The Christmas story is one of the greatest events in human history. Period. Why? On that most auspicious day God became man, born as a hapless little baby. Yet that baby, born into totally unassuming circumstances, was both the fulfilment of the Messianic prophecies given to ancient Israel as well as the incarnation of God Himself! Jesus was no ordinary baby - Jesus was no ordinary human being.
Jesus was born into the family of David – Jesus was a descendant of King David, whom God had promised would have a descendant on his throne forever. But Jesus was not just another human descendant and another flawed ruler. No, Jesus was the fulfilment of the promise of new hope for Israel – He was to be the prince of peace as Isaiah foretold. Israel had great expectations for their coming Messiah. But Jesus’ purpose was not to liberate His people from political oppression. Jesus came first to bring spiritual freedom – to reunite a fallen humanity with its Divine and Just Creator. A Creator who defines what is right and wrong; whose very nature is perfection, righteousness and love. Jesus’ priority and mission was to bring freedom from slavery to sin, not emancipation from an imperialistic and dominant Empire. Jesus will return a second time, but not as a small defenceless babe – when Jesus returns He will come as the rider on the White Horse with Heaven’s army against the Satanic forces of evil in this world and vanquish the Devil for all eternity. On that day He will finally take His place on David’s throne as the conquering Lion.
Only to those who the Holy Spirit and the Host of Angels had revealed it to were able to recognise in that sweet, unpretentious child the future King of Israel on that first Christmas. However, Jesus was not just God’s anointed one – the chosen saviour of humanity. Jesus was Himself God. In Jesus the fullness of the deity dwelt. Jesus grew up to become the only sinless man, despite being tempted on numerous occasions. God created a new Covenant – an eternal covenant, just like when He created His covenant with the Patriarch Abraham and passed through the offerings alone, so too God gave of His own Son in order to meet the Just requirements of His Law. For God cannot be unfaithful – not to His Law, not to His Covenant and not to Himself. God gave His Son to die upon the Cross so that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish and suffer damnation on that Day of Judgement but have eternal life. God created that new Covenant through His own blood. It is eternally binding. What an incredible day – when God literally intervened in the course of human history! God became irrevocably and unbreakably linked to His creation through the birth of Jesus.
The Christmas story as told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke speak to people from all walks of life, of all ages and both genders. In Matthew we are given Joseph’s perspective as a righteous man, eager to be married who must make a courageous act of faith in taking a pregnant Mary to be his wife, suffering the scorn and possible rejection by their village. Joseph’s story is one of love and loyalty in the face of persecution and discrimination – a man who embraced Jesus as his own even though biologically not his son. His is an example to fathers and step-fathers, from boyfriends to husbands of how to be a man of God and do the right thing by his wife and her child. In Luke we are given Mary’s perspective as a young woman soon to be married – a modest and humble young woman. After her visitation from the Arch Angel Gabriel she must obey God and place her total trust in God for her future knowing full well what conclusions her family and friends are going to jump to. To them she would have brought shame upon the family and could have been potentially stoned to death. Yet Mary accepts the Immaculate Conception with humility and faith finding her identity and validity as a woman in God not her peers. Hers is an example to young women to pursue God’s will for their lives and not chase after the fickle and fleeting approval of the world. God protected Mary and delivered her from being out-casted by society.
Conversely the Christmas story is not just about a young couple about to become parents under extraordinary circumstances. For from the lowliest to the influential and powerful, people from across the spectrum of human civilisation came to pay tribute to the birth of Jesus. The Shepherds – mistrusted by all in Jewish society, who watched over their flocks by night, on the cold hills surrounding Jerusalem, came to see the birth of their saviour and Magi – well educated and powerful men from the East came bearing gifts befitting a King to give to the Son of God. The Christmas story encompasses all of humanity – every person can relate to the story, for the birth of Jesus is for everyone. Jesus is the Light of the World and His birth signified a new hope for all humankind. This year connect with the Christmas story in a new way; recognise that you are a part of the story too, whether represented by the Shepherds or the Magi, Mary or Joseph. Jesus is your hope, your saviour and if you believe your Good News of Great Joy.
No comments:
Post a Comment