Decisions made for the Christ of Christmas

When we look at the Christmas story in the Bible, do we really see the decisions that were made for Christ?
Let's look at that now.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was told that she had been chosen to be Jesus' Mom. Now let us remember that she is a young lady who is engaged to Joseph, and waiting for her groom to come and take her to her wedding. What was being asked of her could destroy all of that,  For in her time, a woman found pregnant before her wedding day, could not only be disgraced by the public, but stoned to death. She had a hard decision to make. But in the end, her responds was, "Behold, the handmaiden of the Lord, be it unto me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

Joseph was a good man in every way. He followed the law of God and his land. AND he was in love with a young lady named Mary. But then one day, she tells him that she is is pregnant, and he knows for sure that that baby is not his. If this got out he would be disgraced, and Mary could be stoned to death. Well, he didn't want that, so he tries to figure out how to call it off, quietly. He had a tough decision to make, but with God's help, he decides to go ahead and marry her, then help her to raise God's son (Mat. 1:18-25).

The night that Jesus was born, there were shepherds watching over their flock of sheep making sure that no man would steal them, nor animal would kill them. Then suddenly the deep darkness of night was over powered with a bright light in the sky. It goes without saying that they were scared out of their minds. But what happened next was even more mind boggling. An angel tells them that the Messiah that they had been waiting for for generations, was born that very night, and laid in a manger, no less! Now we have a test of faith here. Should they believe it? Could the Messiah really be here, after all these years? But their responds was, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see... (Luke 2:15).

The same night, in a far country, east of Jerusalem, some men who studied the stars, were star gazing. When all of a sudden, a new bright star appears in the sky!This caused quite a stir, to say the least. They researched out what it could mean, and figured out that it meant that the King of the Jews had been born. They had a decision to make. Do they stay in their comfortable homes, or do they go and honor him? Their responds was, "Where is he who has been born the King of the Jews? For we have come to worship him" (Mat. 3:5).

Christmas comes to us year after year, and it is here again. With each year, we face the same question~ What decision has God asked you to make for the Christ of Christmas?