Christmas 2023 – Part III – Mary

December 13, 2023

This is the third post for the four weeks leading up to Christmas. We’re taking a short look at a few of those God chose to be part of Jesus’ birth. Like last week, nothing theologically surprising or deep, just a few insights from God’s Word.

The first week we talked about Zechariah. You can find that post at Christmas 2023 – Part I – Zechariah. Then John, that you can find at Christmas 2023 – Part II – John.

Some folks blast into the Christmas season sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Indoor and outdoor decorations go up, Christmas music plays on all available devices, and holiday clothes are worn right up to December 25^th.

Normally, I tend to celebrate the season a little later. Until this year, we’ve never had our tree up until after Thanksgiving. Early in our family life, when the children were younger, the tradition was to put the tree up right after Thanksgiving. Then as time went on, we waited a little longer. Over the last few years, with the holiday seasons being so different and at the same time us being busy, we’ve waiting longer and longer and ended up rushing to get things done.

This year, Sarah and I put up our indoor decorations a week or so before Thanksgiving. I like it. I like the earlier preparations and the easing into the Christmas season. Even though our decorations went up a little earlier than usual, it felt like we eased into Christmas.

When I think of easing into Christmas, I think of Mary.

I picked this week’s photo because it reminds me of Mary’s role. The photo isn’t one of bright, glaring lights, proclaiming, “Look at me!”

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No, it’s more a picture of quietly carrying the reason for the season with you as the expectation of what is to come grows.

Mary had just been told by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive and give birth to God’s son. We don’t have to go into much detail about her situation at all. We can just read her response to know all that needs knowing.

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34, NIV)

I believe any person reading those words could spend the rest of their lives, no matter how old they were, wondering the same thing. God is eternal, a spirit, divine in nature, and cannot be seen. How can this happen? It’s impossible. Gabriel explains the best he can.

“The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’” (Luke 1:35)

Here she is, carrying One who is Holy, the actual Son of God, the reason for the season, inside her, to be born a human baby. What an honor! But we don’t see any heralding of Mary. She isn’t worshipped, crowned, or honored in any way by others as she serves God in this most wonderful way.

I pray we all are able to enter the Christmas season this year as Mary did. Focusing solely on serving our Lord in a way that glorifies Him.