Reflections Of
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In the past few weeks our congregation has examined the ‘Advents’ of Christ, if you will. We’ve done so in a backwards manner and have looked at specific time periods; His soon return as the Coming King, His appearance before John The Baptist as the Lamb of God, and on Christmas Eve we will touch on His arrival as a baby boy in a stable.
Being the central figure of history, it appears that everyone has an opinion or thought about Jesus, moreso than Buddha, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, or any other religious figure you can think of. As a matter of fact, for all of the popularity that Barack Obama is enjoying, or for the hatred that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may incite, neither of them garners the type of controversy that Jesus does and that Jesus always will. It’s because there has never been another man whose life has served as such a catalyst for so many, both for good and ill, both with care and with misunderstanding.
His Name has been used to justify some of history’s most heinous acts and yet some of the greatest benevolent occurrences happened underneath His banner. Stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things can be linked to a faith in this Person, the Son of Man, the Son of God.
Even as a baby before learning the trade of a carpenter under his earthly father’s watchful eye, Jesus was a lightning rod, a storm that upset the status quo, breathing life and hope for some, becoming an object of disdain for others.
Herod’s fear of Him was so great that He sought to snuff His life out before He ever reached His first birthday. In doing so, many other firstborn male babies paid the ultimate price. Others travelled very far distances to find this Baby, following the stars in the heavens themselves as their may to the Anointed One. Still, other simple men gathered around Him, knowing that He was special and unique. And his parents - their young hearts, gripped with both apprehension and promise, heeded the divine words that they had received through visitations and dreams, and beheld the Baby as God Himself.
It’s an awesome story, but only remains a story until you and I dare to put ourselves into it. Because there are other great stories out there, legends and myths which capture our hearts and can serve at the least to give us something to think about and at the most to inspire us to be greater than we are. As a matter of fact, some of the greatest minds alive are weaving such tapestries, and expressing their visions through movies, theatre, and music.
But Jesus’ life becomes something altogether different when you start asking yourself some questions. Questions like ‘could a Baby really save me?’ ‘Would God really come down to earth and be like me in order to show me how much He loved me?’
I always thought, for whatever the motivation was for releasing the song, that Joan Osborne’s “One Of Us” was such a bold conveyor of a query which may have gone through the minds of many, particularly the generations that have sprung forth in the last fifteen or so years. You see, it’s a question of longing, of wanting to relate, of wanting to know and be known. At least that’s the way I took it.
And I think that’s why Baby Jesus came. Because He was answering that call - among other things - for us to know and be known. He knew that to be one way that He could capture our hearts and bring us to Himself.
The fantastic thing about the Baby Jesus, though, was the different amount of roles that He played, the various prophecies that He fulfilled. Suffice it to say, He can be called an ‘indescribable gift’ because He cannot be summed up in just one sentence or under one title; as much as He is our King, He is our sacrifice. As He is our Saviour, He is our Brother. As He is our Cornerstone that the builders rejected, He is our Intercessor.
Our congregation has been encouraged to share Jesus with someone else this Christmas who needs Him. And there are many. There are our family members who shun Him, our neighbours who are afraid of Him, our friends who don’t understand Him. And the Church are the only ones who can show Him to the world.
You may know someone who needs to know Jesus. And you may know full well that you don’t have the words to say. That’s ok. We don’t need our words anyway. But we need to be willing to speak on behalf of God to people who need to hear from Him.
I’ll make that my prayer, and I hope, if you’re a Christian reading this, that you make that your prayer, too. It’s an awesome responsibility but such a great endeavour to partner with God in seeing people’s lives change.
On behalf of our congregation in Dundas, Ontario, in the GHA (Greater Hamilton Area), we wish you and your family the very best of this Christmas season and all of God’s blessings for 2010.
- Duane Henry, Lead Pastor, Christian Life Assembly
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