January 3, 2020
What a joyous time Christmas 2019 was! Children all here. Wonderful Christmas festivities & memories. Some great food and great time together!
I am again struck with the miracle that was the first Christmas. I’ll leave it to others to comment about “the Star” or “the star of Bethlehem” - there are sooo many theories! The undeniable fact that the star appeared is enough for me. Personally, I think it was some type of manifestation of the shekinah glory of the Lord and perhaps may not have even been a discrete astronomical event such as a conjunction of stars and/or planets. The word shekinah does not appear in the Bible, but the concept clearly does. The Jewish rabbis coined this extra-biblical expression, a form of a Hebrew word that literally means “he caused to dwell,” signifying that it was a divine visitation of the presence or dwelling of the Lord God on this earth.
Contemplating the uniqueness of the event and the circumstances and purposes of God revealed in the story of the nativity as recorded in Scripture is even more awe-inspiring. Traditionally, we read the story of His birth from Matthew or Luke - and those are beautiful passages. But the apostle Paul also gives an account of the theological implications of this Child in the manger. See Galatians Chapter 4 verses 4-5. This was the Child for which all of time and all of human history had waited. This was the Child who existed with the Father - before there was time & space. This was the Child sent by the Father at the perfect point in history (the fullness of time) to be born of a woman, born under the law, born to redeem us all and through His death, burial and ressurection, make us heirs (sons and daughters) of the Father.
Then consider Acts Chapter 1 verses 9-11. He’s coming back!
Revelation 22:20.