All of us have attended a children’s Christmas pageant somewhere.  We have seen towel turbaned wise men, angels with precariously perched wings and haloes and giggling shepherds.

Let’s look at GOD’s pageant participants.                                                                                             
Mary, a teen bride already with child.  Surely, she has faced ridicule and scorn at home.  Who ever heard of a virgin giving birth?  Who ever heard of a child conceived of The Holy Spirit?  We look back and call her blessed to be used by GOD, but the day to day of that may not have seemed a blessing.  She was a person of faith in that she believed what the angel revealed to her.

Oh, an angel?  Gabriel appears to her and brings some astounding news.                                          
Luke 1:28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”  29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

No one had heard directly from GOD for over 400 years and suddenly Mary gets the wondrous news that she will bear The Messiah!  Now to get others to understand.

Joseph, a man of unknown age, betrothed to Mary.  We know that he was a godly man in that he did not want to publicly disgrace Mary.  Remember, this sin carried a potential for being stoned to death.  Even before he is visited by an angel, his character is revealed.

Matt 1:19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

That is a lot to understand!  He was open to GOD’s leading.

The oppressive Roman government has a role.  Had times been different, Mary and Joseph due to their lineage would have been royalty as they were direct descendants of King David.  Matthew shows a pedigree back to Abraham to reveal that Joseph was of the royal line.  Luke traces Mary back to Adam and GOD, to reveal the Seed of the woman that would break the serpent’s head!

The secondary role of the government gets the couple to Bethlehem.  Think about being required to go to the place of your birth to pay your taxes and to be counted in the census!  It was arduous and expensive for this couple.                                                                                                         
There is an innkeeper that has no room but takes compassion on this couple and the nearness of Mary’s delivery.  He gets little credit in our minds, but he did help them.

There were angels watching and waiting for the moment to break into praise.                                              
Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Can we imagine how the sky must have looked?  Can we hear their proclamations?

There were shepherds that heard the news first.  Isn’t it great that the lowest members of society heard the Good News first?  It gives all of us hope.  Appropriately, they were tending the lambs that would be used for sacrifice in the Temple.                                                                                                  
Luke 2:8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

The cast, except for the angels, is not special.  You would think that the coming to Earth of The incarnate CHRIST would have occurred in a palace with the elite in attendance.  Instead, He came just as He lived on Earth, humble, approachable by anyone and everyone, and loving all without reservation.

He came promising that we could belong to Him if we will accept His atoning work. He still stands at the door and knocks.  His first coming was as a servant.                                                   
There is no manger without the cross.  He had to be the blood sacrifice to satisfy GOD’s wrath.

The Rapture will call home those that believe and have died believing.                                              
In His second coming, He will be The Warrior King reclaiming what is His and gathering those that have believed during the time of Tribulation.                                                                           
This CHRISTmas, let’s give GOD the glory for His plan for our salvation.                                         
Let’s give JESUS thanks and praise and look forward to being with Him forever.                                
We are blessed that The SPIRIT has shown us these things.

Hallelujah!  Share the Good News!

Sandy Pace- IOKDS VP