For to us a child is
born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and
his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be
no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to
uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and
forevermore… (Isaiah 9:6-7)
One of the things I enjoy
when we get to this time of the year is planning some kind of special service leading
up to Christmas. Usually, it involves a combination of Scripture readings,
meditations, and (of course) carols. Something that has helped shape my
planning is “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols,” which the King’s College
in Cambridge, England has been hosting on Christmas Eve for more than a century.
The inspiration for that service comes from one that was planned in 1880. Occasionally
different carols or songs are utilized but typically the Scripture readings—or
lessons—and prayers remain the same.
The lessons go through
parts of Genesis 3 and 22, Isaiah 9 and 11, Luke 1 and 2, Matthew 2, and John 1.
Whether you attend worship services year-round and read the Bible in your home
or you only enter a church at certain times of the year, you probably know
where the birth of Jesus is recorded: the beginning of the Gospels of Matthew
and Luke. Christmas celebrates that event: Jesus, the eternal Son of God, came
in flesh and blood, miraculously conceived in and born of a young woman who was
a virgin by the work of the Holy Spirit near the town of Bethlehem in Israel.
According to our calendar that was created years later, that event serves as
the approximate year 0. The events and prophecies in Genesis and Isaiah were
hundreds and thousands of years before that, so why are they read as part of
this service?
What we can consider the
Christmas story (not “A Christmas Story” with leg lamps and Red Ryder BB guns)
captures the majority of what we find in the Bible in the New and Old
Testaments. Whether I use the passages that King’s College uses or select
others to take a different approach or perspective in the service I plan, we’re
reminded that Jesus doesn’t just all of a sudden show up to see what life is
like here. The Christmas story is rooted in the reality that God created
humanity without sin, but we chose to not trust him and to disobey him. Before
the only God, who is good and perfect, we justly deserve punishment and
condemnation for our sin. Yet Scripture teaches us God knew what would happen
before he even began creating, and so he had a plan of redemption (Ephesians
1:3-10). He provided a glimpse of that plan to Adam and Eve after they sinned
and tried to hide from him. He cursed the one who provoked the sin, the
serpent, “…I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your
offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise
his heel…” (Genesis 3:15).
The rest is history. What
unfolds with the callings and covenants with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and
eventually Moses and other heroes of the faith are God showing how he can save people
and bless people and bless others through his people. There wasn’t just one sin
and then perfection, but every person bears the guilt of original sin and we
choose to sin over and over again. Yet by the blood—the life and death—of that
child named Jesus, shed on a cross when he had grown up, God declares that he
is satisfied to save those who he chooses and loves, who he has adopted.
The Christmas story didn’t
conclude the day or night when Mary and Joseph headed away from the manger; it takes
up the whole of Jesus’ life and ministry. Its effect is so much greater than
any smile that children—young and old—may have from opening presents. Christmas
is God’s gift offering salvation—eternal life full and free. So, seek the
Savior, the child prophesied long ago. Believe in the King who reigns forever—King
Jesus. Merry Christmas!
Comments
Post a Comment