We start in Luke 1:26-27, when God sent Gabriel to a “city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” fulfilling the prophecy that the Son of God would be of the linage of David. Mary was a young, faithful woman upon whom God showed His favor. Gabriel tells her in Luke 1:28, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” Mary was frightened and confused, not knowing the meaning of Gabriel’s visit. People knew that there were prophecies of a Messiah, but no one knew when He would appear. And Mary certainly didn’t know she would be chosen to carry the miracle child. Gabriel told her in Luke 1:30-33, “Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 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. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Now, I know this confused her even further because Mary was a virgin, but it says in Isaiah 7:14, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” this was only a fulfillment of prophecy. However, that was not at the forefront of her mind. When we hear God speak to us, it is tempting to question the possibility of it happening and forget the supernatural power of the God we serve. God has no limits or boundaries, so He can do anything, no matter how impossible it may seem. Mary said to Gabriel, “How can this be since I do not know a man?” and he replied, in Luke 1:35-37 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God, nothing will be impossible.”
If you ever question how God will do something, know that your answer will always be, “Nothing is impossible with God.” God neither cares about or is limited to human ability. Though He gave Mary a ‘how’, sometimes He doesn’t. He expects us to trust Him, even without knowing the step-by-step plan. Another thing I want to note about Gabriel’s response is Mary’s cousin Elizabeth; she was old and barren, unable to have a child, yet she conceived John the Baptist. God made a way when there seemed to be no way, which He always does; He is not limited to working within the boundaries of human means or knowledge. God likes to work in conditions where man cannot figure it out, where it looks like nothing can be done. That doesn’t stop His plans. So, if you’re in an “impossible” situation, just start praising God, because that is the environment He thrives in.
In these days, “a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered” (Luke 2:1). So, Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem, because “he was of the house and lineage of David,” (Luke 2:4) and by that time she was ready to give birth. “She brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)
Another account of Jesus’s birth is in Matthew 1. Not only did Gabriel appear to Mary but also to Joseph; when he found out Mary was pregnant, he was going to leave her secretly and quietly, but then Gabriel said to him in Matthew 1:20-21, “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. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Ladies, be with a man who listens to God because if Joseph had gone with his flesh, he would’ve left Mary. However, he heeded God’s message, stayed with her, and happily accepted Jesus. It is essential to listen to God, even in uncomfortable or embarrassing situations. This had to be embarrassing to them both, but it served a purpose, and with God, they were able to handle the situation with grace. God will give you grace to get through your plight and the strength and power to sustain you and overcome it! Mary and Joseph may have suffered this temporary shame, but now they are remembered as the earthly parents of Jesus, the Savior of the world. Don’t give up just because your situation doesn’t seem favorable; God has a plan that will bring Him glory.
Everyone did not celebrate Jesus’ birth; King Herod, the Roman ruler at the time, sought to kill the Messiah. The wise men saw the star that would lead them to Jesus as prophesied in Numbers, and they inquired, “saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” However, “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.” (Matthew 2:2-4)
The wise men left and continued to follow the star, and “when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary, His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. “(Matthew 2:11-12) Herod’s intentions were not pure and when he “saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.” (Matthew 2:16)
God was prepared, though, and protected His child until Herod was dead. Thus, “an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” (Matthew 2:19-20) which fulfilled another prophecy, in Hosea 11:1 “and out of Egypt I called My son.” Mary and Joseph found themselves in a “city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23).
Jesus’s birth was a miraculous fulfillment of prophecy and was only the beginning of God’s plan for humanity. Jesus was born to die, to be a sacrifice, and He knew this His entire life. If anything, this Christmas day, be aware of God’s gift to us, the gift of salvation through Jesus, and that this day represents God’s love for us. So, give gifts, be merry, and praise God because it is beautiful to remember the significance of Jesus and all of His glory! God loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son so that the world might be saved through Him! This is what makes Christmas special, so merry Christmas, and God bless!
RefinedforChrist 
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