GIVEN

Words like these should really open our eyes…

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God…”

Luke 1:30-35

How can this be?  Mary knew she couldn’t make it happen…

We like to think that we’ve accomplished something in our lives.  We’ve built something, we used the right program, the right system.  We said the right thing, we finished the task.  Our work is important.  We were creative.

And we should be happy to build and create.  It’s the way God made us.

But we’re reminded at this time of year that the most valuable things in life – no, everything in life – has actually been given.

King David wrote of our species:

…you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour.  You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet…

Psalm 8:5-6

We have a place of honour – given by God.  In fact, the greatness of humanity lies in a few mysterious words in Genesis 1:26:  Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…”

A few collections of chemicals crawling around on a bit of rock in a small galaxy – how can we even be alive?  It is because even the breath of life was given by God (Genesis 2:7; Isaiah 42:5-6).

God didn’t need us – we didn’t give meaning to God’s life.  We didn’t somehow “complete” the Infinite.

We were given honour, given food to eat, given a place to live, given work to do.  And given the choice to enjoy our Creator, or shake our fists at Him.

The fallen creatures were given warnings, given hope, given punishment, given direction.

And when Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, we were given more than we will ever really understand.

How much more honour was given to humans when the Creator, the Great Invisible Spirit, took a breath?  Stretched out His small hands?  Cried salty tears?

He did not come because humanity was wondrous and He just had to be a part of it.  He made humanity all the more wondrous by stamping His Name on the race.  We didn’t even name Him, did we (Luke 2:21)?

A Son is … given …

For to us a child is born,
To us a son is given;
And the government shall be upon his shoulder,
And his name shall be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

At this time of year we’re reminded that all the joy, love, peace, and salvation that is now and more importantly that is to be – it’s all given by Him – If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:11)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:17-18)

We reflect the goodness of God when we create and when we give.  We give because He gave His only Son (John 3:16).  We give because He has given and will eternally give (Ephesians 2:4-10).  All the light we have, all the hope in the celebration, all the peace in our hearts … was given.

God… saved us and called us to a holy calling,
not because of our works
but because of his own purpose and grace,
which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
and which now has been manifested
through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,
who abolished death
and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel…

1 Timothy 1:9-10