I was a freshman in high school. I was naïve. My world revolved around friends, basketball, band, and grades…oh yes, and boys…don’t forget them! My friends were very much the same way. I had a friend that I had known since fourth grade. At one time, we were neighbors. She had landed a boyfriend…a cute boyfriend…a boy from a good family…a boy that I had secretly wanted to date, but she beat me to him. (Oh wait, I couldn’t date yet!) She was so lucky. She had freedom. Her parents weren’t old fashioned like mine. They really understood her. SHE HAD IT ALL. Then she didn’t. Just like that her world was turned upside down. This fifteen-year-old friend was soon to be a mother. She had so many decisions she had to make now. Should she marry the boy? Should the baby be placed for adoption? Should she have an abortion and act like it never happened? This baby changed everything! EVERYTHING!!! My friend could no longer hang out. She could no longer go to school (you didn’t do that back in the 70’s where I came from). She was now responsible for a baby. A baby that she would have to be sure was fed, clothed, educated, and loved. She no longer could focus on her and her wants. It was about the baby now. This baby changed everything.

Luke 1:26-35 Passion Translation

During the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent from God’s presence to an unmarried girl named Mary, living in Nazareth, a village in Galilee. She was engaged to a man named Joseph, a true descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Grace to you, young woman, for the Lord is with you and so you are anointed with great favor.”

 Mary was deeply troubled over the words of the angel and bewildered over what this may mean for her. But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift. You will become pregnant with a baby boy, and you are to name him Jesus.  He will be supreme and will be known as the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will enthrone him as King on his ancestor David’s throne. He will reign as King of Israel forever, and his reign will have no limit.”

 Mary said, “But how could this happen? I am still a virgin!”

 Gabriel answered, “The Spirit of Holiness will fall upon you and almighty God will spread his shadow of power over you in a cloud of glory! This is why the child born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 

Let’s walk through these scriptures for just a minute. Here is a teenager, a teenager that was engaged to be married to Joseph. One night the angel of the Lord visited her. This angel told her that she was going to have a baby. This child would be the Son of God. I don’t know how you would react, but I think it would be all I could do not to look up and say, “Are you kidding me????? How am I going to tell my parents?  What will I tell Joseph?  Do you realize all the shame and taunting I’m going to receive because I will be looked at as unfaithful to the man I’m to marry?” Can you relate to my personal struggle with this news the angel brought Mary? Stop and think a minute, Mary knew all of this and accepted that fact, no welcomed the fact, that she would become pregnant with the Son of God.  A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING.

Luke 2:1-7 Passion Translation

During those days, the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, ordered that the first census be taken throughout his empire. (Quirinius was the governor of Syria at that time.)  Everyone had to travel to his or her hometown to complete the mandatory census. So Joseph and his fiancé, Mary, left Nazareth, a village in Galilee, and journeyed to their hometown in Judea, to the village of Bethlehem, King David’s ancient home. They were required to register there, since they were both direct descendants of David. Mary was pregnant and nearly ready to give birth.

 When they arrived in Bethlehem, Mary went into labor, and there she gave birth to her firstborn son. After wrapping the newborn baby in strips of cloth, they laid him in a feeding trough since there was no available space in any upper room in the village.

So, let me get this straight. Joseph accepted Mary’s pregnancy and agreed to take her as his wife. Whew! That could have had a much different outcome. Now, the government is requiring them to travel to a far place to register for a census. They are not only traveling a long distance, but she is PREGNANT…BIG PREGNANT…BABY DUE ANY TIME PREGNANT. They get to Bethlehem and Mary looks at Joseph and says “It’s time. Hope the suitcase for the hospital is ready because this baby is coming now” Wait. What? (This is how it really went…. she screamed “Oh No! My water broke and this baby is coming! Help me Joseph! Where can I have this baby? Help me! I need help and I need it now!!! What do you mean there is not a midwife anywhere that you can find?) Joseph just looks at her with love (and probably a bit of concern) and says, “I’ll be right back, let me go find us a room.” BUT there is no place for her to go and have the baby. No clean towels and bedding? No. Not a midwife to help? No. There is only a barn. A barn with a bunch of smelly, noisy animals. That’s where she will go. Mary thinks, “if it was just Joseph and I, a barn wouldn’t be a big deal. We could just sleep in the hay…after all, we’ve slept under the stars before.”  But there is a baby coming. A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING.

Luke 2:8-20 Passion Translation

That night, in a field near Bethlehem, there were shepherds watching over their flocks. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared in radiant splendor before them, lighting up the field with the blazing glory of God, and the shepherds were terrified!  But the angel reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid. For I have come to bring you good news, the most joyous news the world has ever heard! And it is for everyone everywhere! For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you. He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah. You will recognize him by this miracle sign: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough!”

Then all at once, a vast number of glorious angels appeared, the very armies of heaven! And they all praised God, singing:

“Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.”

 When the choir of angels disappeared back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go! Let’s hurry and find this Word that is born in Bethlehem and see for ourselves what the Lord has revealed to us.”  So they ran into the village and found their way to Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in a feeding trough.

Upon seeing this miraculous sign, the shepherds recounted what had just happened.  Everyone who heard the shepherds’ story was astonished by what they were told.

But Mary treasured all these things in her heart and often pondered what they meant.

The shepherds returned to their flock, ecstatic over what had happened. They praised God and glorified him for all they had heard and seen for themselves, just like the angel had said.

Time to switch focus. Now look at the shepherds. They are out in the fields doing their “shepherding things”. (Can you tell I had to look up what their responsibilities were?) They were out watching their flocks in the fields. Their job was to make sure their sheep were healthy, which includes the protection and nutrition of the animals.  In my mind they had been driving them to this field where the grass was green and lush. These men were taking shifts watching and making sure no predators came in to separate and destroy their flock. All of a sudden, a burst of light and angels fill the sky shouting and singing GLORY TO GOD! Imagine. Imagine the shepherds in awe of God Almighty, not sure what was going on, but knew they needed to stop what they were doing and seek out what God was doing. They went into the city of Bethlehem and found Joseph, Mary and a baby. A baby that was a miraculous sign. A baby that was wrapped in strips of cloth. A baby that was Immanuel, “God with us”. A BABY CHANGED EVERYTHING.

Luke 19:1-10, Passion Translation

In the city of Jericho there lived a very wealthy man named Zacchaeus who was the supervisor over all the tax collectors. As Jesus made his way through the city, Zacchaeus was eager to see Jesus. He kept trying to get a look at him, but the crowd around Jesus was massive. Zacchaeus was a very short man and couldn’t see over the heads of the people. So he ran on ahead of everyone and climbed up a blossoming fig tree so he could get a glimpse of Jesus as he passed by.

When Jesus got to that place, he looked up into the tree and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry on down, for I am appointed to stay at your house today!”

So he scurried down the tree and came face-to-face with Jesus.

 As Jesus left to go with Zacchaeus, many in the crowd complained, “Look at this! Of all the people to have dinner with, he’s going to eat in the house of a crook.”

Zacchaeus joyously welcomed Jesus and was amazed over his gracious visit to his home. Zacchaeus stood in front of the Lord and said, “Half of all that I own I will give to the poor. And Lord, if I have cheated anyone, I promise to pay back four times as much as I stole.”

Jesus said to him, “This shows that today life has come to you and your household, for you are a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man has come to seek out and to give life to those who are lost.”

Yes, A BABY CHANGED EVERYTHING. The baby that was a surprise to a virgin teenage girl, her fiancé, and a miraculous sign to a group of shepherds, was now the adult, Jesus Christ that gave life to Zacchaeus.  This baby grew and became a life altering catalyst for Zacchaeus. Because of his encounter, his face to face with Jesus, Zacchaeus gave half of all he owned to the poor and payed back those he cheated…with interest.

Just as with Zacchaeus, this baby came to alter our lives when we come face to face with Him. It is His express purpose to save all that are lost. It was and is today His mission. This baby came to this earth because of the love of our Father. This baby came to give us a glimpse of who our Father is and to help us have a relationship with Him. A relationship that pulls us out of the depths of the darkness of the world, into His glorious light.

THE BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING.

Be blessed – Cherie

This blog was inspired by a song by Faith Hill, A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING. I highly recommend you take the time to read the lyrics below and if you can, download it.  It will truly bless your walk.

A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING By Faith Hill

Teenage girl, much too young
Unprepared for what’s to come
A baby changes everything

Not a ring on her hand
All her dreams and all her plans
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

The man she loves she’s never touched
How will she keep his trust?
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries!
Ooh, she cries
Ooh, oh

She has to leave, go far away
Heaven knows she can’t stay
A baby changes everything

She can feel He’s coming soon
There’s no place, there’s no room
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries!
And she cries!
Oh, she cries

gather ’round
(Up above the star shines down) star shines down
(A baby changes everything)

Choir of angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything
Everything, everything, everything

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

My whole life has turned around
I was lost but now I’m found
A baby changes everything, yeah
A baby changes everything