Our God is a God of great surprises.
I feel like at every turn of this hard, crazy, beautiful life, I’m surprised again by our Creator. He surprises me with the dreams He has for my life—dreams beyond what I could ever hope for. He surprises me with His greatness and power and incomprehensible nature. He surprises me with little moments, at times when I least expect. And with every surprise, every unexpected joy, every perfect moment, I become more and more certain: God delights in giving good surprises to His children.
In less than a week, it will be Christmas day. Families throughout this country and other countries around the world will gather around their indoor pine trees and share gifts and food and memories. And I can’t help but think… Christmas is God’s best surprise.
Christmas, after all, is a celebration of Jesus’s birth. And the story of Jesus’s birth is a story filled with the unexpected. Take Mary as a first example. God chose a virgin to give birth to the Savior of the world. Talk about unexpected.
Then, Mary and Joseph had to make the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the Roman census—while Mary was pregnant with Jesus. I can’t imagine this was a pleasant trip. Mary was probably awfully uncomfortable. And Joseph was likely exhausted, trying to keep Mary as comfortable as possible while getting them safely to Bethlehem.
When the time came for Jesus to be born into the world, Mary and Joseph weren’t in a cozy home by a warm fire. There was no room for them anywhere but a stable. Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, was born in a barn. He was laid to rest in a manger, a feeding trough for animals.
Is that what you would picture, for the promised king of Israel? Is that what you think God’s people were looking for?
Jesus, the perfect Savior, God’s own son, was born in the most human, humble, imperfect way possible.
Not only that, but do you remember who God shared the good news of Jesus’s birth with first? It wasn’t the kings or the priests or anyone of power or prestige. God sent angels to tell shepherds of Jesus’s birth. And during that time, shepherds weren’t valued or respected. They were seen as having little worth. They were on the outside of society.
Yet, the shepherds were the first to know about Jesus’s birth in the stable, and they were the first to visit him and welcome him into the world. And Mary? She “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). She was surprised, friends. She was wondering about the big picture in all of these unexpected events. She pondered them in her heart, treasuring the gifts God gave her that day. And, more than anything, the gift God had given her by entrusting her with His son.
God had promised to send a mighty king to Israel. That part wasn’t a surprise. Scripture prophesied the coming of this king. Isaiah 9:6-7 is one of the more well-known prophecies:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
But do you think God’s people expected Jesus to be born to a virgin, in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem, with shepherds to welcome him into the world?
No. That part was a surprise. God’s best surprise of all.
This Christmas, be surprised. Be surprised by the goodness and generosity of our God. Be surprised by how He sent His son into this world. Be surprised by how much He loves us, even in all our brokenness.
Be surprised by the fact that He’ll never leave you, He’ll never forsake you, He’ll never forget you, He’ll never stop loving you. Be surprised by the depth of His presence in your life.
Be surprised, and never forget that you are onederfully created by the One who sent His son to save the world.
Love,
Becca
