The Questions of Christmas: Part One

“Do you expect me to believe this?”  [Luke 1:18 – The Message]

Have you ever been visited by a real angel? Yeah, me neither! I have no idea what one looks like or sounds like. I’m pretty certain that if a “figure” appeared to me out of the clear blue and started talking to me, I would be a little skeptical. The angels we see in a Christmas pageant are usually children and they are really cute. But seriously, a real life angel appearing to me? Seems unlikely!

Zechariah was an old man and his wife, Elizabeth, was not any younger. As a matter of fact, she was well past the age of having children. They had wanted a son for as long as they had been married, but had been unable to conceive. And then the unexpected happened – an angel appears to Zechariah while he is praying. If an angel appears to you while you are praying, you know something epic is about to happen!

This angel, Gabriel, had been sent on a mission from God to tell Zechariah that his wife would bear him a son and they were to call him “John.”  Seriously? At this stage in their lives, Elizabeth is going to become pregnant with their one and only child – a son? Zechariah replied, “Do you expect me to believe this?”  Can’t blame Zechariah. Can you? Yet because God said it would happen, it did. If we were to keep reading the rest of the story, we would find this: “When Elizabeth was full-term in her pregnancy, she gave birth to a son.” [Luke 1:57 – The Message] 

Two thousand years later and we find ourselves asking the same question. If you are like me, there are moments when you say to God, “Do you expect me to believe this?”  Maybe you are wondering if Jesus is really the Christ of Christmas. Maybe you have been given a promise and it seems impossible. Perhaps you are seeking truth, and what you’re discovering seems incredulous. God, are you real? Hey God, are you out there somewhere? God, are you really the One who makes impossible things possible? God, can I really trust You?

May I encourage you today that no matter the question, God can handle it! He is not upset nor put off by your questions. He would rather you come to Him than face the questions on your own. Go ahead…ask!

What is your question this Christmas season?