Isaiah 9:2-7
I’m writing this on Christmas Eve, but know it will be published on the 27th. So, I hope you all had a very merry Christmas.
I’m not gonna try to hide it. I absolutely love Christmas! As a pastor, that would make sense, but it’s not just the Jesus-y reasons that inspire my love for Christmas. Yes, Jesus is the reason for the season, but Jesus has given us a reason for some pretty awesome stuff. The food, the friends, the family, the decorations, the music, the gifts, the time off work, the traditions, the festive attitude that crosses geographic, cultural, and even religious boundaries, it’s all just uniquely incredible and I love it!
As a religious holiday, Christmas often plays second fiddle to Easter. After all, it’s on Easter that we see the full power of God on display in the resurrection. On Christmas we get a beautiful story but, no matter how you frame it, it seems like it’s just a story about a little baby in a stable. It’s the beginning of something big, but it can’t really hold a candle to the power of God on display on Easter. Right?
I think it can. I’ve come to be convinced that we generally sell the meaning of Christmas short. Christmas isn’t merely the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry. Christmas is God’s most dramatic saving act in history and maybe Easter is just the inevitable conclusion of what God powerfully and unexpectedly accomplished on Christmas Day.
Put another way, we shouldn’t let the climax of Jesus’ earthly ministry on Easter distract us into thinking that’s all he ever did. From his birth, Jesus was the Messiah, the deliverer of Israel. Beyond that, Jesus was born as the very embodiment of God on earth.
Jesus established a new kingdom – a kingdom that doesn’t consist in territories and laws, but in God’s presence in human hearts. The kingdom of God doesn’t expand through war and conquest, but through love and fellowship. Earthly kingdoms are characterized by injustice and corruption. In the kingdom of God justice rolls on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.
Jesus didn’t first become the king of this new kingdom when he was resurrected. Jesus was born king. In announcing the birth of the messiah to shepherds (one of the lowest rungs of Jewish society) and pagan foreigners (the Magi), God put the powers that be on notice. “You’ve had your day. There’s a new king in town. In fact, there’s a new kingdom and everyone’s invited.”
By taking the form of a baby – by becoming a man – God cut out the middlemen. The prophets, priests and kings of the world had provided access to God. Unfortunately, they were often corrupt and power-hungry. From the moment of Jesus’ birth, the world experienced a brand new reality. For the first time in history, we had direct physical access to the God of the universe. For the first time in history, God walked around in public and interacted with humankind.
Christmas wasn’t just a first step toward Easter. This new reality, this new access to God was an end unto itself. A new reign of peace had begun. The earthly powers became irrelevant overnight and we could now look to the God of the universe as our God and incorruptible king.
I feel like I’m writing in circles, but I’m closing in on my main point. We often look to Christmas as a holiday of good feelings and happiness. It’s an innocuous time to just enjoy the idea of brotherhood and love. Christmas is so much more than this. Christmas is the time God showed up and staged a coup against the world’s power structures.
In this new kingdom, the rich and powerful would no longer deny justice to the oppressed. On this new earth, a baby is king, shepherds are royal messengers, and everyone is invited to have a personal relationship with the God of the universe. The resurrection was the capstone on this transformation, but it’s on Christmas that God established Jesus’ direct rule on earth.
All that to say, don’t undersell Christmas. In Christmas the loving power of God is on full display. In Christmas the world is forever changed and saved from the dominion of darkness. Combine that with the awesome traditional celebrations and Christmas is easily the best holiday of them all!
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