Dear Trekker,
The Christmas story is the earthly beginning of the fulfillment of the well-known promise recorded in John’s gospel, Chapter 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave us his only son, born as a baby of a virgin in a lowly manger bed, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish (die) but have everlasting life.” From the beginning of recorded time, God has had redemption of man on his mind. (I say “recorded” time because we only know the God beyond time and space through what has been recorded.) This is history – His story.
One aspect so unique about His story is the role that man gets to play in his own Divine redemption. For certain, God does not need man to accomplish anything. He, God, is all knowing and all powerful…the First Cause. Man is simply a created being, totally dependent on the God who made him. But here is the catch… God allows man to be a player in His glorious plan of redemption, His unique plan to bring straying man back to Himself for all eternity.
Nowhere is this better illustrated than by Dr. Luke, a Gentile physician of the 1st century, an early convert and companion of the Apostle Paul on his missionary journeys. Luke found himself redeemed and wanted to tell the story of God’s compassion to Gentiles and God’s eternal disposition toward us… one of love, rescue and lasting redemptive fellowship. (Trekker, for this reason, read all of Chapters 1 & 2 in Luke, before reading this month’s MEN.)
What strikes me with Luke’s account is the role various minor players (people like you and me) play in the Christmas story. Reading other Gospel writers, we do not find these characters – Zechariah, Simeon and Anna. What a role they played and Luke included them in his story. And their story is our story, oddly enough. No doubt Luke identified with each of them as well.
Zechariah became a player very quickly in the redemptive drama. But like us, he did so somewhat reluctantly. He was a priest of the Jewish faith (Note Luke 1:5-25). He and his wife Elizabeth were childless. Now, scholars tell us childlessness then was grounds for divorce. So naturally, this was a heavy burden for Zechariah and Elizabeth, for which they prayed. (Trekker, note childlessness is also a metaphor for the natural longing for what we want but cannot get on our own). Yet note…while he was performing natural duties of a priest, God’s message (promise) came to Zechariah. (God comes to us in the everyday practices of our lives). God’s voice comes to us all, if we are listening for it, seeking his plan.
The angel Gabriel came to Zechariah with an answer to prayer, and the priest did not believe it. “This is impossible…we both are too old.” When God speaks, we all have a choice to believe. Zechariah hesitated. Consequently, he was struck speechless until John (the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin) was born. Lesson learned… there are always consequences when we do not believe God’s word spoken to us.
When Elizabeth’s time came to birth her child (Luke 1:57-66), there was great joy in Zechariah’s home. (Joy always follows God’s fulfillment!) William Barclay, British theologian, notes: “John is a shorter form of the name Jehohanen, which means Jehovah’s gift of God is gracious. When Zechariah wrote on the tablet, “His name must be John,” immediately his speech returned. Belief and follow-through always produce fulfillment and even further blessing! That is our take away. In Zechariah’s case, he saw his vision fulfilled in his son. He was to be the one who would pave the way for the coming of the King, the Savior… born as a babe, six months after John. All of life takes preparation, and John prepared the way for Jesus and his death on the Cross.
The second minor character of the birth of Christ from which we can learn is “a man in Jerusalem called Simeon.”(Luke 2:25-35) We know little of Simeon….just a good Jew and pious common man. But the Holy Spirit was on him! (When the Holy Spirit is upon us, trekker, the common becomes most uncommon. We may do things thought impossible in carrying out God’s redemptive plan. But without the Holy Spirit, we remain “most common.”) Simeon had received a remarkable message from the Holy Spirit, that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s anointed one who would restore and comfort Israel. When Jesus was brought to the temple by Mary and Joseph, Simeon took Him in his arms and prophesized the redemptive plan Jesus would carry out.
The greatest challenge (perhaps) for all humanity is to understand (as Simeon did) that by no human means can people (or a nation or person) fully attain the purpose which they believe their destiny involves. This was true for the Jews in the 1st Century. I believe it is true for America today. Leave God out of the equation, and God could “leave” America. The ironic side of Christmas 2018 is our tendency to believe (“make America great again”) that by some great, earthly champion or circumstances, we can “rise up again” just as the Jews in Jesus’ day thought they could with another king like David. So desperately did they desire to make Israel great again, they crucified Jesus because He didn’t match their expectations. No earthly ruler can. Jesus didn’t try. He had a totally different redemptive plan. Simeon saw this all in Jesus, as revealed only by the Spirit, and informed and comforted his parents. Simeon properly noted, though Jesus would be the cause of many to fall (v 34), he would also be the cause where many would rise. He also noted the opposition Jesus would face. Barclay says it well: “Towards Jesus Christ there can be no neutrality. We either surrender to Him or are at war with Him.”
We close noting the final “minor character” to the birth of Jesus…Anna, the prophetess (Luke 2:36-40). Anna is the classic “no body,” virtually unknown, and to the world, insignificant. But not insignificant to God! She was a widow, acquainted with sorrow, but not bitter. She was trusting her God despite uncomfortable circumstances, and she was never out of touch with God. She prayed, expecting God to answer. She fasted; she prevailed and trusted.
Today, this Christmas, trekker, if we think of God as far away and detached, we compromise the reason for the season. Simply put, we don’t get it! He is here, and more than a babe in a manger. That was only the start. We, each one, write the finish of His redemptive plan as we believe and trust His grace and goodness to us all. Yes, joy to the world, the Lord has come! May we receive our King as Savior and Lord of our lives.
Another grateful nobody, but somebody special to God, your friend,
Jim Meredith