Isaiah 55:8
My Thoughts and Ways are Not Like Man's
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
Luke 2:1-21
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Matthew 1:18-21
The Birth of Jesus
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Isaiah wrote that God's thoughts are not like our thoughts, and His ways are not like man's, it is forever true...The very nature of the Eternal God transcends us, and He is very difficult to understand...And not only understand, but how He has things play out are so very interesting...And I am not sure if interesting is the right word, and even touches on how His stories play out...And to believe in God and the things He does, one must also believe in angels...
Our Christmas Story is like no other story ever told...The birth of Jesus is a most unconventional and peculiar story...It is one of the strangest stories ever heard and ever written...It is an odd story that starts about a young girl who is visited by an angel...And the young girl, just happens to be a virgin...Through a (the) Holy Spirit she is impregnated...And her fiance, Joseph, is at a loss, but believes in things like the Holy Spirit (and angels), and is convinced by an angel that his soon to be wife was impregnated by this Holy Spirit...So Joseph and the young girl, named Mary, travel to the small town of Bethlehem before the new Child's birth, to be registered for a required census...So Joseph was pledged to be married to Mary, but Jesus arrived while they were in Bethlehem...So she was unwed...The story continues itself with a baby being born in a manger to this young peasant girl...The Infant would grow up to be the King of Kings and the most profound One ever...A newborn whom we are told would save His people from their sins...
The Little Baby's first visitors would be poor shepherds...We are told by the author Luke, that there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night...An angel of the LORD appeared to them, and the glory of the LORD shone around them, and they were terrified...But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people...Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the LORD...This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”...The child would was a child who would grow up and be the most Influential Man ever in the history of the world...His ways and wisdom was certainly not those of a man...The door of Father Time has now become unlocked...His time has now stretched across two thousand years and He lives on... A meek and mild traveling Teacher, who once we think about it, was never meek, nor mild...
Who could think of such a story?...