Do you believe?

I can't believe Christmas is next week it seems like this year has come and gone so quickly. Since I have moved to Eminence I have been substitute teaching at the Elementary School. Substituting is definitely not for the faint of heart, but the kids are fun most of the time and their conversations are pretty interesting. A couple of weeks ago I was in the kindergarten class and they were coloring pictures of Santa. So I preceded to ask them what each of them asked Santa for this year. Instead of the typical answers of barbies, trucks, bikes and ponies a debate broke out about whether Santa was real. Several of the kids were adamant that they believed in Santa and were getting pretty angry with the kids that said they didn't believe. This conversation between 5-year olds lasted for about five minutes with one question being asked often. Do you believe? That question lingered in my mind all day not much to do with Santa but with the true meaning of Christmas. As I read and reread the nativity story and the surrounding back story new truths become clear. I am drawn to the passage in Luke 1:42-45:
{⁴² Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”}
This passage recalls the visit Mary made to Elizabeth. At this point Mary was pregnant and only beginning the journey that the Lord was taking her on. Nonetheless, she believed in God and was willing to do whatever he asked. In verse 45, Mary is accounted for as being blessed for believing and that what had been told to her would be done. This gives me hope that as we believe in God and his son Jesus Christ that what He has spoken to us through His word will come to pass. At Christmas we celebrate and remember the birth of Christ and look past the manger to see the life Christ lived and his death on the cross. I believe Christ came as a baby to fulfill a purpose and complete the mission God sent him to do to reconcile humanity back to Himself. Some of the people living in that nation and that would be graced with hearing the teachings of Christ and walking in his midst would not believe that He was the Christ.
Mark and I have been reading in John and it is astounding at how many accounts there are where Jesus keeps explaining who He is and who has sent Him with no avail to the crowds that are hearing Him. Despite the miracles they had seen and the prophecies that were being fulfilled. One particular account is John 6: 61-65 :
⁶¹ When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? ⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. ⁶⁵ And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
The scriptures prior to this passage speak of how the body of Christ would be broken for those who believed through faith would receive everlasting life. Many of those who heard this were offended about what Jesus said and still did not believe. I am glad that Mary believed many years ago through faith in God that what he said he would perform. I am glad that I believed over 17 years ago when I invited Jesus to come into my heart.
During this holiday season we will see many people in retail stores, in grocery lines and even around kitchen tables that do not believe that Christ was born for us and lived and died to bring us a renewed hope and purpose. It is time that those of us who do believe stand up and tell someone else about the hope that lies with in us.
Do you believe in His infant birth?
Do you believe He is the son of God?
Do you believe He is your Savior?