Christimas is coming - God is coming ...

Monday, Dec 19, 2016. Christmas is something special. Christianity is celebrating the birth of Jesus. He is the source and center of Christian faith, at the same time. He is not its founder, he is its content! He is “all in all”. So it is important to see who he is, what he did and does … and it is good to know the circumstances of his birth and his death, as it is recorded in the biblical books.

Birth foretold …

A young woman Mary is told that she will be pregnant soon … let us read:

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”4 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born

will be called holy—the Son of God.

36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (from )

The story is, of course, amazing. It is telling of a young woman meeting one of the main angels of God: Gabriel. It is about God's son to be born by her. What a story! It does not surprise us that it is questioned and challenged where ever you go. God will have a son!

Coming …

There are many layers and features in this story. The longer you listen to it, the more you study it, the better it gets, believe me! First, God is coming. He is coming into our world. He wants to be in our life! He wants to be with us.

I call it realistic. This message is much better than any story of an abstract God, of a mere spirit. It is much better than any other stories of Gods and spiritual forces (which still might exist). It is a story about the creator of the world which takes the world serious. And it fits to this world. God has made it, he has given us the ability to think, to act, to love, to speak. He wants to interact with us. He made us to live with him - so he comes to live with us!

The story has much more to say, and we will talk more about Christmas, about Mary, about the child, about all those things happening around the Christmas story. But let us take one thing first: God is coming. He is coming close. He wants to reach you and me … today and tomorrow - through and in Jesus! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts