The Bible tells us of only three women that knew Who He really was; only three women knew His Divine identity. One was His mother, one a distant cousin, and one a poor widow who lived in the Temple. When a prince is born to a royal family today, it is on all the tv channels, in all the newspapers, his arrival talked about for months, and gifts are sent from around the world. But no one knew of His arrival. His identity was known by only a few.
After Gabriel made his announcement to Mary, did she tell her mother? What did she tell her mother? How do you explain Emanuel to your mother? Miraculous conception isn't something you explain, it is something one must......know.
Mary knew; with one cell of her body she knew when the Prince of Peace began to grow in her womb. But who could she tell? Who would believe that the Kings of Kings could be Mary's child; she was a peasant, He would be a peasant, too.
When I was expecting each of our sons, I loved talking with my mom and other women about the soon arrival. There is such a sweet bond between mother and daughter during that time and I am so thankful that I experienced that with my mom. With my first, I listened wide eyed to the tales of older women and their experiences with labor and delivery. And more than once I caught my mother's eye as she cautioned them not to say "too much" in my presence. I enjoyed being with my friends who were expecting. During two of my pregnancies, two of my sisters were also expecting babies about the same time and it was a sweet time of "baby talk" and hopes and dreams. Did Mary have sisters? What did the older women say about her and her baby? They didn't know Who He was; but Mary knew.
Elizabeth knew. The moment Mary walked through the door of her cousin's home and her own son, John, leaped in her womb, Elizabeth knew. She knew she was in the presence of holiness, of perfection. And for a brief time Mary could enjoy the joys of expecting her first born Son, unafraid, unashamed, completely accepted and loved. It was a secret the two women could share with no one else; Mary's Son was God.
Anna knew. She had lived in the Temple quarters for women for over eighty years. She had seen lots of babies come and go. She knew when parents brought their eight day old baby boys to be circumcised, she knew when they were brought to the Temple to be blessed and with each new baby boy she hoped and wondered if this was the One; could this be the Messiah? And then she saw Him, and she knew.....the One she had waited her whole life to see was there, in the flesh, for her to hold and bless and to praise God for His promise kept, fulfilled.
Could there have been more? Maybe, but I doubt it. God shares His secrets with but a few. Psalm 25:14;
"The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant."
I know who to share my secrets with, don't you? I share them with those I trust, with those who respect me. Mary, Elizabeth, Anna; women who could be trusted with the secret. Women God knew who respected Him, believed His Word, trusted His promises. Soon the secret would be revealed to all, but for now, only three women knew that a young Jewish woman had given birth to the Savior of the World.
Dear friend, I hope you know Him. It isn't a secret anymore; the angels announced His birth on that night, months later wise men came from afar to worship Him and bring Him gifts.Others soon learned that God had come to earth in the flesh. John 1: 14:
"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory; the glory as the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
If you do not know Him, you can. And this is how you can know Him as Emanuel, as the Divine Son of God, as the Word that became flesh and dwells among us;
1. Admit you are a sinner. Romans 3:23; All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Romans 5:8; "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
2. Believe. Romans 10: 9,10; "If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will BELIEVE in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED."
3. Believe and Receive. Romans 10:13; "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
Friend, you can know the joy of salvation this Christmas season; you can have the greatest gift of all. If you have never asked Jesus into your heart, please pray this prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I am lost, I am a sinner. I want to be saved from my sins. Please come into my heart, forgive me of my sins, and today I give my life to you and accept You as my Lord and Savior."
He will not turn anyone away. He loves you. He longs to give you His gift.
I'd love to hear from you. Have a Merry, Merry, Blessed Christmas.
With love and blessings to you and your family from:
David, Penny and the whole Noffsinger family.
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