The Wonder of It All

Perhaps it’s the writer in me, but when it comes to stories, I wonder.

That is, I wonder what happened before the story’s beginning. I wonder what happened after its end. And I wonder about all the things in between that beginning and end.

So, when I read the verses that tell of Mary and the angel who came to bless—and, let’s be honest, upend— her life with the news that she would be the mother of the Messiah, I find that there are so many things to wonder about.

A Fresh Look at an Old Story

Let’s take just a moment to read this familiar passage as if we’ve never read it before . . .

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 2:30–33, NIV)

Do you see things to wonder about? I myself have so many questions! Questions like, Was the angel frightening looking, or was Mary simply startled? Where did all this happen? Was Mary in the kitchen? In the garden? How did Mary find favor with God?

Can’t you just imagine the thoughts that must have raced through Mary’s mind when the angel delivered his news? Thoughts about what her family and friends would say. Thoughts about what Joseph would say. Did worries of scandal and possible divorce scurry through her mind? Did she start tallying up the costs of single motherhood? Did Mary wonder where she would live? Or how she would provide? And then there was that dreadful possibility of stoning to think about.

A Different Kind of Wonder

Even as I wonder about all the details, I realize that it’s a different kind of wondering that I should be doing. 

Because the true “wonder” of this story isn’t in unanswered questions or details I wish were filled in, it’s in the wonder—the awesome wonder—that our God chose to come down. He chose to leave the power and perfection of heaven. He chose to take up residence as a helpless baby in the womb in a poor and unmarried girl. He chose all this. And God did it for us.

God did it for you.

Caught Up in the Details

So, now I can’t help but wonder: Do I get so caught up in the details that I miss the wonder of Christ come down? Do I miss the wonder of Christmas?

Because there are so many details to attend to in this holiday season, aren’t there? No matter what stage of life we might be in, the care and keeping of all the details can drown us. There are presents and parties and Christmas pageants. There are cards and carols and Christmas trees. We can get so caught up in the details, in the wondering how to fit it all in and make it all work, that we forget to remember the sheer joy and wonder of this season.

How Can We Remember?

How can we remember the wonder? Or to use the old cliché, how can we remember the reason for the season?

I believe we can begin by allowing ourselves to be like Mary for just a few moments each day. Let’s imagine that we’re hearing the news of that holy night as if it were for the very first time . . .

You will give birth to a son. . . .

Call him Jesus. . . .

He will be called the Son of the Most High. . . .

His kingdom will never end.