Originally posted Dec. 24, 2012, at RiverFriar. Republished with permission of the author.
The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. (John 5:20).
Astonished. Mary was astonished with the news of her pregnancy. Joseph, too, for that matter. Elizabeth and Zechariah were astonished in their old age, and the shepherds were astonished at the angels’ pronouncement and what they found.
Christmas is a time of astonishment. That the creator of the universe would deign to come down is astonishing. That this God would take the form of a helpless peasant baby born in the most dire of circumstances is astonishing. That the good news of this God-coming-down isn’t initially shared with kings and lords but rather stinky shepherds working in a field is astonishing. And that this is how salvation is brought to the world is astonishing.
My prayer for you this Christmas is that you would be astonished by God in the miracle of the Incarnation.
+pax et bonum
Find a link to Chris Markert’s blog RiverFriar at Lutheran Blogs.
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