“I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Luke 1:38
Each year Christians in the West mark December 25 as a day for remembrance and celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Son of God who came down from Heaven and took on human flesh to live as Emmanuel, God With Us. The birth of Jesus is viewed as a new beginning for humanity, an event that changed everything for everyone, forever.
In the midst of our Christmas celebrations, though, we sometimes forget that the actual beginning of the humanity of Jesus – and the destiny He came to fulfil – was nine months prior to His birth. Many Christians throughout the world will observe The Feast of the Annunciation on March 25, as they recall the moment when the Angel Gabriel announced to the teenaged Mary that she had found favor with God and would bear God’s own Son. Since she was still a virgin, she was incredulous, but Gabriel explained that, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Her humble response to the announcement of this miracle was, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” From the moment of His conception, the fully-God/fully-human Jesus possessed a name, a nature, a heritage from God, a connection to a family, a place in a particular community and a destiny.
The first-century doctor-Apostle Luke researched and recorded the barest details of the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus. In the 21st century we have the additional benefit of 2,000 years of medical progress, providing unparalleled access to the developing child in the womb through the marvels of endoscopic photography, 3- and 4-D ultrasound technology and the knowledge acquired through advances in prenatal surgery. Even with all this acquired knowledge available to us, the conception and birth of each human child remains a singular miracle, with a name, a nature, a heritage from God, a connection to a family, a place in a particular community and a destiny.
You are invited to join us on a nine-month journey with a developing pre-born human we’ve named “Baby Chris.” For the richest experience:
· Go to the Apple or Android app store and download the “See Baby” app;
· Check back here weekly to learn more about each week’s developmental milestones;
· Be on the lookout for #BabyChris updates on social media;
· Get started with this week’s video, “Fertilization the Epic Story of All of Us”; and
· Be sure to share this information with your friends and family.
“For You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb – I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” Psalm 139:13-14
Comments