Wait … what?
Allow me to explain.
This year, as I’ve been reading
the Bible on my own, in Advent reflections, hearing it preached, and pondering
the Christmas story, I have found myself overwhelmed by the connection between
Christmas and Easter. Perhaps it’s
obvious – Jesus is the central person in each of these historical events – but
this year I find myself especially fixed on how Christmas is the
gateway to Easter and the “spirit” of
both of these holidays should mark the life of the Christian 365 days a year.
In our country, there is a well-defined
Christmas season, beginning sometime around Thanksgiving and continuing until
December 25th. (Excluding the
retail world, of course, in which Christmas begins before Halloween!) As I discussed in this post, Christmas is a time
we’re invited into “wonder” and “belief” with little more basis than an
imaginary (but fun) benevolent fellow in a red suit. We’re invited to “hope” and “wish” for gifts
and dreams that may or may not come true, because we live lives on limited
incomes and in relationships with real people – who are not always jolly … like
Old St. Nick. I don't mean to be cynical; Christmastime is delightful. What the culture offers, however, usually leaves us wanting something deeper and lasting, no matter how magical the holiday is.
Friends, Scripture too invites us
to wonder, believe, and hope. But the
invitation of the Word that became flesh
finds its basis not in futile wishing and dreaming.
Oh no. This invitation grounds
itself in truth, the historical reality that Jesus became the God-man that we mightbecome members of God’s family through faith.
J.I. Packer offers an interesting
connection between John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made its dwelling place among us.
and 2 Corinthians 8:9
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty you might become rich.
that has synthesized for me what
I’ve been thinking throughout this Advent season. Packer offers that John states the fact
of the incarnation and Paul explains its meaning, that we might move from
simply marveling at the nature of the incarnation to wondering at its
grace. (Guthrie, p. 70*)
I would summarize it this
way: Easter
explains Christmas.
In this season, sentimentality can easily take over as we enjoy traditions, spend time with family, attend parties, wrap
packages and, even, contemplate the birth of Jesus apart from the whole and
intense story of redemption that we read in the Bible. We cannot create a Christmas spirit that the
Lord never intended, which is why December 26th can be such a
let-down of a day. Or worse, despair can take over as we find we just. can't. get. into. the "holiday cheer" everyone else seems to be enjoying so whole-heartedly.
He became poor, so that through His poverty we might become rich.
Packer says this (Guthrie, p 71-2):
We talk glibly of the “Christmas spirit," rarely meaning more by this than sentimental jollity on a family basis. But what we have said makes it clear that the phrase should in fact carry a tremendous weight of meaning. It ought to mean the reproducing in human lives of the temper of him who for our sakes became poor at the first Christmas. And the Christmas spirit itself ought to be the mark of every Christian all the year round.
The Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor - spending and being spent - to enrich their fellow men ... in whatever way there seems need. If God in mercy revives us, one of the things he will do will be to work more of this spirit in our hearts and lives.
This Christmas, I pray that this Christmas spirit would grip your heart. That the Holy Spirit would move in you to believe and follow with renewed vigor as you contemplate and celebrate the birth of Jesus - the Word become flesh that died on a tree, that we might have new life, even life eternal with our God!
Merry Christmas
and
Happy Easter!
