Christmas is less than three weeks away. Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. And in our culture, we celebrate. Special church services, decorations, parties, family gatherings, gifts, cookies to be made — all requiring preparations, lots of preparations … all crammed between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I love the Christmas season. I love Christmas music. I love the special programs at church. I love  having friends in for a Christmas brunch. I love that our family will be visiting. I love Christmas cookies. I love that our anniversary is also in December. I love how our culture honors this season with decorations.

And I love the Christmas story. I read it every year. BUT, truly, what do my days communicate about my gaze? What am I beholding? What does beholding even mean?

Behold is an archaic word rarely used today. But in the days when the King James Bible was being written, it was a very common word. It is used 1298 times in the KJV!

The Hebrew word for behold is chazah meaning to gaze, to contemplate, to discern, or steadily fix your eyes upon.
The Greek word is idou which signals emphasis and asking for special attention.

In the ESV Bible, the word behold appears 9 times in the Christmas narrative in Luke 1 and 2. (1:20, 1:31, 1:36, 1:38, 1:44, 1:48, 2:10, 2:33, 2:48)

God wants to communicate something BIG! Both with Zechariah and with Mary, God sent an angel with his message starting with the word, behold. Beholding is important!

“And behold, you will conceive …” Luke 1:31.
“And behold, your relative Elizabeth …” Luke 1:36.
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord …” Luke 1:38.
“For behold, when the sound of your greeting …” Luke 1:44.
“For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; …” Luke 1:49.

Mary knew the significance of the word behold. For her it was a common word with huge significance. I’m challenged with her response.

Mary didn’t initially understand the angel’s message. But she didn’t disregard it. She “tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.” 1:29. Mary’s beholding led to reflecting.

Mary believed and responded in submission to the angel’s words. “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” 1:38.

Mary deflected the glory to God. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” 1:46. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months. Do you wonder what filled her days in those months? What was she contemplating? Where was her gaze?

Behold, Christmas is coming! In less than one month. I’m challenged, what will fill my days as I look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus? How am I beholding? Where will my gaze be?

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus …”
Hebrews 12:2, NIV

I love how the first two verses start. Behold and be blessed.

Copyright: Sue Tell, November 2024.

PS. A few other scriptures using the word behold:
Matthew 1:20 – But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord …”
Matthew 1:23 – “Behold, the virgin shall conceive … Immanuel” Also Isaiah 7:14.
Matthew 28:20 – “… and behold, I am with you always …”
John 1:29 – “… Behold, the Lamb of God …”
John 19:5 – “… Pilate said to them, ‘Behold the man!”
John 19:26 – “… ‘Woman, behold, your son!'”