Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus, what a name! Jesus, the Gift to the world! Jesus, name above all names! Jesus! We hear all this every Christmas, every year we read the nativity story and watch the pageants. In recent years, it has become almost tradition to hear about fights going on over whether or not a nativity set can be displayed on public property, or the removal of the word “Christmas” from songs sung by children in school. Christmas as we know it has become so routine that we barely think about it, except to gripe about the pressure, the crowds, the lack of generosity in this “season of giving” etc. I have noticed in myself a reticence to ponder and think on the birth, instead I would rather think about the death and resurrection! Yet, the birth is the beginning of the New Testament. Both Matthew and Luke dwell on it in depth, while John makes reference to it in his Gospel and Mark jumps right into Jesus' ministry, preferring to dwell on things he had witnessed or had first hand accounts of.

When we look at the first Christmas, we neglect to think about how hard Mary must have had it, being engaged to a man and then being found pregnant out of wedlock. She would have had to deal with the whispers, the stares, the glares, and maybe even the denunciations by the village elders and rabbi who may have held her up as an example of sinful behavior. We forget to think about Joseph, having to go through life knowing that his first born did not belong to him, that He was not the father of Mary's first child and knowing who was, but not being able to explain it to those who sniggered and chuckled at Mary. He was probably advised many times to leave that cuckold and to divorce her because she was unfaithful to him. We forget the horrors on the road they faced as they traveled to Bethlehem, the weather, the terrain, the bandits, and a contrary donkey. We tell the story and imagine beatific pastoral scenes, the shepherds all handsome and the magi in their finery. We imagine a nicely furnished stable and an exquisitely crafted manger. We don't remember that this was more likely a hollowed out cave, with the bare necessities: crowded, smelly, unclean, and barely keeping the animals out of the weather let alone a pregnant woman and her husband.

Then we look at what the child was named, Jesus. Jesus (or Jeshua) means “He is Salvation.” While History tells us (specifically Josephus) that Jeshuah or Joshuah (meaing Jehovah is Salvation) was a fairly common name , but to have his name specifically refer to the child as salvation would make everyone wonder at the temerity of his parents, and it is a glorious reminder to all of us, that Jesus is what everything is about. He is salvation, the redemption and redeemer of the world. During Christmas, then, let us celebrate not only His birth, but also the promise He brought us, the promise of new life, restored and unblemished, the promise of an intimate walk with God, and the promise of Him besides us. He brought us this promise at the cost of His pain, and the willing suffering of those who love Him, just so you and I could have fellowship with Him! How glorious! How wonderful! Jesus! What a Saviour!

O thou joyful, O thou wonderful
Grace revealing Christmastide!
Jesus came to win us
From all sin within us;
Glorify, glorify the Holy Child!