1. Scot McKnight on Mary’s song
New Testament scholar and Anglican deacon Scot McKnight has a fascinating discussion on the meaning of Mary’s song in Luke 1:39-56. He says that there are echoes between what Mary says and the Lord’s Prayer, adding:
Mary’s song evokes dozens of lines and terms from Israel’s scriptures, and you might look some up in your study Bible’s cross references. Especially Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10.
There are so many echoes of Bible passages we are stunned by the depth and richness of Mary’s grasp of the Bible’s redemption story. In fact, Mary’s song stirs our imaginations in a way that expresses the heart of the gospel and the church.
2. Joy to the World
3. Todd Habegger on the unexpected visit of the Magi
Todd Habegger writes on the visit of the Magi to see the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. He says:
Mary and Joseph weren’t expecting company like this! … Significantly, the Magi also came into his presence—with presents! After they picked themselves up off the floor, they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, [as well as the exotically fragrant spices and perfumes] frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). The wise men had not come before the King empty-handed! They offered to the boy the kind of extravagant, expensive gifts you would give to royalty…
The wise men bringing gifts to Jesus became the forerunner of our modern day practice of gift-giving at Christmastime.
4. Hark! The Herald Angel’s Sing
5 . A Christmas poem by Ben Witherington III
Ben Witherington, at Asbury Theological Seminary, shares a Christmas poem and explains:
It is doubtful that there was a widespread expectation in early Judaism for a messianic figure who would call himself ‘the Son of Man’, and almost certainly no one was expecting a crucified and risen Son of Man.
Jesus, it would seem did not come to meet people’s expectations, but rather their needs, and in so doing he decided to reveal his real nature and God’s real plan in his own way, on his own terms, without conforming to pre-set or simple formulas. Indeed, one NT scholar, Eduard Schweizer once said Jesus is the man who fits no one formula, the man who can’t be stereotyped or pigeon-holed.
It is thus not surprising that Jesus is not always, or in every way easy to understand. In fact one can say that while many profound theological ideas and truths can be stated clearly, this does not mean that they are easily understood.