THE CAST OF CHRISTMAS

Last year, about this time, I started a series of writings that encouraged us all to take a closer look at the cast of Christmas. Over the next few days, I want us to examine each of these biblical characters again….and with open hearts and searching minds, may we find in each of them a spiritual quality that will make us more like the person God wants us to be.

Our first member of the cast is Elizabeth….Mary’s barren relative that is now pregnant with child. I know many would question how we would include Elizabeth in the Christmas story; but, let’s examine closely and I think it will become quite clear that she is the beginning of the celebration of Christmas.


Now, after Mary is visited by the angel, she makes a bee line to the hill country to visit her relative, Elizabeth. She had been told by the angel that Elizabeth, although barren for years, was now 6 months pregnant. This was great and exciting news for this young hand maiden of the Lord and I’m sure she wanted to share with Elizabeth her glad tidings.

Scripture recounts their meeting in Luke 1:40-45, “and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Mary came to Elizabeth to share her Good News but Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, already knew that the Lord was with her and she began to encourage her and to ask for her blessing in the days ahead ….asking that all that God had promised this young woman would come true.

Elizabeth was Mary’s encourager. I can just see the two of them sitting side by side, holding hands, hugging each other…basking in the warmth of the love of family, great news and God’s providence. Elizabeth was humbled that Mary would come to share such great news with her and she blessed Mary for her faith that God would accomplish his will in her life. Elizabeth was outspoken in her joy for Mary and for the bond that would now exist between them as expectant mothers.

Elizabeth was the beginning of the Christmas story because she exuded the joy of knowing that the Savior of the world would soon be born ….and it was her privilege to share that joy and encourage her young relative.

Maybe today, God is calling you to exude that joy and to encourage someone else with the knowledge that in just a few short weeks, we will celebrate the birth of our Savior. We know that Jesus came to earth to live and die that we might know Him and have everlasting life….that alone should fill your heart with joy this Christmas season…and it should give you great cause to be an encourager to all you meet….

Be an Elizabeth today…be the first in your sphere of influence to be an encourager of Christmas …share the joy and the blessing of knowing the babe in the manager.

Let your heart leap for joy and let it over flow to all you encounter today….they will be blessed and so will you!!!!!


Counting the days to His Birth,
WPQ


Poem for the Day:

Christmas sharing,loved ones caring;
Giving out of love...
Angels speaking, wise men seeking,
The baby from above.

May this Holy Season with love and joy abound...
For the announcement of the Christ-Child
Means that Heaven has come down.
WPQ@2009