Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise....

Judy and I officially began our Christmas season this morning at the breakfast table reading the Christmas story. We are going to do it just a few verses at a time and savor each part of the story. This morning we read Matthew 1:1-18, stopping at 'now the birth of Jesus was on this wise'.

A fuller Greek translation would be: 'BUT, in contrast with those mentioned above, the birth of Jesus was like this.' Those marriages and births were same-o same-o. For generations! The writer says, "On the contrary, what God is doing to to bring his son into the world is spectacular, out of the ordinary, never before experienced, etc. So, the writer is saying, you guys pay attention!!

We get into trouble expecting the ordinary with God, when from day one he has majored in the un-ordinary. Romans 12: "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Nicodemus got all confused. "How can a man re-enter his mother's womb." Ordinary thinking!!

My wish for you this Christmas is that you will have a real Christmas. I pray that you will meet unexpected people, have unexpected conversations, experience unexpected events -- all of your season to be un-ordinary. I pray that this Christmas that the birth of Jesus to you will be 'on the contrary.'

Merry Christmas!!