Christmas is truly one of my favorite times of the year. I love everything about it—the classic music, the festive decorations, the delicious treats, the parties, the presents, and of course, the movies. There are a handful of Christmas movies that really are some of my top movies of all time, but my family refuses to watch anything remotely Christmas-y outside of that month or so between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, so we always have to cram them all in before the holiday season is over.
One reason why I (and probably many others) love Christmas movies is that they feel so comforting and nostalgic to watch, and I think that’s often because they use tropes that we all know and love, like Santa actually being a real person, Christmas being in danger and in need of saving, the importance of family, the grump who has a heart change, and the couple who falls in love over the holidays (even if they hated each other in the beginning). One trope that appears in a lot of Christmas movies is the Christmas Miracle.
The Christmas Miracle trope usually pops up near the end of the movie at a point when everything seems lost, and then by some sudden stroke of Christmas magic, a miracle occurs and all is saved or made right. In Home Alone, Kevin is about to be tortured by Harry and Marv, but then his not-so-scary neighbor rescues him, the cops show up to arrest the Wet Bandits, and Kevin’s mom finally makes it home on Christmas Day. In Elf, Santa and Buddy are about to be caught by the Central Park Rangers, but then Jovie is able to inspire enough people to sing and have Christmas spirit so that Santa’s sleigh can fly. And in your average Hallmark movie, there is always some way for the big city character to save the failing small-town Christmas cookie store, Christmas tree farm, or some other Christmas-themed business.
But I believe the best example of a Christmas miracle is not found in a movie or book but in the small city of Nazareth around two thousand years ago.
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.” Luke 1:26-27, ESV
Mary was just a young Jewish girl, living in Nazareth and preparing to marry her betrothed. As far as we know, there was nothing particularly special about her. She wasn’t a member of royalty or nobility. She didn’t live a perfect, sinless life. She was an ordinary woman, and yet she was visited by an angel of God.
“And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.’” Luke 1:28-31
You can imagine that this must have been quite a shock for Mary. Not only does an angel appear to her out of nowhere after 400 years of silence from God, he tells her that she is going to have a baby boy and he already has a name picked out for her. But this angel’s divine message is about to become even more shocking.
“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:32-33
Mary might have been an ordinary girl, but her newborn Son would be far from ordinary. Jesus would be the Son of God, the Son of David that had been prophesied centuries earlier, the Messiah who would save them all and crush the serpent’s head. The Savior who had been foretold since the Garden of Eden was finally coming into the world. This was wonderful, glorious news! But there was one small problem:
“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34
Like any other Jewish girl in her situation, Mary was a virgin. She wasn’t married to Joseph yet, and she had never slept with any other man before. She knew that getting pregnant without a man was an impossibility. But when has the impossible ever stopped God?
“And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:35-37
In some way that we still don’t fully understand today, the Holy Spirit would enable Mary to conceive and carry a child, despite her virginity. This may seem like an impossible task, but the God we worship and serve is a miracle-working God. Nothing is impossible for our Creator and Lord, and through His infinite power, He performed the very first Christmas miracle. No magic required.
This was all a big risk for Mary. Everyone in town would know that Mary had gotten pregnant before she was properly married, and they probably wouldn’t believe that it was God’s child and not a man’s. She had no idea how Joseph, her betrothed, would react to this news—if he would stay with her or want a divorce. And yet, she submitted to the holy will of God.
“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38a
As we all know, nine months later, Mary was blessed with a baby boy—Son of God born in human flesh—and she named Him Jesus. And when this boy grew up to be a man, He would bring about another miracle—the salvation of our souls through His death on the cross.
This holiday season, you may be looking for a Christmas miracle. Like Kevin McAllister, you may be struggling with strained relationships. Like Buddy the Elf, you may feel alone and like you don’t belong anywhere. Like the main character in a Hallmark movie, you may fear that you’re about to lose something that is very important or special to you. But you won’t find the miracle you’re looking for in music, movies, or a little bit of magic. Only God can provide the miracle you seek. Only God can heal your broken relationships. Only God can give you a holy purpose and unconditional love. Only God can sovereignly watch over you and care for your deepest needs.
If you’re in need of a miracle right now, turn to Jesus, watch for His work in your life, and bring praise to His name as Mary did two thousand years ago.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” Luke 1:46b-49
