She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Yeshua. (Matthew 1:21)Expectant parents spend a lot of time thinking about their child-to-be. They ponder what the baby will look like. They make guesses about when he or she will arrive. They dream about what their child's personality will be like. They pray for their child's future and wonder what life path he or she will take. Parents-to-be spend nine months both physically pregnant and also pregnant with expectations.
Mary's pregnancy must have produced exponentially more expectation for her. Not only was Mary pregnant, but she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. She likely spent her time not only imagining what Yeshua would look like, but also pondering the mysteries of a virgin birth, the responsibility of raising the promised Messiah, and the prophesies that predicted his sacrifice. She was pregnant with extra expectation.
As we move closer to Christmas, it would be good for us to grow pregnant with extra expectation as well. Spend some time pondering the mysteries surrounding Christ's conception and birth. Wonder at the way God chose to reveal himself to the world. Dream about what the world would look like if people truly lived according to the ways of Christ's kingdom. Pray for the peace that the "Prince of Peace" came to bring. As we encounter Christ this Christmas, may we find that he exceeds every expectation we ever had.
Grow my anticipation as the celebration of your birth approaches, Lord Yeshua. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment