. According to the article, the festival was a time of revelry and debauchery, to say the least. After reading the article, I felt very discouraged. Why did Christian leaders choose December 25th, the date which, according to the article, marked the end of the Saturnalia festival, to celebrate the birth of Christ? The reason given is that they were able to convert many pagans to Christianity by promising that they could continue to celebrate the festival as Christians. Puritans later banned all Christmas festivities in Massachusets and the early colonies.

So, where does this leave us as Christians who look forward to celebrating Christmas every year?