A MARY CHRISTMAS

The safe route in our Yuletide festivities is the Mary-merry blend. If anyone had a reason to be truly merry at the birth of Jesus, it was Mary. A closer look at this “handmaiden of the Lord,” would reveal the virtues that best exemplify the true spirit of Christmas. The usual Christmas greeting is, “Merry Christmas!” Basically, this is okay. At the birth of Christ the angel announced “…I bring you good tidings of great joy…” The Bible also says, “A merry heart does good as a medicine” (Pro  17:22). So, really, God is not averse to our having a healthily joyous time at Christmas. The very fact that the Lord compares “merry heart” with “medicine,” indicates that the “merry” refers to something healthy. Medicine and health are synonymous. The Bible also associates Christmas with celebration and thanksgiving. There was a spectacular celebration of praise and thanksgiving by angels when the virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus (Lk 2:13, 14).

Christmas and gift-giving go hand-in-hand, as well. Christ is God’s greatest gift to man and the wise men brought precious gifts to the baby Jesus. Christmas means holy celebration and earnest thanksgiving. We all are aware, however, that for most Christmas merry-makers “to be jolly” means lust, gluttony and drunkenness. It is frenzied, consuming commercialism and wantonness. One rich man in the Bible, in proclaiming his dedication to this type of lifestyle declared, “I will say to my soul, ‘…eat, drink and be merry.’” His version of merriment was short-lived, for soon the Lord thundered, “Thou fool, this night thy soul is required of thee” (Lk 12:20). King Belshazzar took the holy vessels of God and desecrated them in his celebration of drunkenness. The same night the Lord appeared with the famous “writing on the wall” judgment, which ended in Belshazzar’s swift demise (Dan 5:1-30). These biblical accounts do demonstrate that the Lord is indeed displeased over celebrations that pervert His holiness.

I therefore believe that the safe route to take in our Yuletide festivities is the Mary-merry blend. Let’s commit to having “a Mary Christmas!” If anyone had reason to celebrate and have a merry time at the birth of Jesus, it was Mary. She was the recipient of the greatest honour any woman could ever crave or covet. She was hand-picked by the Lord himself to bear His only Son. A closer look at the life of this “handmaiden of the Lord,” would reveal the virtues and qualities that best exemplify the spirit of Christmas. Purity: Mary’s virgin conception represents purity. When God decided upon the conception and birth of His Son, virginity or purity was foremost among His prime considerations. Far from what pervades the Christmas season today, the Lord expects the purity of holiness, thanksgiving and worship to be the dominant feature representing His Son’s birth and life. “A Mary Christmas” would ensure this kind of spirit and awareness.

The Holy Spirit: Concerning her virgin conception, the holy angel told Mary, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee…” (Lk 2:35). Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary. The Holy Spirit would therefore be at the heart of “a Mary Christmas,” overshadowing our own will and wishes, as we make way for God’s. God’s Word: Despite the apparent threat Mary faced of being stoned to death or badly ostracised for having a pregnancy without a marriage, the young handmaiden promptly replied to the angel, “Be it unto me according to thy Word” (Lk 2:38). Irrespective of how deep our personal feelings are, regarding our style of celebrating Christmas, or how much we stand to “lose” in living a life consistent with “virgin purity,” our total commitment must be to steadfastly abide by the Word of God. Acknowledging His Lordship: From the moment of the angelic enunciation, Mary fully acknowledged that she was merely an instrument being used by God to give birth to Jesus. She understood that He was the Lord and Saviour, not her.

The angel made it clear, “…He (Jesus, not Mary) shall save His people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). Quite noteworthy also, is the fact that when Jesus was about to perform His first miracle (turning water into wine) the people went to His mother, asking her assistance (in effect, praying to her). Mary graciously pointed them away from herself, to the Lord Jesus, stating quite clearly, “Whatsoever He (not her) says unto you, do it” (Jn 2:5). A Mary Christmas acknowledges and accepts the full lordship of Jesus. Salvation: In announcing the conception of Jesus, the angel said, “Call His name ‘Jesus,’ for he shall save His people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). The name Jesus actually means “saviour” or “the one that brings salvation.” This is, overall, the greatest and most important message of Christmas? Salvation. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Every man therefore needs a saviour. God made it undisputedly clear that Jesus Christ is that Saviour (Jn 3:16; 14:6). For this we need to be most thankful. Remember Jesus is the reason for the season, and put the Mary in your merry Christmas!