The Music of Christmas, Day 1

Ancient Refrain

 

Read John 1:1-14

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.

 

 

Of the four Gospels, only two tell the familiar stories celebrated at Christmastime. The story of the shepherds and angels, Mary and Joseph, wise men and evil kings … all are recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Mark says nothing about the birth of Jesus. John, on the other hand, skips the crowded inn and smelly manger. His version of Jesus’ life and ministry came long after the accounts by Matthew and Luke were well known. So rather than repeating details associated with the blessed birth, John takes his reader back even farther — a prequel. Movie goers line up to see a-story-before-the-story on the big screen and I have a similar feeling of anticipation whenever I read the beginning of John’s Gospel. 

 

His account begins with time itself. The opening lines may only be a subtle reference to the Creation but are clear about who Jesus is — the catalyst for God’s redemption of all creation. 

 

The creation account in Genesis was written in the form of a poem. It was likely set to music to help people remember and repeat its words. This ancient song of origin, known so well by John’s audience was suddenly made new. The big reveal is that God, Creator of everything and everyone, stepped into His creation in order to save it. The Word who spoke all things into being had been made flesh. God waded into the darkness as the Light of the World.

 

I remember hearing my great-grandfather talk about life before electricity. Kerosene lanterns and candles were essential. People woke long before dawn to make use of every bit of daylight, and everything ended before sunset so people could get safely home.

We live in a different world today. We take for granted the availability of electricity and the light it produces. We no longer fear the dark because we seldom face it. Flip a switch and darkness flees. Flood the streets with lights and stay out late. Why value the light of day when we simply make our own? That is until a storm comes and the power goes out. Then we are confronted with the reality of darkness and our powerlessness against it. Suddenly, we remember that we are afraid of the dark and those who lurk in it.

After creating the heavens and the earth, God’s first order of business was turning on the lights.  He dispelled darkness by creating light even before shaping the sun. Consider God’s first recorded words: “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). John picks up the theme and runs with it. After referring to Jesus as the “Word” of God, he explains that within this Word was the “Light” of all humankind. The Word and the Light are one in the personage of Jesus Christ.

 
The world without Jesus is a dark place. He came into the darkness of our world, yes, but more importantly, into the darkness of our hearts. No electric light can illuminate the dark heart of humanity, and so we follow the example of Adam. We try to hide from God to avoid exposure to His Light. We don’t want our darkness revealed to others or ourselves, and especially not to God. But Jesus came to meet us in our darkness and offer His light.

After the fall of man, creation once again plunged into darkness. This condition, while spiritual in nature, appeared to overcome God’s light. John offered a new glimpse into the Creation account. God has once again sent light into the world. This Light cannot be overcome by the darkness of sin. This Light is life for everyone lost in darkness. 

 

The song isn’t new, yet time and time again this ancient refrain promises a new beginning. Jesus has come to make all things new (Revelation 21:5). Perhaps you would like to start over. The same Word that spoke our world into existence stands ready to do a new work in you.

 

 

Light of the World,

 

God who spoke all things into being, speak new life into me.

Penetrate the darkness of my heart with the Light of Your love.

As believers turn their attention to the celebration of Your birth, 

be born again in me, in my family, in Your church, and in Your creation.

Amen.

The Music of Christmas is available in print or digital formats.

Don't Forget the Baby!

When I was a teenager, one of the ministers at our church forgot his newborn son in the nursery following Sunday services. His wife picked up their older son and left instructions with her husband to get the baby. After the young minister finished his post-service responsibilities, he got into his car and left for home. He forgot the baby. Fortunately, the church nursery was staffed with loving volunteers who kept the baby until the husband made it home where he was quickly made aware of his mistake and then promptly returned to collect the forgotten child.

Once upon a time when I was a young minister myself, with four children all under the age of seven, my wife and I were always counting heads. We did not want a similar story told of us. We navigated those preschool years with success and without ever “forgetting the baby!”

Unfortunately, I’m not sure others can say the same. The Church in general, for instance. Every year, we celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus. His is a birthday worth celebrating! He is the ultimate expression of God’s love for all humanity. Christians spend weeks rehearsing Christmas productions, decorating, cooking, buying gifts, and listening to those familiar and well-loved carols. We re-tell Bible stories about wise men and shepherds, we light candles, sing, attend services and Midnight Mass. From Thanksgiving to December 24, the season of Advent is a flurry of activity anticipating the arrival of that precious baby. And then, on December 26, when the Christmas pageants are over, we go home and leave the baby lying in the manger, abandoned on the altars of our sanctuaries.

Given that the modern Church spends so much time celebrating the birth of Jesus, it is interesting that only two of the four gospel writers even bother to mention the circumstances of His birth. In fact, Jesus Himself never mentioned His own birth. He never asked His followers to celebrate it in particular, or to remember it as He instructed them. to remember His death every time they drank from the cup or broke the bread. How telling.

Now before I get in trouble with all Christmas lovers out there, let me say that we have much to learn from this familiar story. We should reflect upon it, not just this month, but on each and every day. To do so, we will need to strip away the glitter and gold, ask the orchestras to pause and tell the choirs to pipe down long enough for us to hear the true story. Remember the circumstances of His birth as they really were, not what we’ve made them to be, and recall that He was born to a couple of poor refugees. Do not overlook that His mother was a simple teenager whose family and neighbors were highly suspicious of her pregnancy. Do not forget that He was born in a stable full of noisy livestock, cow dung and flies. The scenes from Bethlehem invite us to admit Jesus into the reality of our lives. He comes to the dirty places in our world because it is only when we let him in that He can pull us out.

We should also remember and celebrate that, despite the evil King Herod’s best efforts, Jesus did not die as a baby, but grew to manhood. Jesus, the man, would not conform to the pious wishes of the religious establishment. He smashed their erroneous image of an invisible God with a God all too visible as He ate with sinners, walked with tax collectors and spoke openly to harlots and prostitutes.

Too often our response to the scandal of the Christmas story is to sanitize it. We attempt to scrub Jesus clean of His humanity. We do so in order to keep Him neatly preserved in cathedrals and sanctuaries. Moreover, we prefer Baby Jesus lying in a manger to bloody Jesus dying on a cross. Baby Jesus doesn’t talk. He doesn’t tell us to love our enemies, or forgive those who have wronged us. Baby Jesus does not remind us that we are broken, nor does He broach the topic of our sinful choices. We prefer stained-glass Baby Jesus because He resides in the lofty, unreachable corners of our church buildings and not in our own homes. We assume that keeping Him in a porcelain creche eliminates the probability of Him walking into our schools, offices and boardrooms.

As long as Jesus remains an icon, bound within the four walls of the church house, we can manage our lives the way we want without interference. We relegate Jesus to our westernized nativity scenes and, quite like Herod, prefer that He never reach His adult years. At Easter, we Christians celebrate the fact that the grave could not hold him, only to lock Him away in the manger eight months later.

The problem with Jesus is that He won’t stay put. The grave could not stop Him, the manger could not keep Him, and no church can contain Him. How ludicrous that we would even try.

Yes, celebrate the birth of the Holy infant, but do not leave Him that way. He grew up. Maybe when you weren’t paying attention. Don’t attempt to lock Him up. Embrace the man who speaks, loves and heals. Invite the man who challenges the religious and welcomes the sinner—who lived, died and rose from the dead.

This Sunday, after church, don’t forget to get the baby.

Hindsight is 20/20

Hindsight is 20/20. How many times have you looked back on a situation and wished you had known then what you know now? With time comes perspective and wisdom that redefine our understanding of the past. As a father I understand my childhood in ways I didn't from the vantage point of a son. Time and experience didn't change the basic truth of my past, but they have opened my eyes to a more complete understanding of it.

As I read the accounts of Jesus in the New Testament I am struck by the lack of understanding in those closest to Jesus. There are at least 12 occasions where we are told that Jesus's followers "did not understand" something He said or did. The people who lived with Jesus could never have fully understood Him during his lifetime. It was only after the crucifixion and resurrection that they began to understand all Jesus said and did while He was with them. When we read the stories of Jesus in the New Testament, it is from the perspective of writers looking back on events that only made sense after they understood how the story would end. While we consider the life of Jesus from manger to empty tomb, the Gospel writers were looking back from the empty tomb to the manger. As they reflected on the life of Jesus, there must have been many moments when they finally understood the truth of their time with Him. "He was God WITH us ... how could we have missed it!"

What was true for Jesus’s first followers is true of His followers today. It is difficult to see God in the middle of our circumstances. As we face challenges, disappointments and brokenness, we may forget God has promised He will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). He also promised to be with us always -- even to the end (Matthew 28:20). The reality of the incarnation is not only that God became flesh and dwelt (past tense) among us, but that God is still with us today, even when we fail to recognize Him.


Just like Jesus first disciples, I may not always see God in my circumstances, but my failure to recognize Him doesn't change the truth that He is with me. God is among us. He is present in our disappointment, shame, brokenness and fear. He meets us in our pain and weakness. God is with us. We are not alone. I must remind myself that while I may not be able to see Him today, one day it will be obvious that He was with me all along. My perspective it not what it will be (read 1 Corinthians 13:9-12).

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