Born in a manger: a story of adoption
This time of year, we are so readily reminded of the birth of Jesus as a miraculous fulfillment of millennia of prophetic expectation and God's perfect plan invading earth in an unprecedented way. There is incredible value and richness as we pause to reflect and allow our minds to arrive at a place of wonder, excitement and gratitude.
I walked into Walmart yesterday and the experience, however, was painfully void of any wonder, excitement or gratitude. I passed the outer gates of vitamin shops and chocobananos to encounter that as quickly as Christmas had not long ago invaded, overtaken and overwhelmed my senses, the flashy trees, lights and bows were utterly replaced with patio furniture, toys and school supplies. Walmart has definitely moved on, but there is so much more that God is speaking to us through this timeless story of good tidings of great joy.
The bible speaks of God making plans that precede creation and I like to imagine Jesus and the Father sitting down at a table with their notebooks and pens, close to a fire with wool sweaters and mugs full of something delicious as their creative juices begin to flow. In these planning sessions, they compose a perfect narrative where in the ultimate expression of love for the people they will soon create, Jesus courageously volunteers to descend to a fallen earth to find the most humble beginning in the most immaculate manifestation of love. Yet, if I keep reading, I find that in this planning process they also chose me. Chosen to be set apart; written into my story that I would one day become a part of their family. Long before blood and biology ever existed, God created adoption. His eternal story was written, intertwining my destiny with His in the most beautiful and selfless act of love.
How fitting for the story of Jesus' birth to portray this truth as His earthly father was brought into His life not by the mysterious workings of genetics and chromosomes but by the selfless act of adoption. Joseph adopted Jesus as his own and the fulfillment of the prophecy that the Messiah would come through an heir of David was fulfilled through Jesus' adoptive dad. In this same way, God the Father has intentionally chosen and embraced me, calling me His own in an irrevocable and personal covenant.
As you ponder the greatness of Jesus' birth as a prominent part of God's eternal plan, allow this truth to permeate your mind and heart. Before anything else was created, He thought of you. Before the heavens and the earth first took shape, He decided to bring you in as His own through a binding pact of adoption. The manger is about so much more than humble beginnings; it is a reminder that God's plan continues to unwind in mysterious and sovereign ways, and that you and I are incredibly and intentionally wrapped up in His story.
Merry Christmas from the McCormicks!
(Ephesians 1:4-5)
I walked into Walmart yesterday and the experience, however, was painfully void of any wonder, excitement or gratitude. I passed the outer gates of vitamin shops and chocobananos to encounter that as quickly as Christmas had not long ago invaded, overtaken and overwhelmed my senses, the flashy trees, lights and bows were utterly replaced with patio furniture, toys and school supplies. Walmart has definitely moved on, but there is so much more that God is speaking to us through this timeless story of good tidings of great joy.
The bible speaks of God making plans that precede creation and I like to imagine Jesus and the Father sitting down at a table with their notebooks and pens, close to a fire with wool sweaters and mugs full of something delicious as their creative juices begin to flow. In these planning sessions, they compose a perfect narrative where in the ultimate expression of love for the people they will soon create, Jesus courageously volunteers to descend to a fallen earth to find the most humble beginning in the most immaculate manifestation of love. Yet, if I keep reading, I find that in this planning process they also chose me. Chosen to be set apart; written into my story that I would one day become a part of their family. Long before blood and biology ever existed, God created adoption. His eternal story was written, intertwining my destiny with His in the most beautiful and selfless act of love.
How fitting for the story of Jesus' birth to portray this truth as His earthly father was brought into His life not by the mysterious workings of genetics and chromosomes but by the selfless act of adoption. Joseph adopted Jesus as his own and the fulfillment of the prophecy that the Messiah would come through an heir of David was fulfilled through Jesus' adoptive dad. In this same way, God the Father has intentionally chosen and embraced me, calling me His own in an irrevocable and personal covenant.
As you ponder the greatness of Jesus' birth as a prominent part of God's eternal plan, allow this truth to permeate your mind and heart. Before anything else was created, He thought of you. Before the heavens and the earth first took shape, He decided to bring you in as His own through a binding pact of adoption. The manger is about so much more than humble beginnings; it is a reminder that God's plan continues to unwind in mysterious and sovereign ways, and that you and I are incredibly and intentionally wrapped up in His story.
Merry Christmas from the McCormicks!
(Ephesians 1:4-5)
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