Christmas – Simply True

Christ is born. Good news for everyone

I don’t’ need to tell you that’s it’s Christmas time. That news is everywhere. But the world can’t tell you why it’s a time for joy—or even being happy or merry. Even at the first Christmas, no-one could have told you it was a time to be happy, unless there were some angels around to help.

All of us need some help to move beyond trying to keep ourselves happy and find the joy that God is waiting to give us.

Christians don’t need to do things to make them happy. Whole industries are devoted to that. Of course, we all hope for happiness—for ourselves and others, but this is very dependent on circumstances. And it can often be shallow—a cosmetic on the face of sadness. Sometimes, it relies on blocking out the unpleasant parts of life.

But joy is different. It’s an important part of life. It’s not just for the ‘fun bits’. It’s the motive we need to relate warmly, and the enthusiasm we need to get things done. It’s the exuberance we need to live well—an inner confidence, and hope for a future that’s sure. Everyone has this need, but especially those who believe in God and his Son.

Because Christians start with the wonderful gift of Christ to our world, they start with joy, continue with joy—sometimes through pain, and they end with joy. It’s a quality made in heaven, and delivered.

Joy starts with God. Just think about what we know about him for a moment. He knows his creation is good. He loves what he’s made. He’s planned every detail of what he will do to fix our mess. And everything is happening in the time frame he has in mind.

His joy isn’t ignoring our pain. He understands sadness better than any of us. He’s acquainted with everything that’s happening, and grieves over it. He knows how hard it is to change things. And he doesn’t rely on phony fixes. But he knows what he will do to restore joy for us.

This is because everything God does for us focusses on one great event—the coming of his Son into our world—his anointed King. Our joy is dependent on him. Totally!

Luke tells us about three occasions of joy when Jesus comes into our world—for Zechariah, for Mary, and for a group of shepherds.

In each case, an angel is sent to get things moving. In each case, there’s a problem to solve. And, in each case, the joy is offered to everyone. Here’s what we can learn from them.

Zechariah and his wife are old but an angel comes to him and announces that he and his wife will have a son. We’ll get to know him later as John the Baptist. And the angel says, ‘You will have joy and gladness. And many will rejoice at his birth.’[i]

Well, John is not so sure. He and his wife are past having children. And here’s the problem. He may be righteous. He’s performing his once in a lifetime task—burning incense and praying for Israel in the temple’s holy place. But still, he’s living by what’s possible, not by God’s word of promise.

The Old Testament has closed with a guarantee that righteousness will again rise like the sun and shine on his people. And a new Elijah will prepare his people for this day. And Zechariah’s son will be this new Elijah. But Zechariah is focused on problems, not God’s promise!

Being a good man isn’t enough! Anything that’s ‘us’ isn’t enough. God wants us to be expecting something from him. That’s where joy comes from, and how it’s sustained.

Well, God gives him a nine-month course on joy! And while the impossible happens, he’s got time to think.

So, John the Baptist is born, Zechariah regains his voice, and he tells us what joy is and where it comes from. I’ll leave you to read his exuberant praise. Sufficient to say, it all depends on God sending us his Son. God has not given up on his creation, or forgotten his promises to Israel. That’s why there’s always a reason for joy.

And then, an angel is sent to Mary. She is also told about a birth. Her son will be Israel’s Messiah. It’s hard to comprehend the explosion that must go on in her mind. She’s young. She’s betrothed to Joseph. But she also knows the hope of Israel, that God’s king will come to save his people.

Her question is not ‘can this happen?’ but ‘how will this happen’. She’s devout and circumspect, betrothed to Joseph but not married. She asks a good question. The angel, delicately, tells her that the Holy Spirit will ‘overshadow’ her. The Father will be God—no less.

She’s heard enough, and says, ‘Let it be so to me according to your word.’ Possibility is not the question. She’s focused on God’s word, not her worries.

How she feels about this is revealed later. But we know that she visits her auntie Elizabeth who is already pregnant with John. It will be three months before he is born, but Elizabeth says the baby leaps in her womb for joy. As we find out later, John the Baptist is filled with the Spirit from his birth. It’s as though he can’t wait to introduce the Messiah to Israel!

And Elizabeth has learned what is important in this life. She says to Mary, ‘Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.’[ii]

But now, when Jesus is born, Mary tells us what’s in her heart. Let her tell us what’s important in life.[iii]

‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.’ And, ‘…he who is mighty has done great things for me’. She’s insignificant and unworthy but receives mercy—mercy that will come to many. There’s the abiding reason for joy for all of us!

Once again, an angel is sent. This time, to shepherds.

Jesus has been born. The Son of God is in our world. But God can’t rely on us responding appropriately! It’s going to take time to get us to believe this, and for him to get his joy into our minds and hearts.

So, God sends his angel to some shepherds. They’re overwhelmed, and scared. But these shepherds need to get used to God being in charge of what we think is our space! The angel’s message is one ‘of great joy which will be for all the people.’

But notice the wording. ‘I bring you good news.’ ‘To you is born…a Saviour.’ And ‘This will be the sign for you.’ The shepherds aren’t listening to a news item. This is not of general interest. This joy comes to us because God is speaking to us. It’s for ‘all the people’. I am being addressed too!

And now, the shepherds are given something to do. They need to see the connection between the unseen world of God speaking by this angel, and the working out of this in life. They will find this baby in David’s city—Bethlehem, in a feed trough.

Then, God sends a whole choir of angels to show us all how to respond to this great gift. Give glory to God! All of it. And receive the peace! All of it. God is generous in love and ready to act.

Looking for one born to be King in a feed trough is unusual. And, of course, only shepherds would know how to scout around Bethlehem among the sheep shelters and ask their mates if they’ve heard of a baby being born.

But notice what they say. ‘Let’s go, and see!’ And they hurry. And they discover that all they’ve been told is true! And their message goes viral. The unseen world of angels has broken into the world they know.

The coming of joy is no different for us. God has revealed himself in our messy and monotonous world. And he calls us to come and see these things that he has done among us. And to believe the things he will do among us. And to rejoice.

I’d like to follow this up by writing about two other ways in which Jesus comes to us—to bring us joy.

[i] Luke 1:14

[ii] Luke 1:45

[iii] Luke 1:46-55

A top-down view of Christmas (and some thoughts about the new year)

This is a personal greeting to all of you who connect with ‘Simply True’ as articles appear.

May our Lord and Father bless you during this Christmas season!

God is full of surprises. So, I hope you may find it to be so. And, of course, many of his blessings are received through what he reveals to us in his word.

To help us see what Christmas looks like from above, I’ve included a poem below. Feel free to share it with others if you’d like to.

But first, here’s a comment on where we’ve been, and an anticipation of the next series.

Interest in the articles on creation has been broad and sustained. Obviously, I’ve been pleased to have your company! But it’s been especially pleasing to share with you our Creator’s delight in his works and his confidence about its future. These things are vital for our joy and our witness in the world.

In the new year, I’ll begin a series on the authority Jesus exercises as Lord. Peter says ‘God has exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour’.[i]

How much we need him to lead us, and to save us! It’s an authority that begins from the bottom, not the top. It makes something new, and doesn’t just recycle old stuff. Jesus leads us to repentance, and to forgiveness. And it’s what we need in a world that’s lost its way.

I hope you can join me again. You can register if you like (scroll down a bit on the home page). This means a copy of the article will land in your inbox whenever a post is available—usually every two or three weeks

And here’s the poem (based on Luke 2:8-14).

[i] Acts 5:31

__________________

It’s a busy, noisy night

For shepherds.

An angel disturbs their quiet and says

The world’s Saviour has just been born.

And then,

A mighty choir of them, excited to see such things,

Start singing about how good God is.

All this to waken them, and us,

To know God cares about our world—and acts.

These angels may not know

All that yet must be

Or how God will create

Joy in a world that’s sad,

But when they see this Child—

God’s Son in flesh,

They know this world’s Lord,

This Child’s Father,

Will make it happen.

‘Peace on earth!’

Angels see it coming in this birth.

And shepherds hear it first,

And see him first,

Just simple folks, to show

It’s not a thing we can deserve.

This joy will be for

All on whom

God makes his favour rest.

Grant Thorpe, Christmas 2014

God being with us is normal

I can understand people thinking the story of Jesus Christ is a myth. It’s phenomenal to believe that the world’s Creator takes a human body and lives among us. But that’s what Christians believe. One of the names Jesus is called is ‘Immanuel’ (Matthew 1:22-23). It simply means ‘God with us’.

The real question is not how such a thing can happen but whether it is something we should expect to happen. And a related question is whether we want it to happen.

In fact, God has always wanted to be among us. In our earliest human story, creation is described as God’s garden, and he comes seeking Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening (Genesis 3:8).

Then, God tells ancient Israel to build a tent for him and pitch it in the centre of their camp (Numbers 2:2, 17). He wants to go with them as they travel (Exodus 29:43-46), and to live among them when they settle. They know he is there and where they can find him (Psalm 122).

God has spent a long time teaching the world that he wants to be among us—to give us leadership, protection and certainty. And when his Son is born in Bethlehem, John tells us that the Word (who is God) takes on our flesh and ‘camps’ among us (John 1:14).

If your world doesn’t include God, this sounds foolish. But if you look at what God has been saying to us from early times, this is what you would expect to happen.

Among Christians, the coming of Jesus is great news. But the first Christmas is not all peace and joy. God coming among us raises questions, fears, and sometimes, hatred.

It’s the same now. The announcement that God has come to live among us is met with disbelief or distain. At best, it’s regarded as a nice myth to inspire or comfort us.

We need to look at what actually happens when God sends his Son among—us a baby. It helps us understand what’s going on in our own communities.

First, look what happens to Mary (Luke 1:26-38).

An angel arrives. He says God has come to show her great favour. But she is agitated—well beyond her comfort zone.

But she doesn’t need to be afraid. She will have a baby who will be Israel’s King, the world’s Saviour—nothing less than God’s Son.

She’s not married yet, but God says her baby will be a miracle. ‘… the power of the Most Hight will overshadow you’. No-one can work out how this happens. It’s not natural.

But this is what it’s like for God to be near. We’re not in charge! But then, we’re not being condemned either. And we’re not being set up to perform wonders of our own. God is not someone to compete with. But he is someone to co-operate with.

Mary’s reply gives us all something to say when God draws near. ‘May it be so to me as you have said’.

The world isn’t just nature—or things happening naturally. We have a Creator. He’s around! From the beginning, God has been revealing that him being near is normal. We should get used to it! It needs to be our new normal.

Second, see what some shepherds experience (Luke 2:8-14).

There’s no mistaking that an angel makes a night visit to some shepherds, and that his message is from God. He’s literally shining. The shepherds are terrified.

The way to deal with God being near is not to domesticate him but to listen to what he has to say. There’ll always be something unmanageable about this.

Here’s the message. The King that Israel has been taught to expect—their Messiah—has been born in their own town. This is good news for everyone. They get the details of where to find the baby.

Then there’s lots of noise. Many angels worship God and announce the peace God is bringing to those who share with Mary in receiving his favour.

This is what it means for God to be near. We can’t understand the logistics but we need the message. He’s announcing peace with himself, and the resources to be at peace with others.

It will never be us that makes this peace. It needs to be him—present and in charge.

Third, notice how agitated it makes King Herod. From his point of view, Jesus’ birth is a political event. He’s a rival (Matthew 2:1-18).

‘Wise men’ from East of Israel find out—somehow—that a Jewish King has been born. They call, understandably, at the palace, asking to see the new King.

Jesus can’t be hidden. He is world news. He attracts attention, and antagonism. Pilate does some research, gives directions to the visitors, and, deceptively, asks them to let him know what they find. He’s not interested in worship. He’s interested in cancelling Jesus.

Herod illustrates that taking authority to ourselves—as though God were not around—is dangerous.

Herod murders all Bethlehem’s children under two years of age. He needs to protect his tenuous kingdom—the peace he is trying to create by having people under his authority. This is the price the world pays for rejecting God coming to be among us.

So, here’s the new normal.

God has come among us—as a human being. He’s announced his way of peace with us. His way of going about this is not natural, or what we would do.

It’s not even what we like. We want God to leave us alone. And when we finally get an opportunity to do what we want with God, we kill him.

But then, Jesus reveals God—fully. While he is dying, he asks his Father to forgive those who are killing him (Luke 23:34).

The God who has come among us as a baby is still a human being—God, with human flesh. Except, now, raised from the dead, he’s been seated next to his Father, to superintend the peace he established.

This is certainly not natural. But it is God’s normal. And he is asking us to join him in the peace he makes. So, happy Christmas to you all. Just don’t expect it to be natural.