Tis the season, or so they say. Just
about everyone spreads the sentiment of peace and joy and brotherhood
during these last few months of the year. Everyone seems to agree
that this is a good thing but the atheist or the skeptic will be
quick to argue that faith is not required to spread peace and love to
others and that Christmas can be just as meaningful without Christ.
Many Christians flounder for a response to this and tend to mumble
something about commercialism or the "true" meaning of the
holiday but what if I told you that both sides may be missing the
point?
We read the beautiful story of the
nativity in Luke one and two, and we can almost hear the chorus of
angels say "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men!" But do we really get understand this?
The meaning of the nativity and of this proclamation -like the cross
itself- is tied to our past. In order to understand the right side
of the Bible we need to know the left side; the Old Testament.
In the beginning God created. Now
without getting into a creation argument (which is not the focus of
this writing) we can see that God made man -specifically Adam and
Eve. According to the book of Genesis mankind was, in those early
days, perfect. We were were without sin or the knowledge of it and
enjoyed a perfect communion with God. Simply put: we were truly good
and there was nothing keeping us from or restraining our relationship
with God.
Everything changed at the fall. Adam
was given very little instruction, but chiefly he was told not to eat
the fruit of a certain tree.
“Then
the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend
and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of
every tree of the garden you may freely eat; "but of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely die."
(Genesis
2:15-17)
This command was translated
to Eve after her creation and things seemed to go as normal for a
time. However, Eve chose to disobey God when temptation came to her
and Adam -instead of correcting her- followed suit. In that moment
their eyes were opened to evil and they “fell” from their perfect
state and passed that sin nature on to their descendants, us.
This sin nature has plagued
humanity ever since, it is a wedge between the creation and the
Creator and makes us creatures of wrath rather than sons of glory.
We're the spiritual cockroaches of the universe. The important point
to remember here is that while we once enjoyed close companioship
with God we are now estranged and more than that we are His enemies.
“For
to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life
and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is
not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who
are in the flesh cannot please God.”
(Romans
8:6-8)
“For
since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal
power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although
they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful,
but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were
darkened....being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder,
strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters,
haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving,
unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God,
that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only
do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”
(Romans
1:20-21, 29-32)
So the world and all the
people in it are naturally at odds with the God who created them.
This brings us back to Luke and the angel's proclamation, “ Glory
to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
People tend to throw this verse around while pushing for unity in
mankind and the brotherhood of humanity but the angels, I think, had
a very different meaning in mind.
You see, they weren't here
to spout empty blessings or hollow promises. They weren't here to
warm hearts and calm minds. They had come to proclaim the birth of
the King! Man was estranged and at enmity with God, doomed to a just
punishment and eternal separation from their creator. The flames of
Hell lie in front of us and we are powerless to alter our path, but
God has made a way.
The story of Christmas is
the story of salvation, of God come to earth in the form of man that
a way to Heaven may opened to us! Jesus, that little baby in the
manger, was more than the offspring of Mary. He was and is God in
flesh, Deity in humanity, the infinite within the the finite. He was
the same man who would grow up to face death on the Cross that we
might receive life in eternity. His sacrifice paid the price for our
crimes and allows God to forgive us, putting our sins on Jesus'
account.
The angels didn't come to
make the shepherds feel good as they cowered in that field. They
didn't come to proclaim peace throughout the nations. The angels
were a delegation from the King to His people in rebellion, they were
messengers of His intentions of peace towards us. The goodwill
toward men is His goodwill! Though we are haters of God and though
we have rejected Him at every opportunity He has goodwill and peace
intended for us! He extends the olive branch and offers us a way of
reconciliation.
Now through Jesus Christ we
can look foreword not to the unending flames of Hell but to the peace
and rapture of Heaven.
“Now
I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the
first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I,
John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a
loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is
with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.
God Himself will be with them and be their God. "And God will
wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death,
nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former
things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said,
"Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write,
for these words are true and faithful." And He said to me, "It
is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I
will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who
thirsts. "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will
be his God and he shall be My son.”
(Revelation
21:1-7)
We need not fear tomorrow
and we need to war against our maker. We who were the enemies of God
have been shown peace and forgiveness. Remember this Christmas that
the birth of Jesus is only understood when viewed in the light of the
our past and that baby's future. God came to man when man would flee
from God, He has built a bridge over the chasm we had built.
“Now
there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the
Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do
not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy
which will be to all people. "For there is born to you this day
in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "And this
will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling
cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill
toward men!" So it was, when the angels had gone away from them
into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now
go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the
Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found
Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had
seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them
concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those
things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these
things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard
and seen, as it was told them.”
(Luke
2:8-20)
