Loving God of all days, may this day in the life of this dear reader be one filled with Your goodness, blessing, and protection; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for this morning is from Matthew 1: 18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Commuters from New Jersey going into New York City through the Lincoln Tunnel, see a huge billboard on the NJ side that features a Nativity scene, the star, and three wise men. The message on this billboard? "You know it's a myth." On the NY side a similar-sized billboard, the same nativity scene, the star, the three wise men, and the message, "You know it's real." Hmm. The first billboard is sponsored by the American Atheists, the second by the Catholic League. The media attention given to the first group is exactly what they wanted, and the billboard they sponsored has only caused anger among many motorists, as has the retort. Yes, dear readers, it's the Christmas season. "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" we have seen, and now Family Christian bookstores have, "Jesus is the Gift." Matthew knew what this story was about and how important it was for his readers so he included it in his gospel account of the birth, life, death, and resurrection life of Jesus Christ. It would be later in his gospel that Matthew records Jesus asking His disciples, "But who do you say that I am?" (Mt. 16:15).
This time of Advent asks the Church that same question: Who do we say that Jesus is? Why all this commotion about the birth of a baby some two thousand years ago? And what does it matter in 2010? Why is a group like the American Atheists so concerned about it as well?
What we say is that God was so concerned about the world that, as John records, He gave his only begotten Son. It was God's gift to us so that we might know of God's great love and God's great desire to be in relationship with God. Matthew shares his story from a Jewish point of view. This all happened, Matthew says, in a miraculous way. It is the fulfillment of prophecy that the One who created the world and all things, chose to work in this way; a woman betrothed but not yet married, carried the Gift to the World. Her earthly husband who became a believer through divine intervention declares Jesus as he was told, "His name is Jesus," the savior of the world. And as Jesus would later declare His birth did not bring peace to all people, evidence the American Atheists, but a stir still present today. And how you choose to answer Jesus' own question about Who He is, either helps or hurts the way others may come to see Him.
PRAYER: Loving God, I thank You for Your Son, Jesus. May my life respond in ways that build up the faith of others as I join the chorus that proclaims that this, this is the savior of the world, my savior, my Lord. And it is in His Name that I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
