Unlikely

God usually does things in unlikely ways. In studying for our Sunday School lesson this week, I read the Christmas story again and saw a few things I never saw before. The story of the Savior's birth had some 'unlikely' things in it:

1). Unlikely Place - Nazareth. In Luke 1:26, Gabriel was sent to a city called Nazareth. It was an out-of-the-way Jewish village, off the beaten path, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Some Jews held the people of Nazareth in contempt and disdain ("Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" John 1:46). The Jews may have despised the Nazarenes because they housed the Roman garrisons, and the residents there in some cases conspired with the enemy. In any case, Nazareth was not the center of politics or financial interests. It was no Jerusalem. Wonder why God picked a place like Nazareth to reveal things about the Savior? It seems like an unlikely place to reveal such wonderful knowledge.

2). Unlikely Woman - Mary. It seems obvious to state, but Mary was an unlikely person to be the one to carry the Savior in her womb. She was a common Jewish girl; no position; no clout; no wealth. Most Jewish girls in that culture were married by the time they were 14 or 15 and so Mary was likely in that age range, and she was a virgin. Many Jewish families would know the prophecies about how the Savior would arrive and no doubt many young girls wondered if they would be the one. But can you imagine for one minute that God would entrust His only begotten Son, the spotless Lamb, to such a young girl with virtually no motherly experience? It seems unlikely that God would do that, but He did.

3). Unlikely People - The Shepherds. Herdsmen in that day were held in low esteem. They were the uneducated, not very impressive in society and generally despised. They could not always keep the ceremonial laws or observe the religious rituals, because they were out in the fields tending to their sheep - they were very loyal to their jobs and would often risk danger or even loss of life to protect their sheep. It is quite ironic that Jesus was called the Good Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd and the Great Shepherd. It is possible that these shepherds were watching over some of the sheep that the more 'elite' people would soon use for their own sacrifices in the temple. But God chose to reveal this great moment in history, not to kings, not to priests, not to emporers... but He chose to make known this thing to lowly and meager shepherds. Seems unlikely, doesn't it?

4). Unlikely Vessels - Us. Second Corinthians 4:7, says that 'we have this treasure in earthen vessels...' First of all, what is an earthen vessel? It is a fragile clay pot. Something that is easily broken when dropped or mishandled. We are the clay pot. We are frail, weak, fragile. But God, in His unlikely manner, has chosen us weak vessels to carry something. The verse says we have this treasure... that can only be the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like Mary carrying the Son of God, can you imagine the precious truth of the gospel being entrusted to us broken, weary, fragile vessels? It is quite amazing. It is quite strange and unlikely, but this is how God works. What might we accomplish if we let God work through us? God worked in powerful ways in Nazareth and in the lives of Mary and the lives of the shepherds back in those days. When we use our earthen vessels for His glory this Christmas season, then people will see His power and people will praise our God.