The Ultimate “Believe It or Not”

John 1:1-2

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

                When I was a boy, I was fascinated by the Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” cartoons that were printed in the newspaper. Robert Ripley was a cartoonist and an amateur anthropologist. He began his career as a sports reporter. From a young age, Ripley was fascinated by the odd and the weird. Through the years he collected hundreds of examples of oddities that were true but hard to believe. The “Believe It or Not” franchise continues to amaze people today.

                The ultimate “believe it or not” story is found in John 1. It is more fantastic than anything that Ripley recorded. The very Word of God became flesh and lived among us. God became incarnate; taking on our humanity so that we might know Him personally.

                Throughout the ages, God has been seen as unapproachable and distant. Many people today still see God as unknowable, unapproachable, and unavailable to them. For the Jews, this idea was reinforced by first the Tabernacle and then the Temple. At the very heart of these sacred spaces was the Holy of Holies where only the High Priest could go, and then only once a year on the Day of Atonement. The people of Israel worshiped God from a distance. God was unapproachable and a mystery.

                All of that changed with the birth of a child to a young couple from Nazareth. Christmas is the ultimate “believe it or not” story. When the angel came to Mary to tell her that she had been chosen to bear the Messiah, she was informed that this would be not ordinary child. This was Mary’s “believe it or not” moment.

Luke 1:29-35

    Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

    "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

    The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

                When Joseph found out about Mary pregnancy, he was rightly upset. He knew the child was not his and so he looked for a way out of the marriage, without totally disgracing Mary. Instead, he received his own “believe it or not” moment.

Matthew 1:20-21

    But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

                John fills in the rest of the story, when he informs us that this was not just a miraculous birth, it was THE miraculous birth. The very creator of the universe was embodied in an infant. The very creator of the universe took up residence on earth. He didn’t come in all His power and glory, but came in vulnerability as a child. He chose to live our life. He chose to make Himself knowable.

                Paul summarized this amazing “believe it or not” story in Philippians 2:6-8.  

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death--

even death on a cross!

                Christmas has become many different things to different people. For many it is simply a secular celebration of family and friendship. For some it is a religious observation. For most it is a mixture of the two. But at the heart of Christmas is the ultimate “believe it or not” story.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

                Through the years Ripley asked people to believe the unbelievable. God asked Mary and Joseph to believe the unbelievable. Every Christmas He asks us the same question. Will you believe in who Jesus is or not?

                At the end of John’s gospel, after he had chronicled Jesus amazing life, he summarized his work with these words.

John 20:30-31

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

                Christmas is not about Santa Claus and gifts under the tree. It is about the most miraculous event of all of history. God became a man and lived among us.

Believe It or Not!