Pastor Jim Mann
Two millennia ago, nine months before the first Christmas, a miracle took place in the village of Nazareth. That day a young girl was filled with the Spirit of God, and she received an amazing gift—a gift for the entire world. That day God’s life flowed through her and brought the promise of healing and eternal and abundant life to a world in turmoil.
Two millennia ago, God did a redemptive miracle in Mary. I believe He wants to do redemptive miracles in us as well. But in order for this to happen, we must first be open to God’s divine possibilities for our lives. Are you open to God’s move? If God has great plans for you, are you willing to say “yes?”
That’s what Mary said, “Yes.” “Yes, Lord, I am open to your miracle in my life.” And because she was open to God’s divine possibilities for her life, we are here today.
The incarnation is a vital, historical, theological fact. The idea of Jesus’ incarnation describes the time and place in history in which Jesus became human to live among us and show us the way back to God. Christmas is about the incarnation, the baby Jesus being born in Bethlehem.
I’d like to invite you to join us at New Life Church for the three weeks leading up to Christmas where we’ll be looking at Jesus’ incarnation from another perspective. We’re going to talk about the miracle of Jesus’ incarnation in the womb of Mary as an analogy—an analogy of God’s “incarnation” in us. The apostle Paul used the same analogy when he said, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Mary literally had Christ in her; she would give birth to the Messiah. But God wants to do a similar miracle with us—not physically, of course, but spiritually; Christ in you, the hope of glory!
Mary’s miracle calls us back to that time when eternity penetrated time—when that Jewish maiden named Mary was met with divine grace in that dusty town called Nazareth. It was God invading time and space to solve the world’s problem with sin.
We, too, have problems—those difficulties that invade homes, work, family, minds and habits. These problems have a way of taking over, of dictating restrictions to our lives. And too often we readily submit, supposing “Well, I guess this is the way it’s intended to be.” But just as the Holy Spirit moved in the life of Mary, so he wants to move in us. Just as the problems of the world would be solved in the life of Jesus in Mary’s womb, so the Spirit wants to bring the life of Jesus into our circumstances to bring solutions to our problems.
Won’t you join us?
Jim Mann, Ph.D. pastors New Life Church at Robson Ranch. This interdenominational church meets at the Robson clubhouse on Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. Visit New Life’s website: www.NewLifeDenton.org for more information.