Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!!!
For each Advent season from going back to childhood I find myself sitting in front of the television and watching A Charlie Brown Christmas. This story askes viewers to pause and consider the reason for the Christmas season.
“Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” cries Charlie Brown. The guy is utterly dejected. Giving and receiving cards and presents were not making him feel better and he is always depressed. Neither did taking on the role of director for the Christmas play help. The cast members were uncooperative, and they derided him for obtaining a scrawny but live and not artificial Christmas tree.
Linus Van Pelt, a young friend with wisdom beyond his years, assures he can explain what Christmas is about. As the spotlight narrows focuses upon him and Linus says,
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men (Lk. 2:8-14, KJV).
December 25 is set apart for remembering the Advent of the Christ — Jesus of Nazareth — the incarnate of the Son of God, the Word became flesh who dwelt among us.
What inspires the gifts, the feasting, and the gathering of family, friends, and colleagues together? May I dare to suggests that the birth of the Child spurs on all the festivities. Whether any of us know it, the birth of Christ marks a cosmic happening that forever altered the universe as we know it. Yes, tis the season to extend peace and goodwill towards one another. What moves us to display such virtues? God shows us the way and demonstrated true love through the incarnation of the Son. Exiled from Eden on account of Adam’s transgression, our community is plagued with discord and death, but the Son gives his own life to unshackle us from our enslavement to sin and separation from God. We can love one another because God first loved us.
Advent still arrives in a trouble world. Even the Child experiences the pains common to fallen humanity. Although He is the rightful ruler of this world, the Roman Empire led by the pagan Caesar August reigns supreme. His life was also threatened by the megalomaniacal infanticidal governor of Palestine, Herod the Great, who ordered the deaths of all boys under two years of aged from the region of Bethlehem. Only a mad man could treat innocent infants as enemies of the state and threats to the Pax Romana that need eradication!
God is with us. We may experience sorrow, yet Christ mourns with those who mourn. We may be experiencing conflict, yet Christ entered a world full of conflict where weary travelers could be robbed by bandits and revolutionaries hid in the desert awaiting the right moment to violently expel the pagan Roman colonizers. We may experience the loss of a loved one, yet Christ entered a world full of death and even the death of children. And He wept at the death death of Lazarus. Even in our agony, God is with us.
“Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendour,” says Charles Haddon Spurgeon.[1]
Advent observed anticipates the Second Advent. When Christ appears again, all will come out of their graves, and the saints will be resurrected to everlasting life. The very cosmos will be restored, there will be a new heaven and new earth with the New Jerusalem descending as a bride beautifully adorned for her husband, and all thigs will be set to right. God will wipe away all our tears. This is the blessed hope.
Good tidings to you!
— WGN
P.S. 2022 is exiting, but new posts will be coming in 2023. My plan, Lord willing, is to keep on sharing insights from the Scriptures, untangling Bible difficulties, and addressing critical issues in Christian apologetics. Thanks for reading!
[1] C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896).
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