The Curtain Call of Christmas

Today is the first of 11 Posts related to Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. For emphasis some material will be repeated in these Posts. May the historical and inspirational material be a blessing to all who read them. First, the background. 

The cast on earth and in heaven was assembled. Let the drama begin. The curtain call is about to be given by the angel Gabriel.

Earth’s greatest mystery, the greatest mission, was about to unfold. Imagination is ignited in two realms, heaven and earth.

He who the whole universe could not contain was now to be bound by the walls of a cattle stall. The voice that called worlds into existence was for a time to be reduced to a baby’s cooing. The voice that stirred the deep dark to sprout worlds now cries with the voice of the infant He was to become. He who breathed the breath of life into man, now as a man breathes so slightly as to seemingly have no breath at all. With a heart full of love He with resolve was to enter time. The heartbeat of heaven was soon to be heard in an infant’s chest.

He who in eternity leaned on the breast of His Father is now in time to lean on the breast of His mother. He was as old as His Father and eons older than His mother.

At a time when man was trying to make himself god, God made Himself a man. The creature could not come up to the Creator, so the Creator came down to the creature, humans.  

In antiquity there were two stages of Jewish marriage, the Kiddushin and the Huppah. The first was a period of betrothal, also known as espousal. A binding contract was agreed upon and signed. At that point they were considered legally married. However, at this point they did not come together and often never even saw each other for a year. If the male died during this period the woman was referred to as a virgin who was a widow.

At the end of this first phase the actual wedding, which often lasted several days, was conducted, and thereafter the marriage was consummated. 

It was during the period of betrothal an angel announced to the virgin Mary she would have a child fulfilling the prophet promise:

“For unto you a Child is born,

Unto you a Son is given.”

The enigmatic couple locked wills and began their faith walk. As the birth neared they complied with a government decree and began their journey from Nazareth that would have taken them along the western bank of the Jordan River and through the Wilderness of Judah to Bethlehem. There Mary gave birth and thus the Word became flesh and came and dwelt among us.

There is a formula applicable to all of life that is especially appropriate for the birth.

“The length of wait multiplied by the depth of anticipation equals the height of joy.”

For good reason heaven burst forth with angelic voices proclaiming the birth. Shepherds left their solitude and ventured into Bethlehem to marvel over the event. Wise men journeyed a great distance to pay homage. 

“Long lay the world in sin and error pining till He appeared and the soul felt its worth, a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices….”

That is what Christmas is all about.