When you think of "impossible", what comes to mind?  A shepherd boy defeating a professional soldier with a pebble?  Three men walking out of a furnace without a burn?  A woman conceiving a child without a man?  We believe those things happened, but some things seem even more impossible -- a cure for cancer, politicians keeping their promises, or the unimaginable -- Christmas being cancelled?

          Christmas cancelled?  My friends, it's true!  In Bethlehem where it all started, Christmas has been cancelled this year!  All public observances of Christ's birth have been erased due to conflict there.  For the first time in 1900 years, there will be no carols, no mass, and no pilgrimage to the Church of the Nativity.  The only public thing in Manger Square will be a tall decorated fir tree, not decorated with lights and tinsel, but with photos of the hundreds of Palestinians, mostly Christians, who have died since the fighting began there last fall.  Yes friends, there will be no Christmas in Bethlehem this year.  Impossible, but true.

          But God can deal with the impossible.  An old couple past fertility has a baby.  A young woman without a man has a baby.  A star guides pagan wise men to a baby.  Angels tell shepherds about a baby.  That baby's birth kills a king.  Incredible things, improbable things, seemingly impossible things, and still they happen today.  A woman's cancer disappears, a heart attack victim runs a marathon, a 400 pound man wears a medium shirt, a youth learns Christian values despite the pull of the world and Satan, and a tiny new church buys its own land.  Our God does the impossible.

          Climbing the impossible mountain begins with one step.  At first it's frightening.  The size of the mountain drains us of energy.  We can't possibly climb that thing!  But then God joins the climb all things change.  Mary saw the mountain and asked: "How can this be?"  Zechariah questioned the angel and he was struck dumb.  Mary heard the angel and was dumbstruck.  When God joins up, the impossible becomes possible.

          It's okay to question God when a mountain stands in your path, but remember, He is able to get you over it.  Paul said, "God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20).  But when we question God, we must be ready to accept His solution.  Be sure your first steps on the mountain include prayer.  And don't climb alone -- people die when they climb mountains alone!  But with a good companion to share the way, you can make it to the top, you can do the impossible.  And we have that companion ready to go along.  His name is "Immanuel, God with us."

          Mary believed the angel who said, "With God nothing is impossible."  Note her response -- "I am the Lord's servant.  May it be to me as you have said."  She got it right!  She humbly accepted God's will.  No complaints, no arguments, no suggestions for improvement.  God would accomplish His plan through her.  The greatest miracle of Christmas may be that Mary - and also Joseph - believed the Angel.

          To do the impossible, action is needed.  You can't climb a mountain sitting down.  The heart attack victim learned to run by gradual training.  The cancer patient took her treatments.  The obese man found a diet.  The addict turned his life over to God.  The little church stepped out in faith.  But it takes a partner, an "Immanuel, God with us."

          It's hard when life smacks you in the face, when you hit the wall, when the impossible is ready to overcome us.  In those times we want to scream, to throw something, to run away and hide.  The impossible threatens to swallow us up unless we get some help.  That help usually comes in human form.

          A man sent his parents a new VCR at Christmas.  They were both excited.  Now they could be a part of the instant generation!  Now they, too, could record movies to watch them later or even edit out those nasty commercials!  However, when they unpacked it all the problems started.  They struggled with the installation and wasted a whole afternoon trying to figure out how to connect it to their TV.

          When they finally did get it connected it wouldn't record!  This wonderful new electronic gadget transformed an expectant afternoon into a weary nightmare!  Electronics were ruining their marriage!  Even after reading the directions over and again, they just could not make that confounded thing work.  Finally they called their son who lived far away, and he suggested they call the tech support number in the manual.  "If you call that number," he said, "they'll help you get it working."

          His mother called and after ten minutes on hold, got another ten minutes of difficult instructions that still didn't make it work.  Finally the mother said, "I don't need better directions; I need my son to come along with the gift!"  You see, when God gave us the gift of salvation, He didn't just send a book of complicated instructions, He sent us His Son.

          God came to help us in person.  Coming to God alone is truly impossible, so He took human form and came to be our companion.  Now Jesus says we're His friends: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.  Instead, I have called you friends..." (John 15:15)  Jesus is God with flesh and bones.  When God gave us the gift of salvation, He didn't just send a book of complicated instructions, He sent us His Son.

          Yet the instruction book can't be ignored.  It contains truth and shows us the right way, the way around the pitfalls, the way of life to God.  But we're still rebellious.  We want to do it our way.  In an old commercial the young woman says, "Mother, I'd rather do it myself!"  Hey -- that's us and God!  "Father, I'd rather do it myself!"  So we try and we fail!

          During a stormy night the Watch Commander of a naval vessel spotted a light heading straight for his battleship.  He sent a radio message saying, "Unidentified ship: you are on a collision course.  Change direction 10 degrees starboard."  The reply came back: "No. You must change 20 degrees to port."  The Watch Commander again sent a message: "This is a United States warship.  Change direction 10 degrees starboard - immediately!"  Again came back the reply: "No, you immediately go 20 degrees to port!"  The Admiral was summoned to the brig and he sent this emphatic message, "This is the admiral of a battleship; you are ordered to change direction!"  The reply came back, "This is a seaman tending a light house.  You'd better change YOUR course."

          When we're sure we know it all, we'd best check the book.  God's Word is not only Truth, it's common sense.  It tells us people are faulty and sinful, but God is holy and good.  People are selfish; God is selfless.  People have their pride; God has His humility.  People go their own way; God shows us the best way.

          So God sent His son to repair the world.  He did more than fix broken or poorly installed people; He made them new.  In Christ God forgives us and helps us do the impossible.  But it's still up to God.  If He doesn't want us climbing that mountain, we'd best listen.  He will make it plain, and even if we fall, He'll pick us up if we let Him.  He doesn't want us in hell, but He'll try to pull us out if we create our own.

          This presidential waiting is getting old.  Waiting for God can also get old, but it's a sure thing.  One day history will forget Bush and Gore, but it will remember Jesus.  People will still think they're the boss, but God will be doing the impossible for His men, women, and children.  He will be forgiving sinners, sort of like making a silk purse from a sow's ear.  God will be doing the most impossible thing -- giving heaven to those who don't deserve it.  Thank you, Jesus, and may we all be there!  Amen

Copyright © 2000 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.