Advent: The Politics of Christmas 3

When Joseph decided that he should not proceed with his marriage to Mary, an angel appeared to let him know what was actually going on with his betrothed. She had not been unfaithful. Rather, she had been chosen to bear the promised redeemer. The angel instructed him that the child should be named Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins.” Joseph yielded.

To save from sin Jesus had to make atonement, not for himself but for the sinners he came to rescue. This necessitated his dying. But how he died was important. The chosen means was crucifixion, a horrifyingly gruesome form of execution. This method accomplished several things. First, it was the result of a judicial sentence. He was tried and found guilty. This established him as a law breaker. Second, he received a curse under the Mosaic law, which declares anyone who dies upon a tree as a result of a judgment was cursed (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). And third, it was a death reserved for the despised and forgotten of society. 

In every aspect of this humiliating death he was undeserving. It was all for our gain. We are the ones who stand guilty before God’s judgment seat. We are the ones deserving of the law’s curse. We are the ones who having exalted ourselves before the face of God deserve to be cast away, remembered no more. Instead of us, however, it was Jesus, who, despite his divine status, “stripped himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as mortal man. And, having become man, he humbled himself by living a life of utter obedience, even to the extent of dying, and the death he died was the death of a common criminal” (Philippians 2:6-8, J.B. Phillips translation).

This ignominious death is what awaited the child born in Bethlehem. He was marked from the very beginning, indeed, before the foundation of the world, to die a rebel’s death. In doing so, however, he turns fallen reality upside-down. The strong are shown to be impotent, the proud are brought low, the forgotten are remembered. True humanity is reinserted into creation and peace with God and peace with man is possible! 

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

A Christmas Primer: Lesson 1, The Biblical Foundations

Trees, decorations, lights, giving of gifts, parties, family gatherings, cards, television specials, and the occasional creche or performance of the Messiah, these are the trappings of the season. In and of themselves, they are not bad things. But they do have the power to obscure the biblical foundation of Christmas. Consider the following words from an oft-sung carol heard at this time of year:

God rest you merry, gentlemen,
let nothing you dismay,
remember Christ our Savior
was born on Christmas day,
to save us all from Satan's pow'r
when we were gone astray;
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

There’s a lot of important information in that verse that has been lost in the clutter of all the goings-on of the “holiday season.” Alas, the tune is no longer a celebration of salvation. Instead, it has become part of the shopping mall playlist or rendered background music for a trip up the elevator.

I’m not griping. I’m grieving.

The Bible relates that the birth of Jesus signals the fulfillment of God’s word. “As it is written,” “this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken,” “for so it is written by the prophet,” all point to the reality that God had planned this redemption long before, from before the foundation of the world, in fact. He purposed that he would “save his people from their sins” and sent his son to accomplish the task. Those with eyes to see and ears to hear understood that the one born in Bethlehem was the substance of God’s promises.

I may be deluded, but it seems that generations past were aware of these basic facts. I have a feeling that when they sang Christmas carols they knew enough of the story to know what the words spoke of, even if they didn’t believe them.

A lot of ground has been lost. Our neighbors are ignorant. That’s why we need to be educated and to educate. Pray that our Christmas Primer will go some distance in helping us to make the biblical foundation of the season known.