Jargon
I normally do posts like this on Fridays, but I have my last final on Friday. I figured I would use this for Wednesday's post instead.
I went to a Christmas dinner and candlelight service the other day. It was nice. We sang songs, held hands, lit candles, and ate. And something the pastor kept talking about was the "miracle" of Christmas. The "joy" of Christmas. The "peace" of Christmas. He kept saying that these were all supposed to be things for us to think about and appreciate. Oh, he briefly ran through the Gospel in a sentence or two, but left feeling like I wanted more. Why is Christmas a miracle? Why is there joy? Where's the peace? I supposed to reflect on the ________ of Christmas, but what about Christ Himself? Where was he in all of this?
Immortal? Jesus was born to die on a cross.
Invisible? The Spirit God took on human flesh.
Wise? Not only did Christ take on human flesh, he started off as a baby. He drooled and spat and had to be cleaned up after. He babbled, like any baby does, trying to grasp the right phonemes that corresponded to Aramaic.
Inaccessible? Jesus was born in a stable, where shepherds and fieldhands rushed to greet him.
Almighty and victorious? Oh, He will be. But not until thirty-three years later after he had led the country, come back, was threatened with stoning, was beaten, mocked, and killed. His almighty and victorious rise from the dead, and later his ascension, would not be for a very long time to come.
It's been said that the most scandalous point of human history was the day that Jesus was killed. I don't dispute this, but I think the second most scandalous point was the day of his birth. That's where the miracle lies. Not that a baby can be born of a virgin. That's nothing to God. It's the thought that Christ would come to earth at all that floors me. That's where the miracle is. The joy. The peace.
May you truly appreciate the miracle of Christmas, be filled with joy and peace, and that you will not only embrace the jargon of Christmas but you will have an encounter with Christ Himself.
I went to a Christmas dinner and candlelight service the other day. It was nice. We sang songs, held hands, lit candles, and ate. And something the pastor kept talking about was the "miracle" of Christmas. The "joy" of Christmas. The "peace" of Christmas. He kept saying that these were all supposed to be things for us to think about and appreciate. Oh, he briefly ran through the Gospel in a sentence or two, but left feeling like I wanted more. Why is Christmas a miracle? Why is there joy? Where's the peace? I supposed to reflect on the ________ of Christmas, but what about Christ Himself? Where was he in all of this?
Not a carol, but a hymn
Have you heard this song before? It's the first verse of an old hymn. I'm not sure if I've even sung it at church before, but I used to play this song on the keyboard when I was part of Bible Study Felowship's children's program. I was trying to explain the incarnation to a friend of mine, and this song came to mind. What it describes is basically everything that baby Jesus didn't have.
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.
Immortal? Jesus was born to die on a cross.
Invisible? The Spirit God took on human flesh.
Wise? Not only did Christ take on human flesh, he started off as a baby. He drooled and spat and had to be cleaned up after. He babbled, like any baby does, trying to grasp the right phonemes that corresponded to Aramaic.
Inaccessible? Jesus was born in a stable, where shepherds and fieldhands rushed to greet him.
Almighty and victorious? Oh, He will be. But not until thirty-three years later after he had led the country, come back, was threatened with stoning, was beaten, mocked, and killed. His almighty and victorious rise from the dead, and later his ascension, would not be for a very long time to come.
Scandal
It's been said that the most scandalous point of human history was the day that Jesus was killed. I don't dispute this, but I think the second most scandalous point was the day of his birth. That's where the miracle lies. Not that a baby can be born of a virgin. That's nothing to God. It's the thought that Christ would come to earth at all that floors me. That's where the miracle is. The joy. The peace.
May you truly appreciate the miracle of Christmas, be filled with joy and peace, and that you will not only embrace the jargon of Christmas but you will have an encounter with Christ Himself.
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