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Resources - Meditations
The Greater Miracle
Rev. Geoff van Schie
She will give birth
to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save
his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21
Miracles remain a topic of much discussion in our postmodern scientific
world, in which unbelieving humanity seeks a logical explanation for
everything that defies reason.
People speak of miracles in the context of tragic occurrences of
everyday life. When recently a Singapore Airlines jumbo crashed on take
off from Taipei, the survival of many people in the tail section, which
broke away from the fire ball that engulfed their fellow first and
business class passengers, was spoken of in terms of the 'miraculous'.
No matter how miraculous an escape from such circumstances may be, none
rivals the miracles that make up the Christmas event. Not just one
miracle, mind you, but several. Of these several miracles, that of the
virgin birth is probably the least amazing.
That is not to say the virgin birth is not stunning in the breathtaking
reality of the fact that a teenage girl who had never had sexual
relations with a man became pregnant. Mary's response to her angel
visitor records her own amazement at the news: "How will this be,” Mary
asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34). That the Spirit of
God was the agent of Mary's fetilisation and that the child that would
be developed in her womb would be ‘God in the flesh’, underlines the
enormity of the miracle of the virgin birth.
But there is also the miracle that God would take human form at all!
Paul in Philippians reveals for us the humility this involved for Jesus:
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in
very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness." (Philippians 2:5-8) That the Creator of
all things would voluntarily subject himself to the helpless form of a
baby who needed human help in changing his 'nappies' takes our breath
away! Such a move is truly miraculous!
Miracles though they are, and astounding miracles at that, the greater
miracle we recall at Christmas is the foundation of these two. Both the
virgin birth and the fact the God took to Himself human flesh arise from
the identity of those for whom Jesus came to save.
Humanly speaking, such breathtaking activity on the part of so 'high' a
figure would mean that there would have to be something deserving in the
person who was the focus of such attention. This is what Paul reminds us
of in Romans: "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though
for a good man someone might possibly dare to die." (Romans 5:7). The
greater miracle of Christmas is that both the virgin birth and God's
taking to himself human form had to do with the likes of you and me!
Furthermore in Romans 5:8 Paul says: "But God demonstrates his own love
for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." That
is to say, while totally undeserving of God's attention, let alone such
mercy and love; while ungodly and still His enemies, Christ died for us!
The greater miracle of Christmas is that Jesus embarked on this mission
that would lead to the cross for those who wanted nothing to do with him
and were even hostile towards him!
The hymn writer asks the appropriate question…
"And can it be that I should gain an interest in
the Saviour's blood?
Died he for me, who caused His pain, for me, who caused his bitter
death?"
The resounding
message of Christmas is YES!!!
No matter how far I have fallen in sin, this hope is held before me in
Jesus: that even for the likes of me Jesus was born a human through a
virgin birth in order that he would make even the 'foulest clean'.
That God would die for me in the death of His only Son is surely the
greatest miracle of Christmas. This miracle is given a special name:
GRACE!
God be praised forever and ever!
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