Holding God in Our Arms: The Profound Humility of Christmas
There's something breathtaking about the Christmas story when we pause long enough to truly consider it. The God who causes mountains to tremble and covers them in smoke came to us as a helpless infant. The One before whom the earth shakes chose to arrive in the most vulnerable form imaginable—a baby who needed adults to survive.
This paradox sits at the heart of our faith and demands our attention.
The Certainty We Can Hold
Luke, considered an exceptional historian even by secular scholars, wrote his gospel account to give us certainty. He wanted readers to have confidence in the things they'd been taught about Jesus. This wasn't myth or legend—this was history, carefully investigated and documented.
That certainty matters today. We can have confidence that God carried out His mission and will continue to carry it out. We can trust in the miracles He performed, the perfect life He lived, the death He died for us, and His resurrection that defeated death itself. This isn't wishful thinking—it's grounded in historical reality.
When Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the temple, they were living out this certainty. They followed the law faithfully, having Him circumcised on the eighth day and giving Him the name the angel had commanded: Jesus, which means "Yahweh saves" or "God saves." Their devotion to God's word was itself an act of worship.
Worship in Every Season
What's striking about this young couple is that they came to God with what they had. The law required a lamb for the purification offering, but Mary and Joseph brought doves—the poor man's offering. The wise men hadn't yet arrived with their gifts. This was a lean season financially for this family.
Yet they showed up faithfully.
We all face different seasons in life—financial highs and lows, spiritual mountains and valleys, times of abundance and times of scarcity. In every season, we're called to bring what we have and trust God with it. These challenging times aren't obstacles to faith; they're opportunities for faith to grow stronger.
Our children don't need a better life financially as much as they need to see parents who love each other, trust God, and follow Him faithfully through every season. They need to witness faith that doesn't waver when circumstances change.
The Faithful Who Waited
At the temple that day, two elderly saints were waiting: Simeon and Anna. Simeon was described as righteous and devout—living his faith both horizontally before others and vertically before God. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he wouldn't die before seeing the Lord's Messiah.
Anna was a widow who had served God in the temple day and night for decades, worshiping through fasting and prayer. She wasn't living for herself; she was serving God and others.
Think about what Luke is telling us by highlighting their ages. These faithful servants had been waiting for years—decades even—for God to fulfill His promise. They'd watched Israel struggle, seen their nation caught up in empty traditions and poor leadership. They'd prayed and prayed for God to move.
Walking with God is a marathon, not a sprint. In our instant-gratification culture, we expect everything immediately. But God's timeline often involves waiting. You might be praying for family members to come to faith, for God to move in your church, for healing or breakthrough. Keep praying. Keep trusting. Keep living faithfully.
God has a purpose and a plan, and He keeps His promises—even when it takes longer than we'd like.
A Time to Celebrate
When Simeon finally held the infant Messiah in his arms, he burst into song. After years of mourning over his nation's spiritual condition, it was time to celebrate. Salvation had arrived.
His song declared that he was now ready to depart in peace because his eyes had seen God's salvation—a light for all nations, the glory of Israel. But here's what's remarkable: Jesus was still just a baby. He hadn't performed any miracles yet. He hadn't taught or healed anyone. He hadn't died or risen. Rome still ruled. Sin still ran rampant. Nothing had changed externally.
Yet Simeon had complete confidence in the One who keeps His promises. He believed before seeing the full story unfold. He had faith when he had so little evidence.
We have so much more. We have the complete story—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We have the growth of the church and two thousand years of testimony. We have every reason to believe.
Are we ready to die? Not until we've seen our salvation. Not until we've accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. Death is certain for all of us, yet many wait until they're at a funeral to contemplate it seriously. Don't wait. Salvation has come, and His name is Jesus.
The Polarizing Prince
Simeon's prophecy to Mary included a sobering warning: this child would cause the falling and rising of many in Israel. He would be a sign spoken against. And a sword would pierce Mary's own soul.
Jesus reveals hearts. His very presence forces a decision. The shepherds worshiped. The wise men traveled far to honor Him. Herod tried to kill Him. Even today, Jesus remains polarizing. He claimed to be the only way to the Father—exclusive, authoritative, unwavering.
What will you do with Jesus? Ignore Him? Curse Him? Praise Him? There's no neutral ground.
God in Our Arms
Here's the stunning reality: Simeon and Anna held God in their arms. The same God who appeared on mountains covered in smoke and fire, before whom the earth trembles, came as a vulnerable infant whose tiny hand wrapped around their fingers.
He came humbly because He loves us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He chose vulnerability to save us.
Yet even as a baby, He was still God. We must honor Him as holy while marveling at His humility. We must worship Him with grateful hearts while understanding the magnitude of what He came to do.
Like Simeon and Anna, we should be thankful, lifting up our Savior in worship—not just in this season, but every day. The God who holds the universe together allowed Himself to be held in human arms so that He could hold us forever.
That's worth celebrating.
There's something breathtaking about the Christmas story when we pause long enough to truly consider it. The God who causes mountains to tremble and covers them in smoke came to us as a helpless infant. The One before whom the earth shakes chose to arrive in the most vulnerable form imaginable—a baby who needed adults to survive.
This paradox sits at the heart of our faith and demands our attention.
The Certainty We Can Hold
Luke, considered an exceptional historian even by secular scholars, wrote his gospel account to give us certainty. He wanted readers to have confidence in the things they'd been taught about Jesus. This wasn't myth or legend—this was history, carefully investigated and documented.
That certainty matters today. We can have confidence that God carried out His mission and will continue to carry it out. We can trust in the miracles He performed, the perfect life He lived, the death He died for us, and His resurrection that defeated death itself. This isn't wishful thinking—it's grounded in historical reality.
When Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the temple, they were living out this certainty. They followed the law faithfully, having Him circumcised on the eighth day and giving Him the name the angel had commanded: Jesus, which means "Yahweh saves" or "God saves." Their devotion to God's word was itself an act of worship.
Worship in Every Season
What's striking about this young couple is that they came to God with what they had. The law required a lamb for the purification offering, but Mary and Joseph brought doves—the poor man's offering. The wise men hadn't yet arrived with their gifts. This was a lean season financially for this family.
Yet they showed up faithfully.
We all face different seasons in life—financial highs and lows, spiritual mountains and valleys, times of abundance and times of scarcity. In every season, we're called to bring what we have and trust God with it. These challenging times aren't obstacles to faith; they're opportunities for faith to grow stronger.
Our children don't need a better life financially as much as they need to see parents who love each other, trust God, and follow Him faithfully through every season. They need to witness faith that doesn't waver when circumstances change.
The Faithful Who Waited
At the temple that day, two elderly saints were waiting: Simeon and Anna. Simeon was described as righteous and devout—living his faith both horizontally before others and vertically before God. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he wouldn't die before seeing the Lord's Messiah.
Anna was a widow who had served God in the temple day and night for decades, worshiping through fasting and prayer. She wasn't living for herself; she was serving God and others.
Think about what Luke is telling us by highlighting their ages. These faithful servants had been waiting for years—decades even—for God to fulfill His promise. They'd watched Israel struggle, seen their nation caught up in empty traditions and poor leadership. They'd prayed and prayed for God to move.
Walking with God is a marathon, not a sprint. In our instant-gratification culture, we expect everything immediately. But God's timeline often involves waiting. You might be praying for family members to come to faith, for God to move in your church, for healing or breakthrough. Keep praying. Keep trusting. Keep living faithfully.
God has a purpose and a plan, and He keeps His promises—even when it takes longer than we'd like.
A Time to Celebrate
When Simeon finally held the infant Messiah in his arms, he burst into song. After years of mourning over his nation's spiritual condition, it was time to celebrate. Salvation had arrived.
His song declared that he was now ready to depart in peace because his eyes had seen God's salvation—a light for all nations, the glory of Israel. But here's what's remarkable: Jesus was still just a baby. He hadn't performed any miracles yet. He hadn't taught or healed anyone. He hadn't died or risen. Rome still ruled. Sin still ran rampant. Nothing had changed externally.
Yet Simeon had complete confidence in the One who keeps His promises. He believed before seeing the full story unfold. He had faith when he had so little evidence.
We have so much more. We have the complete story—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We have the growth of the church and two thousand years of testimony. We have every reason to believe.
Are we ready to die? Not until we've seen our salvation. Not until we've accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. Death is certain for all of us, yet many wait until they're at a funeral to contemplate it seriously. Don't wait. Salvation has come, and His name is Jesus.
The Polarizing Prince
Simeon's prophecy to Mary included a sobering warning: this child would cause the falling and rising of many in Israel. He would be a sign spoken against. And a sword would pierce Mary's own soul.
Jesus reveals hearts. His very presence forces a decision. The shepherds worshiped. The wise men traveled far to honor Him. Herod tried to kill Him. Even today, Jesus remains polarizing. He claimed to be the only way to the Father—exclusive, authoritative, unwavering.
What will you do with Jesus? Ignore Him? Curse Him? Praise Him? There's no neutral ground.
God in Our Arms
Here's the stunning reality: Simeon and Anna held God in their arms. The same God who appeared on mountains covered in smoke and fire, before whom the earth trembles, came as a vulnerable infant whose tiny hand wrapped around their fingers.
He came humbly because He loves us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He chose vulnerability to save us.
Yet even as a baby, He was still God. We must honor Him as holy while marveling at His humility. We must worship Him with grateful hearts while understanding the magnitude of what He came to do.
Like Simeon and Anna, we should be thankful, lifting up our Savior in worship—not just in this season, but every day. The God who holds the universe together allowed Himself to be held in human arms so that He could hold us forever.
That's worth celebrating.
Melvin Vandiver
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