Jump Start # 758

Luke 1:29 “But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.”

The Christmas Season is upon us. Many places and many people are focusing upon the birth of Jesus. The birth of Jesus is important. First, it is a Biblical fact and there are powerful lessons found there. However, there is a very strong tendency to make more out of the birth of Jesus than was intended. The emphasis upon the N.T. is not the beginning but the end, not the baby in a manger, but the Savior upon the cross. The baby is cute, the crucified Savior is powerful. The is no indication in the Bible that the early Christians, or the early church celebrated the birth of Jesus. Very little is even said about the birth outside the first pages of Matthew and Luke. Mark and John do not refer to it all and the epistles make very little reference to it. There are indications that Jesus would not have been born in December as well. Today, the forecast in Jerusalem is for cold rain. It’s doing that right now in Indiana. Bitter day to be outside. Terrible conditions for shepherds to be in the field and terrible time for people to travel. Caesar had called for a census to be taken. Every adult male had to travel to his place of birth to be registered. A census would not be called in a season which travel was so difficult, like rainy and cold Decembers are in Jerusalem. One other thought, every feast day or special day that God wanted his people to remember, including the death of Jesus, was specifically told when and what to do. For the birth of Jesus there is nothing stated from Heaven. Look up the feast of booths, Passover or even the Lord’s Supper. You find instructions about when, where and what to do. There is nothing about the birth of Jesus. Interesting, isn’t it. God never leaves worship to our imagination. It is always instructed.

Having said all that, we ought to be able to talk about any and every aspect of Jesus, no matter what day of the week it is or what month it is. Since so many are thinking about the birth, we will share a few thoughts in our Jump Starts.

Our verse today shows Mary’s reaction to the announcement from the angel about the coming birth of Jesus. Two thoughts stand out about these things.

First, she was chosen by God without any input from her perspective. There is nothing to indicate that she prayed for a child. There is no indication that she dreamed that she would be the instrument to bring the Messiah into the world. Those thoughts were beyond her. God didn’t ask her. He simply chose her. This was not an answer to her prayers. This happens over and over in the Bible. Jesus chose the apostles. They didn’t strive for that position or petition for it. They were chosen. That is an interesting thought. God doesn’t need our permission, approval or even our input into what He is doing.

Second, Mary didn’t seem to understand everything that was happening. Our passage says that she was very perplexed. The prophets didn’t fully grasp all the things that they were writing about either. God didn’t call for a time-out and send Mary to school for six months and then return to His divine plans. He carried on, with her being perplexed. Knowledge and understanding takes time. We can carry on what we do and in the process learn and understand more and more as we go along. Marriage is like that. A young couple gets married and they do not fully grasp all that is involved with marriage. They simply love each other. As time passes and they have been married for a while, they learn more and more about each other, relationships and how to build a successful marriage. Discipleship is like that as well. We can follow Jesus and learn from Him. As time passes, the depth, involvement and commitment increases as we learn so much more.

Being perplexed is not a reason to put on the brakes. Answers can be found. Continue on with what you know, always learning, asking, and seeking. Being perplexed leads a person to want to know more. It’s a great experience and a great adventure and once all the pieces come together in your mind, the cloud of darkness is lifted and great insight is understood.

Have you ever been perplexed with what God said? What did you do about it? Give up? Stayed that way? Found answers and came to a greater understanding of the will of God?

Roger