Anticipation

A change had begun in her, but it was not yet complete. I was thinking of the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the time of Mary’s last month of pregnancy. As a man I can’t imagine what she was feeling physically, yet I was wondering what she was thinking.

However I’m thinking not as a new Mother, but as a recipient of The Messiah’s Mercy. As someone born after Jesus was, I have never known a day where He had not walked the shores of Galilee. Mary, at this point, had only known the days of before Jesus was born.

Now she knew something else, she knew expectation that was already changing her present, and transforming her future. Eve had expected, Sarah had expected, Ruth had expected, and each had received a step towards the promise, oh but Mary. When Mary’s expectation became a reality, she would see a face no one had ever seen.

I can’t help but wonder if His laugh was anything like Isaac’s? Did Jesus have David’s nose? Could you see Abraham’s features in The Seed he had been promised? I don’t know, but I do know this, Mary saw Jesus, and that is more than enough. When we go to Church, we should have every expectation of seeing Jesus in the events of the service.

Mary expected Him to be special, and she saw what she expected. I know that He was God in the flesh, but I also know Mary held everything in her heart. She treasured every moment, every breath, every phrase, every question.

It’s hard to imagine The Answer asking questions, but God always has. Mary’s Son would ask the Doctors that He astounded questions. Before it said they were amazed at His answers, they were amazed at His understanding. God Incarnate understood, to get their attention I have to ask them questions.

Our Pastor, Pastor Denny Livingston pointed this out recently, Jesus looked at the man and said “Will you be made whole?” Before He spoke the answer Jesus had to ask the man a question. Asking the question gave birth to expectation. Expectation gave birth to anticipation.

The difference between expectation and anticipation is this, anticipating is the action of expectation. In the first month of pregnancy Mary was expecting, but in the last month she had some things in place because she was anticipating. Her wardrobe had expanded, but so had her hope, or anticipation.

Mary went from expecting He was coming in nine months, to anticipating His birth any minute. The Bible says she was great with child. We should anticipate what will happen in Service tomorrow because we are great with Jesus inside us. It’s not that Mary was great in herself, but that which was inside her was great. We do not claim greatness in ourselves, but The One we serve is great in our hearts.

Because of this we enter His gates with thanksgiving, anticipating what He will do. Tomorrow is not just a window of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s a window wherein God will give birth to our anticipation. Just as Mary readied things for the any moment arrival of Jesus, let us anticipate the any moment transformation in lives. Watching the response of people when God asks the question, “Will you be made whole?”