As we approach Christmas Day (although I don’t think the Christmas blogs will end then), it’s instructive to think about all the responses that fit into God’s plan for Jesus’ birth.
- Zechariah: “Are you kidding me?” (Luke 1.18) “His name is John!” (Luke 1.63)
- Mary: “Let’s do this.” (Luke 1.38)
- Shepherds: “Let’s go see!” (Luke 2.15)
- Simeon: “I need to get to the temple!” (Luke 2.27)
- Joseph:
- “Mary, will you marry me…anyway?” (Matthew 1.20 – 25)
- “We’ve got to leave for Egypt NOW!” (Matthew 2.13 – 15)
- Wise men: “We have a Jewish king to find.” (Matthew 2.1, 2)
A book about Joseph, son of Jacob (Genesis 37 – 50), that I read a very long time ago, contained a sentence about responses that stuck with me:
You always have a choice. It always makes a difference. – Source forgotten, probably either Jerry White or David McCasland
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1.38, NKJV)