I would like to share twelve thoughts about Christ and the Christmas season that I have had during my study. This post is Part 1 of 3, so I will only share four of those thoughts. Hopefully they can inspire you to spend sometime in the next weeks leading up to December 25 reflecting on the true purpose of Christmas and it's eternal significance.
1. John the Baptist
We don't talk a lot about John the Baptist when we tell the Christmas story. He isn't technically part of the Nativity, but his birth was a similarly miraculous and crucial event. Elizabeth, John's mother, was barren and elderly and physically incapable of bearing a child. Yet God wrought in her a miracle comparable to that of Mary the virgin. She was able to conceive and have a son.
I have often wondered why John's birth was so significant. Why perform such a miracle at his birth? Why would God choose Elizabeth to be John's mother? I think the answer has three parts. First of all, Elizabeth and Zacharias were righteous, faithful people who had prayed for years to have a child and never had received an answer. God knew they would be receptive to His command that they raise up a son who could be the forerunner for Jesus Christ. They would be more grateful, more faithful, more patient, and more humble than many other parents who had not waited so long to be blessed with a baby. Second, Elizabeth was Mary's cousin. Mary was young and had an enormous responsibility placed on her shoulders. If I had been in her shoes, I would've received a great deal of comfort knowing that my cousin was going through a similar experience. The scriptures tell us that Mary went to visit with Elizabeth during her pregnancy (Luke 1:39-56), and I think that during that time she must've been very grateful that the Lord had not left her completely alone or friendless at such a time. Third, John the Baptist was destined to play a critical role in preparing the way of the Lord. His miraculous birth set him apart from others in the same way that Christ's did. God was signalling to the world that this child was known and set apart by Him to be the forerunner to His only begotten son.
Everything about John's story is, to me, a reminder of how mindful God is of His children. He sent John to Elizabeth as a tender mercy both to her and to Mary. And He prepared the way for John through his miraculous birth and by sending him to righteous parents, so that he could, in turn, prepare the way for Christ's ministry.
I've often wondered about Mary, about what kind of woman she must've been to be worthy of being the mother of Christ. She was likely very young when Jesus was born--probably 16. When I think of the person that I was at 16, my admiration for Mary increases. She must've been extremely mature both mentally and spiritually. But with that being said, I think that Mary also was chosen in her youth for a reason. God chose someone who would be able to grow with the Christ child. She was still very impressionable and humble, and as such was able to grow from grace to grace as Christ did (Doctrine and Covenants 93:11-13). I'm sure that Mary did not have a perfect understanding of who her son was when she conceived, or even when he was born. She may not have had a perfect understanding of who he was when she found him in the temple as a 12-year-old boy, or even when he began his ministry. I think that, like all of us, she had to gain a testimony of who the Christ truly was. God chose her as Christ's mother because of her capacity to learn, to grow, to have faith, and to be humble. At least, that is my understanding of Mary. I wish we knew more about her.
3. Joseph, Mary's Husband
Joseph is the hardest person for me to understand in the Nativity story. After the Passover visit to Jerusalem when Christ is 12, we never hear about Joseph again. And yet, what a critical role he played in the life of the Savior! He helped to raise the Messiah. He provided for and protected Mary and Jesus. But still we know so little about him. Even less than we know about Mary. But I think that what we do know about Mary, and about Jesus, can help paint a picture of who Joseph was. He was not young like Mary. He was a grown man with a profession. But he must've possessed many of the same traits as Mary did: humility, faith, obedience, righteousness, and integrity. Together, they worked as a team to support one another in raising the Christ child.
Luke 2:52 is the only verse that provides us with any insight into Christ's adolescence: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Although Christ was the Son of God and the only perfect person to have ever lived on the Earth, I like to think that Mary and Joseph did play a part in helping Jesus become the man that God intended him to be. I feel like this verse provides us more insight into what kind of man and father Joseph must've been than any other.
4. The Shepherds and the Wise Men
The scriptures say the shepherds were in the same country, but they had to travel to Bethlehem. I wonder how far away they were? Did they have to travel for a significant amount of time? It's also interesting to note that the angel didn't tell them where to find the baby, other than by saying that he would be in a manger. That narrows it down to a stable, but I'd bet you there were a lot of those in Bethlehem. The point is, the shepherds had to go seeking the Christ child.
We talk all the time about how the Wise Men sought Christ out, and we use them as an example of discipleship because they went looking for Christ as soon as they saw the sign of his birth. But I think we do the shepherds an injustice when we assume that they looked around at each other after the angel left and said, "Well, do you think we should check this out? It's only an hour to Bethlehem. Why not?" They had to leave their sheep--their livelihood--to travel to Bethlehem and then go searching every stable in town until they found the baby. We kind of assume that the star guided them just like it did the Wise Men, but a star is used for direction during long distances. It could only give a general direction. It couldn't point out exactly what stable the Savior had been born in.
I guess what I'm getting at is that both the Wise Men and the shepherds had to actively seek out the Christ child. The Wise Men can represent people who were born into a home where they were taught about Christ. They were ready and waiting for the sign when it came. They went seeking the Lord because they already knew he was coming. But the shepherds represent people who have no knowledge of Christ. They were people who had no idea that the Messiah was coming (other than some cultural background that made them believe there would be a Messiah at some point in human history). They weren't learned in the ways of God. So a messenger had to be sent to share the good news with them. But once they heard the news, they began a path of discipleship that was just as pleasing to the Lord as was that of the Wise Men, who had been waiting their entire lives for the sign to come.
I enjoy thinking of the shepherds this way. It helps me not to think of them as merely spectators. They were put in the scriptures to remind us that all people, both those who are prepared and those who hear the message a little later, are welcomed in by the Savior. Rich and poor, wise and unlearned, kings and shepherds.