Written by Jennifer T.
Do we marvel? Do we ponder? When reading and thinking about the Christmas story recently, I noticed how Mary was “in awe” and continued to be “in awe” for a long time, years even. I would expect her to be shocked when she first learned about God’s plan to send His Son to the world through her. But after 9 months of pregnancy she was still “in awe” of who her Son was and later when Jesus was 12 she still was marveling at what she learned about Him.
When the shepherds came to see the Christ Child they told what the angels had proclaimed to them… that this “babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” was the “Saviour…Christ the Lord.”(Luke 2:11-12) And when they told this “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19. She mulled it over, she thought deeply about it, she meditated on it. I think she may not have known, until then, why God had sent His Son to earth. He was to be the SAVIOUR. And even later when they brought Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord and Simeon prophesied, “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” Even then, “…Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.” (Luke 2:30-33) Then, many years later, when He was lost from His parents in Jerusalem and He told them, “How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” (Luke 2:49) we are told in vs. 51 “…but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.” She was learning about who her Son really was even after she had been raising Him for 12 years.
We as humans cannot comprehend the magnitude of who Jesus is. Even His own mother had to ponder and meditate to try to understand who she was raising. He is REAL. He’s not just a story, not just a memory or myth. When you look at that plastic baby in the manger, think of how the real scene might have looked. It would be dirty and raw. There would be sleepless nights and emotion. It was REAL.
Take time to consider, ponder, meditate and be in awe of who Jesus really is. He is our Saviour! Celebrate that!