The Dark Side of Christmas - Pt 3

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” (Luke 1:46-55 ESV). Our reading today is known as the Magnificat. The word is taken from the Latin for the first word of Mary’s outpouring of praise. It is really a hymn about the incarnation. Without question, it is a song of unspeakable joy and the most magnificent psalm of worship in the New Testament. It is the equal of any Old Testament psalm, and it bears a strong resemblance to Hannah’s famous hymn of praise for the birth of Samuel. It is filled with messianic hope, scriptural language, and references to the Abrahamic covenant. What we can see from this incredible hymn is the taking of real war to a new level. Of course I’m not talking about a conflict between earthly nations. It is not war on a human level, but war in the celestial realm. We can see much more of this war revealed in the Revelation. However, we should make no mistake, the birth of Jesus was a shot fired directly at Satan and all he desired to possess in the earth. God had finally revealed His Messiah. Jesus came into this world “to destroy the devil’s work” (cf. 1 John 3:8), and Satan had no intention of surrendering without a fight. In fact, he was fully intent on destroying the newborn Son of God as quickly as possible. So, Mary’s famous song, sung during her visit with Elizabeth, is essentially a military song. She has come to know that war is on the horizon, and she also knows the outcome. Her reference to God’s “mighty deeds with his arm” recalls the exodus. The first biblical passages where “the outstretched arm” of the Lord is mentioned are Exodus 6:6 and 15:16. Rulers like Herod had to be “brought down… from their throne” (v. 52) for things to be safe for Jesus, but even more so “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (cf. Ephesians 2:2) had to be dethroned and defeated. That celestial war began at Christmas, and it will not reach its final climax until Jesus returns again to cast the devil and all his hosts into the lake of fire. Just as the first Christmas is history, so will that great day. While it was dark on the first coming of Jesus; the Second Coming will not be so. It will be filled with the light of God’s glory and final victory over death and hell!

The Dark Side of Christmas - Pt 2

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:18-21 ESV). More than a million babies are born in the U.S. each year to mothers who are not married. That’s nearly 40 percent of all births. Today there is little social stigma attached to these women. In fact, in many cases, their courage and determination to raise their child as a single mother is lauded. Because we live in a culture where abortion is both acceptable and easy to obtain, these mothers are not “shamed” as they would have been in the Middle East of Joseph and Mary’s day. That ancient culture was an “honor-shame” culture, where certain situations, one of which was getting pregnant out of wedlock, caused an entire family deep shame. The father of the family was expected to take some drastic action to restore the family honor. Mary knew that what the angel was announcing to her would cause her deep pain. An unmarried virgin conceiving a child was an impossible situation, even if there might be some who would believe she was indeed still a virgin. After all, who would believe her story that her pregnancy involved no sexual immorality? The nativity passages from Scripture suggest that only two people believed Mary’s pregnancy was divine. Elizabeth and eventually Joseph believed her; however, that would not have been enough to assuage her fear of the proscribed punishment of death by stoning could be avoided. We read nothing in the Bible about Mary’s parents being supportive. In fact, there is nothing that would lead us to believe she had anyone to help her through this dark time. This is why it is so incredible to read of Mary’s submissive statement to the angel Gabriel. When she said, “May it be to me as you have said,” she must have still been terrified. But she vowed to be God’s humble servant, regardless of the cost. There is the message for us today. Whatever circumstance we find ourselves living through today, whether by our choices or circumstances beyond our control, we can be sure that God has not abandoned us to the world. Jesus came to pour His light into that darkness. He came to give us the strength to endure to the end where we will be welcomed into our heavenly home, all secured by His death, burial, and resurrection. As dark as it might have been for Mary, it broke the bright light of God’s glory into the world for us!

The Dark Side of Christmas - Pt 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5 ESV). I know the Gospel of John is not exactly “Christmas material.” However, the more I meditate about the birth of our Savior, the more I begin to think of the “dark side” of this great miracle of redemption. It is easy to associate Christmas with light. After all there are bright lights everywhere. We can see the Christmas lights of every imaginable color, inside and out. There are displays of nearly every part of the story told in these arrays of lights. When Mary and I made a trip to Gatlinburg, TN recently, I took a picture of the lights around the fountain in The Village. It was beautiful. The decorations were everywhere your eye could see. But the more I have reflected on the Christmas story, the more I have come to realize that for those involved in the Christmas story, their circumstances were anything but joyous light. There was pain and suffering; there was danger and the threat of death. Darkness threatened to overwhelm them. This was true simply because of the sin Jesus came to redeem mankind from. Since the first sin of the garden, man has preferred the darkness. And, by remaining in darkness, sinful hearts never see light. Jesus is the light of the world; many have tried to squelch that light, to destroy it. In the Christmas stories in the New Testament, there is a dark side. We prefer not to look at those elements in this season of “peace on earth, good will toward men.” But it is there, and we will never enter into the full truth and impact of the Christmas story unless we do. That is what I hope to explore in the next few days. I pray you will receive a greater appreciation for the awesome event that happened more than two thousand years ago. The first event to examine is the event. The birth of the baby Jesus is undoubtedly the most unusual birth in human history. He was born of a virgin, without a human father. He was born God and man in one person. But he was also unusual in another way. He is the only human being who was ever born in order to die. God never intended human beings to die. We instinctively feel that. We celebrate the birth of a new baby because God has created new life. We are born to live. The death of an infant or a child is especially tragic because it is so wrong, so unnatural. But Jesus was born in order to die. As we gaze at the nativity scene, we see a shadow cast over the manger. It is the shadow of the cross. That is why he came into the world, to die on the cross! Reflect on this as you see the lights of this Christmas season.

Broken Toys Fixed Here

Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. (Psalm 85:4-7 ESV). Christmas and children go together with toys of all shapes and sizes. I remember the many hours spent on Christmas Eve assembling that one special gift “from Santa.” One evening that little project turned into a four hour marathon trying to get every screw and bolt with every cable assembled on a bicycle for one of the boys. I was one tired “Santa” the next morning! Inevitably, those toys break and need repair. One year for my birthday Faith and Logan gave me a sign to hand on my workbench. It simply said, “Grandpa’s Workshop… Broken Toys Fixed Here.” Well, there have been times I have restored some toy or stuffed animal to its original best. The first time I sewed a stuff animal back together for Faith, she said, “Grandpa can fix anything.” Well, I was proud of that moment; and, certainly didn’t feel that it was an appropriate time to correct her! However, the truth is I can’t. There are some things I simply can’t fix. Spiritually speaking, our eternal destiny is one of those things I cannot fix. Only Jesus can do that. That is the message of Christmas. The psalmist understood that as he wrote our reading today. Psalm 85 is a prayer for deliverance. It speaks not only on behalf of individuals but is also a group lament: “Restore us again, O God of our salvation” (v. 4). It is a cry for help, for the salvation of the community. Where does this salvation come from? It comes from the voice of God. “Let me hear what the Lord God will speak,” says the psalmist. Our God is a God who speaks. In the church we call this revelation. What God speaks, suggests the psalmist, will bring peace to his people. That is how we will know it is God’s voice. Advent is a season when we wait for the revelation of God. It is when we anticipate God speaking to us in such a way that it will bring us peace. God’s peace-bringing revelation is Jesus. Jesus is the Word of peace that God speaks to all creation. Peace means more than the absence of conflict. In the Bible, peace is shalom, a communal webbing together of God, humanity, and all creation in a flourishing of justice, fulfillment, and delight. It is far more than an individual experience. It is a communal reality ordered and made possible by the Word God has spoken to a world crying for help. God’s workbench was erected on Calvary and he fixed it all that day long ago!

Just Wait

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. (2 Peter 3:8-10 ESV). When we think of waiting around Christmastime, we usually think of little children. Some have been through this before and know they have to wait, with excitement and hope, for Christmas to come, and family to arrive, and presents to be opened. Others aren’t yet able to grasp the concept of days or how long exactly they have to wait for all the hustle and bustle they see around them to unveil itself as Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. So they ask again and again, “How long until Christmas?” I can remember posting a Christmas countdown for the boys when they were little. It seemed to help a little as they open each door of the countdown castle. They still kept asking though. I suppose that’s a part of all of us regardless of the situation. We want to know how much longer we will need to wait for anything we want. Our reading today is more about waiting until the Second Coming of Christ. However, the principle remains the same. Before Jesus’ birth the people waited for the deliverance of the God through “Messiah.” They had been waiting for centuries. Generation after generation had come and gone and God had yet to send the Savior. Tragically, when he did, many people simply refused to believe that Jesus was this promised One. In the day of the apostle Peter, the question more likely to be asked was, “How long until Christ’s return?” When Jesus left his disciples and ascended to the right hand of the Father, his disciples expected his return any day. In this letter, Peter is reminding Christian believers to be patient as they wait for Christ’s return, and to remember that when Christ returns, new heavens and a new earth will be revealed, where righteousness is at home. Just like it took time for God to make all things right before the first coming, so he will make all things right before the Second Coming. Our task is not to countdown the days, but to anticipate the event. We should be ready, filled with the joy of hope. “Just wait”… you won’t be disappointed!

The Magi

After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:9-12 ESV). One of the most interesting of the facts of the birth of Jesus is found in the visit of the Magi bearing gifts to him. There was some time (perhaps as much as two years) that passed before the Magi found Jesus. During this time Mary and Joseph still lived in Bethlehem. Undoubtedly there were many curious well-wishers that looked in on the family. This was their hometown. Certainly they still had relatives and family friends who lived there. With the declaration of the shepherds they would have attracted a lot of attention. If for no other reason than curiosity, many may have dropped by to meet the most famous baby in Bethlehem. Out of all the visitors, the Bible only records the shepherds, and later the Magi (traditionally Wise Men). As with all of the Bible, there is purpose in only mentioning these two groups. Both had some things in common with Jesus. First, note how clearly Jesus demonstrates shepherd qualities like the men who knelt by the baby’s manger. He cares for us, his sheep, and ensures that our every real need is met. But, he goes far above the care of any earthly shepherd. He died for us so we can follow him into eternity. Second, the Wise Men came from a great distance bringing valuable gifts. But Jesus came from an even greater distance, all the way from heaven to earth. The Savior brought more costly gifts than gold, frankincense, or myrrh. Jesus brought love, forgiveness, and salvation. Third, Jesus was also a visitor. Isn’t it easy to forget that Jesus was in some ways “a visitor” to earth? His home was not the earth. That certainly will take place some day. When the trumpet sounds, a new heaven and a new earth will be created. The throne of Jesus will come to the earth; but, we cannot forget that Jesus’ home has always been heaven. He comes to earth as an accommodation to save his children. Aren’t you glad he did!

Lying in a Manger

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12 ESV). Artists often portray the stable where Jesus was born as being bright and neatly swept, with a fresh layer of straw in the manger. However, this simply was not the case. It was, after all, a barn. Actually it probably was a cave that was used as a barn. As is true with every animal stall it must have been cold, damp, and littered with filthy straw. Yet this is the kind of place that God chose to reveal His only begotten Son to the world. He chose to enter the world in this dark, musty, smelly place. We should not fail to recognize the significance of this truth. Just like the physical place where Jesus first came to earth, so is the spiritual place where the Holy Spirit now abides. Often our hearts are just as filthy as that stable in Bethlehem. Bitterness, lust, hatred, and countless other sins may clutter our hearts. Without him they remain cold and dark, with the stench of sin hanging in the air. Despite all the dirt and grime in our lives, Jesus longs to be born in our hearts by faith. I am sure that after Jesus was born in that Bethlehem stable, it didn’t feel so dark and cold anymore because the Light of the world was there. He delights to come into our lives and clean up the residue that sin leaves behind and shine his light into the darkest and dingiest corners. In our house we have always had some sort of nativity scene displayed for Christmas. It has always been placed in a central location so that anyone would be able to see it and recognize it as the focus of our celebration. Thinking a bit further along those lines, I am drawn to the need to display prominently the “nativity scene” in our hearts. As we interact with others in our daily lives, with all of the distractions of schedules and activities, we should not miss the opportunity to accurately reflect the peace of God in the Child of Bethlehem. Jesus really is the answer to all of our problems; and yet, he seems to be the last one we focus on in our solutions. Those shepherds had the “dirtiest” of careers in the Middle East. They were often shunned and avoided by the rest of the population. Yet, when the angels come to them, they are given the directions to Jesus so that their lives might truly be “clean.” This is the message we carry with us in Jesus. Share it!