The Shock and Awe of Christmas.

“Shock & Awe!” That is what the United States military called its spectacular invasion of Iraq. Do you remember the flashes of bright lights, the loud explosions in the night during this event? It truly accomplished its goal of getting the attention and impressing the whole world as to our nations might and intentions.

That is what is so amazing about the Christmas Story. God also used a ‘Shock & Awe’ approach but in a very different way. Note God’s power displayed in the fact that a virgin would have a baby without having sex with a man (Luke 1:34). God’s enabling a very old couple who could not have a baby to become pregnant (Luke 1:7; 24). Note the high ranking angels, known as archangels, who were employed to deliver the message of Jesus’ coming birth (to Zecharias in Luke 1:19; Mary in Luke 1:26; and Joseph in Matthew 1:20, 2:13, 19. Archangels usually stood in the presence of God, which reveals that the message was so great that only the highest of angels could announce it). Later God uses a majestic scene of angels to stun a group of shepherds who quickly traveled to see the new born king (Luke 1:8—20).

Yet, these accounts reveal what almost seems a ‘waste’ of God’s awe & shock powers. Why was Jesus’ virgin birth wasted on an obscure commoner like Mary?  Why didn’t God send these powerful angels to Herod, ruler of the Jews, and to Roman emperors? Why send them to an old priest and his wife, or to lowly shepherds?

But this is the awe and shock of Christmas that God would love us all, that He would use His unlimited powers to make sure that we allknew of His love, and that He would move heaven to earth to bring allhumanity to Himself.
Whatever you are going through today, remember to take a moment to consider the awe & shock of this Christmas season, and to pass it on to someone else.

The memory verse for December—“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
” Colossians 3:17