The Gift

As I was considering a new post for this Advent season, I began to think about Lon's Advent sermon series on "The Wonder of a New Baby."  I also sought some guidance from my best friend (my wife, of course).  She suggested a blurb about "The Gift."  We have three wonderful children who have three wonderful spouses.  They have now gifted us with eight wonderful grandchildren.  As I think back on the births of our children and grandchildren I can still recall the wonder and awe as I held those little bundles of cells who, in only nine months or so, had become perfect little beings.


I suspect that Mary and Joseph must have had those same feelings, but maybe a bit more "wonder" (if that's possible) about what Jesus' life would be like.  Gabriel told Mary that her son was to be named Jesus and that He would be great and called the Son of the Most High.  She was told that Jesus would be given the throne of his father David and that He would reign over the house of Jacob forever and ever.  Gabriel didn't mention anything about a cross.  As I consider Mary's thoughts, I think about the haunting lyrics of the Christmas song, "Mary, Did You Know?" by Mark Lowry.  I expect that Mary was told only what God wanted her to know in order for her to lovingly raise Jesus as her own.

While in residency here in the late 1980's, we had the pleasure of meeting Greg and Diana Botkin.  Greg was also in the residency program and they had children as well.  As busy as they were, they took the time to home-school their children.  Diana is an accomplished artist and provided much of the family's income with her paintings.  While they were here, she won several awards and was commissioned by Mead Johnson to do some Enfamil art work.  Both Greg and Diana are devout Christians and much of her work has Christian themes.  As I considered the idea of "The Gift" associated with "The Wonder of a New Baby," I remembered a piece that Diana had done in charcoal some 20 years ago.  To me, it speaks volumes about a God who loves us so much, and wants so much for us to love Him, that He came into the world He created, and in the only fashion possible reconciled our debt for sin and justified us once again into a right relationship with Him.  She called it "Behold the Lamb of God Who Takes Away the Sin of the World".  To me it is "The Gift."