Holy Boldness

What did Mary and Joseph think about all of this commotion and contradiction? How were they processing the seeming lack of provi sion of God in there being no convenient place to give birth to Jesus but then the arrival of the shepherds with the extraordinary announcement of angelic visitation? Perhaps they did not even consider having to give birth in a manger an inconvenience. It is the western church that often demands conveniences from the Lord as the price of accommodation of His purpose and is easily offended by sacrifices. Some people assume that when God does something epic, first-class accommodations are in order and that if they are not in place, something must be amiss. But for those who understand His ways, sacrifice is simply part of the challenge and the privilege of participating with God. It is the inconsistency of God’s glorious presence invading obscure and lowly habitations that stumbles many people. But isn’t that the reason for the intervention of God in the first place? Imagine sending a company of angels from heaven to announce an event happening in a barnyard! If we are going to cooperate with the moves of God, then we should pay close attention to the details of this story for it reveals divine priorities. We are often stumbled by God’s ways. He seems not to mind when His people have to struggle to find His purposes and do His will. But in the fear of the Lord, God’s priorities become ours. The sheer number of prophetic pronouncements over Jesus’ early days is astounding. The prophets were lining up. It started first with Ga briel the angel when he spoke to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, and then continued in the first encounter with Mary. This was quickly followed by Elizabeth’s prophetic outburst when Mary’s voice first greeted her. As Elizabeth started prophesying over Mary and her child, Mary also responded with prophetic praise of her own. Joseph also experienced an angelic, prophetic encounter in a dream. Then at the birth of Jesus, the shepherds showed up sharing the amazing encounter they had had with the angels, declaring all that they said, followed by the visit from the Magi from the east announcing that they had “ seen His star” . We should perhaps stop to ponder the fact that prophetic words can make life more difficult, rather than easier. With such epic predic tions of Jesus’ future, how should Mary and Joseph raise their newborn son? Amazingly, it did not seem to throw them off track. They simply Prophetic Pronouncements

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