Impossible?

Let me ask you, what is your favourite part of the Nativity Story? Think for a moment…the angel appearing to Mary…Mary’s response…the journey to Bethlehem…No room in the Inn…the stable…the shepherds… the angels…the wise men?
Thought of your answer?
Now let me ask you, why? Why is it your favourite part?
Now that you have answered those two questions let me ask you a third and final question for the day, which might help you answer the first two, What for you is the core message, the wonder, the truth of the Christmas Message?
I suspect most of the answers will be Love, Joy, Peace, Hope.
The amazing thought of God becoming man, the beauty of the Angels’ message ‘Peace on Earth and Good will toward all men’ ; the innocence of the manger; the willingness of Mary to trust and believe in God. I am fairly confident that somewhere amongst all that I have suggested your answer. Perhaps not word for word but the right sentiment. I am also fairly confident that I can suggest another answer that few will have thought of, a part of the story that almost gets overlooked and yet which includes all of the above and so much more. The real heart, message, wonder, hope of the Christmas Story comes early on in the narrative and is a verse that contains six words, “For nothing is impossible with God” Luke 1:37 (NIV)
Think about it: “born to a virgin” nothing is impossible; Angels appearing to shepherds, nothing is impossible; “Peace on Earth”, nothing is impossible; “Great Joy”, nothing is impossible.
Yes the message of Christmas is God becoming man, the message is Love, Joy, Peace on Earth but many people find it hard if not impossible to believe when we live in a world at war (as I write this news of another two British soldiers being killed in Afghanistan has come through) our newspapers are also full of reports on child neglect and abuse (the headlines in today’s paper deals with the sentencing of a Playgroup worker who sexually abused babies left in her charge) and we are constantly confronted with news about economic recession and banking greed. In fact December 2009 seems to have little or no, “Good News, Glad Tiding of Great Joy” and that is before I begin to look at the individual. For some this year has seen the loss of a loved one, seen them having to deal with the news of terminal illness or long-term health problems. It may well be unemployment, house repossessions, separation, and divorce.
For all those people and so many more, our task as Christians this Christmas and every Christmas is to share with them the message of Christmas and assure them that no matter how bleak the world appears, nothing is impossible with God.