The first skeptic of Christmas

Published: Dec. 24, 2017, 10 a.m.

Most people would prefer a Christmas without surprises, a Christmas where everything goes according to plan. Usually when our expectations are not met, the results are disappointing. And yet, everything about the first Christmas was the opposite of what anyone would have expected. Today we see how that started with the angel’s announcement to Mary that she would be “expecting.” Everything about this child was different. Everything about him was miraculous. In carrying and delivering him, Mary not only played a vital role in God’s plan of salvation, she also learned an important lesson: that with God nothing is impossible. With him we can always expect the unexpected.