Photo by Walter Chávez on Unsplash
It's not going away anytime soon!
On the day I write this blog, the headlines on France 24 read: "Omicron is fastest-spreading Covid variant yet, ‘probably’ in most countries, WHO says."
In other words, according to the World Health Organisation, Covid's not going away, not anytime soon. And though we do not yet know the seriousness of this variant - apart from its rapid spread rate - the fear damage is already done. Face masks again, lines of people outside booster jab sites, news outlets full of covid-talk.
All the steps we have taken to "get back to normal" retraced in one mighty Omicron reversal. With additional and brand-new restrictions - the dreaded covid pass - to boot.
The BBC headline is equally despressing: "Inflation hits 10-year high as energy, fuel and clothing costs jump." All because of Covid.
Into this milieu of fear (and fear-mongering?) we need to hear the words spoken by the angel of God to the Shepherds:
“The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of Great Joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)
Great Joy? How?
How does the brith of Jesus move us from the emotion of fear to the feeling of joy - indeed even Great Joy? Just how does that work?
In the first place, the birth of Jesus signals the presence of God with us. The name "Immanuel" says it all in one, "God with us." Ever since God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden and away from his presence, he has been working on Project Reconcilliation.
When Jesus Christ was born the Son of God came to live among us to signal that Reconcilliation was at hand. To signal that God wanted, once more, to dwell with us and was working out his plan to make it happen.
That plan was to deal with the sin that separates us from a Holy God. And that plan was executed throught the suffering of the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world.
All who believe in Jesus have been forgiven and now have the Spirit of Jesus within them and with them; to empower, strengthen and comfort. God is with us, whatever the pandemic brings.
I do not need to fear the present or the future because God is my refuge and strength. That's a great reason to rejoice.
God understands us
In the second place, the birth of Jesus tells us that God understands us, for God took on real human flesh and entered our world of sorrows. This knowledge he then took up into the Godhead. It is not that God lacked this knowledge before the incarnation, it's more that we now know for sure that God understands our human plight.
The real humanity of Jesus is secured by his human birth, boyhood, manhood, life, suffering and death. His divinity did not protect him from his humanity. His sinlessness did not protect him from savage temptation.
Whatever we are passing through - however unique the trial may seem to us - we can be sure that in some way or another Jesus experienced it while here below.
Jesus lost a father, sometime between the ages of 12 and 30. He lost a good friend in Lazarus. He knows what bereavement feels like.
Jesus experienced inter-personal sorrow. He was alienated from his own brothers who thought his mission was way OTT. He had to distance himself from his mother, he was betrayed by a close friend. And above all Jesus was deserted by his Father in the moment of atonement.
Jesus experienced mental anguish. Leading, protecting and rebuking 12 rough blokes brought with it a fair amount of grief. Knowing the whole three years of his ministry what lay ahead was an ever-present Sword of Damocles over his head none of us will ever face. And then the anguish of the Garden of Gethsemane, the hard but determined submission to the Father's will, the anguish of insults on the cross, the shame, the injustice of false accusations, and then being blamed for the sins of the world which you did not commit.
Jesus experienced physical pain. We read nothing of illnesses before the last days of his life, but the anguish of those final hours filled up his cup of bodily pain. The beatings, the powerlessness in the face of torturers, the thorns, the nails, the suffocation of crucifixion.
Then Jesus experienced death itself, the most unnatural and alien ordeal for humans who were designed with eternity written in their souls.
At this very moment a real man sits on the throne of heaven praying for us. And so we can be sure that God in heaven understands every single sorrow, disapointment and temptation we pass through.
A place to live for ever
Thirdly, the birth of Jesus gives us the joy of hope beyond the grave.
Jesus suffered for our sins and ascended into heaven from where he will one day return. Upon his arrival world history will come to an end. God's people will be given new bodies and this world will be renewed along with the whole cosmos to become the home of righteousness. There we will live forever without fear, without enemies, without sorrow, death or mourning.
This fallen world is not our true home. We are, along with all of God's peopl, looking forward to a new heavens and a new earth.
Set against the weight of glory to come, we can put up our present light and momentary afflictions!
On one of Shakleton's expeditions, he had to leave 22 men behind temporarily and rescue them later. Frank Wild, who was in charge of the 22 men would say to them in the morning: “Get your things ready boys, the
Boss may come today.” These words kept the men going for some ten months.
So too with us. One day our Boss will return from heaven, take us home, judge the world with justice and establish his eternal kingdom.
The baby born in weakness and obscurity will return in power and glory. And we who have come to trust in his saving work will only then begin to really live.
God is with us! God understands us! And one day we will live with God!
Hark, now hear the angels sing, a king was born today
And man will live for evermore, because of Christmas Day
And man will live for evermore, because of Christmas Day
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