The Happily Ever After We Didn’t Think Possible

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18-20, ESV

As a little girl, I remember learning about the prospect of a prince. He would be dashing, strong, trustworthy and courageous.

The stories told of dire circumstances where the only hope was for a prince to come charging in at the last minute for a life-saving rescue. If he didn’t come, there would be no hope. Evil would triumph.

These stories leave us feeling the overwhelming tension of waiting for a miracle because let’s face it, a prince coming to our rescue is more than unlikely, it is inconceivable.

And yet, that is exactly what we see happen in the Christmas story.

The Risk

The tension builds quickly in the story of Jesus’ birth. His unwed teenage mother finds herself in danger as much as any princess in the fairytales. Even though it was from the Holy Spirit and the fulfillment of prophecy, it still placed her in grave danger. Pregnancy before marriage in that culture was in fact, a death sentence.

Just as Mary felt the risk of her life on the line, so do we. It doesn’t take us long to feel the desperation from sin we cannot tame, from lives out of control.

As soon as we are born, we are just as much in need of a rescue – from our sin, from ourselves.

Mary felt the impossibilities that confronted her and so do we. Each of us on the edge of our seat, looking for any hope of a rescue, a reprieve of our death sentence from sin and shame. The need is so great, the options so few, the rescue so unlikely, that pressure mounts with hope against hope.

And then He comes…

The Rescue

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, ESV)

Just when there is nothing more than a miracle that can save from certain ruin, God intervenes!

For Mary, the Lord protected her and assured Joseph of her righteousness and His plan. For us, He sent His only begotten Son to rescue us for eternity.

And what a rescue it is!

The Redeemer Prince

What makes Jesus so great is that He is more than a rescuer, He is our Redeemer. He doesn’t just save us from our danger, He pays the price for our sin and shame. No fairytale prince ever did that!

When I look at our insurmountable need, I see two ways God met that need through Jesus:

1. Our Redeemer Prince came! He burst on the scene as a tiny baby but He came with prophetic force and purpose. His name “Jesus” means “the Lord saves.” And He came to save each of us personally!
2. Our Redeemer Prince came to stay. His name “Immanuel” means “God with us.” God knew that we needed to see the exact representation of God the Father in order to live out our faith. He lived 33 years among us and then gave His Spirit to live within us after He ascended to the throne of God in heaven.

Living Happily Ever After

Our redemptive story is so much better than ANY fairytale. Our “happily ever after” means living eternally in the glorious presence of our Prince of Peace in heaven. What an ending to the story of our lifetime that will be!

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13, NIV)

Questions for Your Heart:

1. Have you ever thought of the Gospel in this way? Say a prayer of thanks to Jesus for His willingness to heroically save us from our greatest enemy – sin.
2. Mary’s situation was precarious, and yet we see God cared for her every step of the way. In what ways can you lean upon His faithfulness this holiday season and in the new year?
3. If you’re discouraged or weary right now, how can remembering our “happily ever after” in heaven restore your joy?

Author: Gretchen Fleming from gretchenfleming.com