Posted on 12/25/2015 9:57:15 AM PST by impactplayer
The problem is that the Christmas story starts at the beginning of the end of an epic drama. It’s like picking up a 700 page novel and starting on page 650. You see the ending, but there is no context – no character development – no drama – no power. And as a story it just does not work. This was demonstrated in glaring fashion a couple of hundred years ago when the Gospel was introduced into Korea and Japan. The entire Bible was available in Korean, but only the New Testament in Japanese – Korea became Christian, while the Japanese grew to only 3% Christian. You see, the story just does not work when you start at the end.
In the beginning, Jesus (the Son of God) speaks the word and all of time and space are created.
Jesus, however, does not just create time and space – He creates a proliferation of life. And chief among them is Man. But man must now co-exist with Satan. Jesus provides all man’s needs, along with a couple of warnings. He tells this first man, Adam, to stay away from the tree of Knowledge (of good and evil), and of the tree of Life (eternity). But Satan is wily, and convinces Man that he can become like God (which is what Satan always wanted for himself) if he would just eat from the tree of Knowledge. So man defies God and falls from His Grace. Now God must protect man from the tree of Life or he will be eternally locked in a fallen state. So man is driven from God’s garden and into the world.
Man proves himself helpless against Satan – and the created order becomes one of total disorder. Jesus is ready to destroy all of it and start over, but one man (Noah) is found to be righteous and to walk with God. So he and his family – along with each type of the created animal – is instructed to get into a large ship where they are all saved from a massive flood, destroying all the men infected by evil. But it pains Him to see His creatures destroyed, so He makes a promise to man – sealed with a rainbow – never to do that again.
Evil returns to the heart of man but – once again – God finds one man (Abram). And He calls him to move with his family to a new land and makes a “promise†that He will be their God and they will be his people, and they shall prosper and fill the land and show the nations who God is and how to live in His grace. Abram is given a new name – Abraham – to go with this promise. In his old age Abraham has a son by his wife Sarah. God then asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son – and heir to God’s promise. Abraham makes all of the preparations, then God spares the Abraham’s son and the promise is fulfilled.
God’s protection of His people included using other “pagan†nations to help out. God saw a great famine coming and used Abraham’s great grandson – Joseph – to protect His future nation. Joseph, the youngest and favorite son, was beaten and sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Joseph ended up in prison in Egypt, were he gained favor through the interpretation of dreams. God revealed to him the coming famine, and Joseph convinced the King of Egypt to spend the next seven years storing grain. Joseph was put in charge of the entire operation, and eventually moved his family – God’s people – to share in this abundance amidst regional tragedy. The people grew in size and influence until a future “pharaoh†– afraid of their growing numbers – turned them into slaves and called for the death of all new-borne males.
God saved one – Moses – and caused him to be raised and trained as Pharaoh’s own son. Moses was called by God away from this life of luxury to lead His people out of bondage. God caused great pain upon Pharaoh and the nation of Egypt until they finally let God’s people go. He opened the sea for their escape, and they were told to enter the “promised†land – the land God had promised to Abraham. But they still felt like slaves and would not go. God spent the next forty years training them into a nation. He spoke to Moses, giving them the rules to live by (including the Ten Commandments) and taught them how to worship. In this they learned that they were unworthy (sinners) and that only death (sacrifice) could provide the holiness required to approach the living God. Once this generation had been replaced with a generation raised upon God’s principles they were given victory over the “promised†land – a land flowing with milk and honey. God now had His nation among the nations of the world, and they were to be a “light†to the world – an example for others to follow.
This nation, however, was weak and disorganized. So fourteen generations after Abraham, God selected a new leader – once again the youngest son – to mold His people into a great nation among the nations. And so David – a man after God’s own heart (though clearly short of glory in his own right) – became a great ruler and united the people into a great nation. And David’s son, Solomon, was commission by God to build a permanent temple for the worship of this “holy†nation.
But it was not yet to be. This “holy†nation took their “rights†as God’s people for granted and performed their “worship†as a ritual. Thus, in time, they were conquered, their temple destroyed and the people of God led away into captivity – this time into Babylon.
This is now the second time God’s people have been enslaved. Nothing appears to be working out right. Israel is not a light to the nations, they never could keep their end of the grand bargain with God, and each time – even after God delivers them – their worship soon turns into little more than a cultic ritual. The only thing that has really been established is that God’s terms are just, and man cannot live up to them. The pattern has been repeating for generations and generations: God establishes a good foundation (creation), man rebels (sins), man reaps the result of his disobedience (judgment), and God saves and restores His people to a right relationship with Him (re-creation) – only to have it all start all over again. Something MUST be done to break this never-ending cycle.
God’s solution (remember, God never has a problem) is mind boggling. He will enter the world of man as a man – show man how to live – then save him from Satan’s grip so man could live free of his grasp forever. It would be Heaven on Earth! It is a grand plan – a plan that has been in place from the beginning. God has been “saving†his man/God all along. He has longed to resume His intimate relationship with His finest creation which was spoiled by Adams disobedience. It is now time to set the final stage for this world-changing event.
So, once again, God restores His nation to their land and rebuilds His temple (this time using a pagan king to make it happen), then for seven hundred years begins foretelling His grand entrance into His world.
And so it is – God’s people are restored to their land and the temple rebuilt, but nothing is the same. The people are subjected to harsh Roman rule, their priests badly compromised through “deals†with Rome, and their temple turned into a “den of thievesâ€. The people have nowhere to turn. Neither the government nor their priests – not even the temple of God – can help. They are in desperate need of a Savior. John the Baptist sees this and the people flock to him, hoping he is the one. He is not, but he gets them ready and prepares the way.
NOW we can start the Christmas story!
It takes nearly 1,500 pages to tell the story right, with all of its full character development and powerful drama. But if you start with Christmas – without any of this preparation – well then – the story just doesn’t make much sense. We can see the “how†of the story, but not the “whyâ€. We understand the “what†of the story, but not the “Whoâ€. It really has a nice ending, but SO WHAT!
And that is the problem with Christmas. It cannot be explained in a sermon, or a parable, or a simile. Power like this requires preparation, background, and study to even begin to grasp it. And in the end, even this is not enough. In the end – in the final moments of grasping at the wind – it is only Jesus who can fill it with meaning. It only makes sense through His eyes – and we can only see it through Him. It is a paradox – it cannot be understood until we know Him – cannot be held until He holds us – is beyond our senses until He makes sense.
Yes, Christmas is a problem. May it fill you with awe and wonder for the rest of your life!
I don’t have a problem with Christmas!
Good! Neither do I! :-)
Christmas is celebrated all over the world. Even the Japanese celebrate it.
My husband, mother and I were in Cairo one Christmas and the Egyptians came out with an Arab Santa calling out to us Christian tourists: "Eid Milaad Saeed," their version of Merry Christmas. It was in a HUGE Egyptian restaurant.
99% of Egyptians are Arabs. All Arabs there are Muslim. That doesn't mean that they hate Christ or Christians.
Tourist money trumps almost everything. "Keep Egypt green; bring money." :o)
I hear what you are saying and agree. Christmas has a context. Without that context you can’t fully understand or appreciate it. Christians who just study the New Testament miss that context. Interesting observation about the difference between Korean acceptance of Christianity and Japan’s.
Merry Christmas to you!
Got that for Christmas (along with Jesus on Trial) very excited.
The Catholic liturgy during the Advent season and beyond, if you follow the daily Mass readings, gives very good context. There are readings of Exodus, reference to Eve, the genealogy of Jewish kings and their histories, the prophecies, etc.
BTW, did anyone watch EWTN Solemn Christmas mass in DC? I think Newt Gingrich’s wife, Calista is in up there in the choir, or at least someone with her similar hairstyle.
Have blessed Christmas, y’all.
Oh, and my favorite, Genesis.
I get your point, but your numbers are a little off.
Egyptians are 90% Muslim (predominantly Sunni), and 10% Christian (majority Coptic Orthodox, other Christians include Armenian Apostolic, Coptic Catholic, Maronite, and Anglican).
Thew Egyptian Christians wish you a Merry Christmas --- "Colo Sana Wintom Tiebeen" (probably spelled wrong: spellinbg is not my strong suit).
:o)
Perhaps the universal appeal is enhanced due to Santa Claus Day being celebrated on the same day...............
Well I WAS there and I HEARD it and I do speak a bit of Arabic, having lived in Saudi Arabia for five l-o-n-g years.
Side note: The Saudis would let us take Arabic coversation classes, but no classes on how to read/write Arabic. They didn't want us Americans to get "too comfortable" there because, in essence, we didn't belong there.
None of us were going to convert or marry a Saudi so there was no reason to stay there.
SO, perverse child that I am, when I returned home I took classes on reading and writing Arabic. It's 100% phonetic and was ONLY developed for putting the Koran to paper. Before that the Arabs had NO alphabet.
The Arab alphabet has no V or P, so the "V" ended up sounding like an "F" and the "P" ended up sounding like a "B."
We all had a BIG laugh when the instructor mentioned the mispronunciation "problem" with the phrase "a pile of bricks." :o)
"Peace on earth; goodwill towards all." What's not to like?
The rest of the non-Christian world sometimes tends to follow The West. In some cases it doesn't work, but with Santa Claus, Sinder Klaus, St. Nicholas, it does. And, it's all in the memory of a fourth century bishop who secretly gave gifts to the poor on the birthday of Jesus.
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From the Internet:
Bishop of Myra
As Bishop of Myra, Nicholas lived the qualities that caused his fame and popularity to spread throughout the Christian world. His vigorous actions on behalf of his people and in defense of the Christian faith reveal a man who lived his convictions.
Nicholas was not timid—he did what was necessary and was not easily intimidated by others' power and position. His concern for the welfare of his flock and his stand for orthodox belief earned him respect as a model for bishops and a defender of the faith.
Nicholas comes to the church
Nicholas' selection to be a bishop was unusual. After the former bishop's death, other bishops gathered to select the next bishop for the See of Myra.
During the conclave, the wisest bishop heard a voice in the night telling him to watch the doors of the church the next morning at matins. The first person to enter named "Nicholas" was to be the new bishop.
The wise one told the others, counseling them to be at prayer while he waited at the doors. When the hour came, the first to arrive was a young man. When asked his name, he replied, "I am Nicholas." The bishop addressed him, "Nicholas, servant and friend of God, for your holiness you shall be bishop of this place."
They brought him into the church and placed him in the bishop's seat where he was to be consecrated the new Bishop of Myra.
Born: March 15, 270 AD, Patara, Lycia
Died: December 6, 343 AD, Myra
Nationality: Greek
Lol. It may not be perfect but you ALWAYS make your point.
Merry Christmas and happy 2016.
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