O my soul,
What does this broken world need?
What does Ukraine need? And Palestine? And Syria? And South Sudan? And the U.S.? And New Zealand?
What do the downtrodden and the brokenhearted need? And O my soul, what do you need?
The answer is God’s rescue plan for this broken world and for each broken heart. But the answer has already come and it came in weakness and frailty and obscurity the form of a little baby.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
― Luke 2:4-7
What an inauspicious start to an incredible, lavish, and costly rescue⸺a couple of nobodies away from home in a busy city with no place to stay, laying this newborn baby down in an animal’s food trough.
But perspective is everything.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
― Luke 2:8-12
As you marvel at the sheer audacity of sending a helpless baby to be the Saviour of the World, ensure to do so as Mary and not as Zechariah.
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her …
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
― Luke 1:30-35, 38
This is at the same time so similar to and yet so very different from Zechariah’s response to a parallel revelation.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”
And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
― Luke 1:13-14, 18-20
Notice that Mary’s question asked from her surrendered heart sounded to all intents and purposes just like Zechariah’s from his doubting heart, but it was in fact so very different. “How will this be?” was asked in faith and obedience, whereas “How shall I know this?” was asked in unbelief and scepticism.
O my soul, you must be Mary.
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
― Luke 1:38
So in hope and faith and with a surrendered heart, let us ask why and how. Why would the Creator God of the Universe and Lord of All choose such an apparently risky and fragile plan? And how could this helpless baby change everything?
Why?
Vitally Jesus was both fully man and fully God, but there is another factor here, and it is this.
And the angel answered her …
“For nothing will be impossible with God.”
― Luke 1:35, 37
Is this not God demonstrating exactly this, revealing his great power made perfect in weakness? He is absolutely the God of the impossible. O my soul, he is the God of your own impossible. Consider even this one thing.
Here we have a helpless newborn baby and a tyrant king out to kill him.
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
― Matthew 2:7-9, 16
And yet Mary and Joseph escaped with the baby Jesus to Egypt where they lived for a while as refugees in a foreign land. How was that even possible?
So the why is the God of the impossible demonstrating his great power, rescuing and redeeming his creation and the whole of humankind through this little baby. And how? Isaiah tells it and Handel composed it.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
― Isaiah 9:6
This little baby would not remain weak and helpless. He was and is the great I Am, Mighty God, one with the Father, everlasting, reigning and ruling in majesty and splendour. The Prince of Peace indeed. Praise him! Praise his holy name!
And never was the birth of a baby so anticipated, so eagerly awaited.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
― Isaiah 9:2-3
When the spoil is divided, all receive.
So what child is this? John tells it.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
― John 1:1-5, 14
God the Son, the Creator of the Universe and the one who sustains all things by his powerful word, became flesh, became a little baby, and dwelt among us.
Know that all things were made through him and for him.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities⸺all things were created through him and for him.
― Colossians 1:15-16
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
― Romans 11:36
O my soul, marvel at the power and wisdom and goodness and mercy of the God of the impossible, and the rescue and redemption and healing of Jesus Christ who was that little baby and is the Lord of All, and praise him! 🙏❤️