Ed my old neighbour from Saskatchewan had weekend visitors last week. Ed and his wife Ruby were thrilled to have Ruby’s niece and her month-old baby stop to visit at Melville while they were travelling from Manitoba to North Battleford. The baby sure took control of everyone. Ed remembered babies are said to have the same effect as an earthquake on a home. He said, "That baby shook the house up.Even Rex the dog was in awe of intensity of the baby’s crying.” When the baby cried in the night everyone woke up. It was a cry loud enough to wake the dead. Ed said he became the baby’s slave as soon as the baby’s little hand curled around his finger. The baby’s lively and happy kicking of his little legs in the air after his bath was a contagious joy. By the time mom and baby left Sunday, Ed was sad to see the little dictator leave.
It seems many folks agree a baby, although helpless, has a way of conveying without words what he needs and wants. Do babies come with a heart that is a powerful magnet to attract willing servants and admirers? Ed had only one small, negative thing to say about his recent baby experience. The baby was bald and Ed was startled to think that a bald baby can look like an old grandpa.
As we come to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we are invited to view the newborn baby announced by angels. Like shepherds in the fields all are summoned to see a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. We have the opportunity to see the Saviour Christ the Lord.
The mother of the baby at Bethlehem was Mary, who was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph, whom Mary was pledged to be married to, had in mind to divorce her. An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him he should not be afraid to take Mary home as his wife. For the baby conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit. She would give birth to a son and Joseph must name him Jesus, because the baby would save his people from their sins.
Joseph went with Mary to Joseph's ancestral town Bethlehem the town of David to register for a census. While they were there the baby was born. Mary gave birth to her firstborn a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. There were shepherds out in the fields watching over their flocks and an angel appeared to them in the glory of the Lord and the shepherds were frightened. The angel said he brought them the good news that a Saviour had been born in the town of David and that he was Christ the Lord. The shepherds could find this baby Saviour in a manger at Bethlehem. They went there and saw the baby for themselves.
When we look, we will find in the baby Jesus in the manger the very fullness of the Godhead dwelling in human flesh and bones.
