Each Friday my writing stems from a word prompt. Five minutes, one word prompt. The prompt this week is … Birth.
The Advent season provides us time to slow down and reflect on the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus.
Other times of the year, I can skim over the story quickly as it is a familiar one. But during Advent, every detail comes into focus. New details emerge. Slight nuances never before noticed.
This past week was spent in the Gospel of Matthew. After giving us detailed genealogy of Jesus, Matthew writes:
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows ….”
(Matthew 1:18, NKJV)
Matthew, a tax collector before his life collided with Jesus, was accustomed to keeping records. Matthew wanted to be very clear all people for all time knew exactly what had occurred.
But more so, Matthew wanted us to know, with certainty, Jesus’ birth was like no other birth had ever been before and would never be again.
Yes, Jesus was born of an earthly woman, but had no earthly father. Matthew beautifully reminds us that Jesus is the Son of God, born of the virgin Mary.
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son …”
(Matthew 1:23a, NLT)
He establishes His birth so that people for all time would know Jesus is the long awaited Messiah now come, to bring salvation to His people.
Jesus’ birth reminds us He came to be with us.
“… and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ”
(Matthew 1:23b, NLT)
Jesus’ birth –
“God with us”.
He will never leave us, fail us us or abandon us.Â
God is with us forevermore.
Today I am joining … Five Minute Friday and Faith On Fire and Friendship Friday .
Joanne, I am always amazed at the beautiful posts you come up with from a 5-minute prompt! I have been reading Matthew this Advent season. The verse you quote here is one of my favorites: God with us! What a wonderful Christmas present.
Thank you, Laurie! Your encouragement is most appreciated. I just finished reading your post about blogging – so much good information there. Thank you for sharing your thoughts as there is much yet I need to learn. May you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!
Thanks for the reminder and the song. Love Chris Tomlin
What did He see to pardon
the state to which we fell,
destroyers of a Garden,
creators of a hell?
How could a gentle newborn babe
challenge evil’s rise?
What is us is there to save
from our own fell enterprise?
How could Holy Innocence
wash out malignancy
through acceptance of a sentence
of death upon a tree?
We must take these all as given,
and stand in grace among the living.
Always, spot on! xo
Listening to the song now…so powerful! Even with “ordinary” babies, we put so much hope and expectation on them. But with the Savior of the world? So glad he’s lived up to the hype!
Joanne, these words are so true the longer I walk with the Lord and read His Word. –> ‘New details emerge. Slight nuances never before noticed.’
I love the way you put it.
Christmas blessings to you and yours …
Beautiful. It’s so humbling to think of how God orchestrated a timely birth for a timely death of His Son. Thankful when we remember His birth, we are also reminded of His death and resurrection to bring us life.