Old Testament: Zechariah 3 & 4
Poetry: Psalm 143
*Theme Week – Celebrating Jesus: Luke 1
’Twas the Night Before Christmas…. Originally published 200 years ago, in 1823, as A Visit from St. Nicolas authorship credited to and later claimed by Clement Clarke Moore. Moore was a theology professor- a Bible teacher. He originally wrote the poem for fun, he said, for his children. This story helped to shape the way many began to celebrate Christmas and has had a lasting cultural impact. I find it interesting that a Bible teacher is responsible for the way most Americans celebrate Christmas with its focus on Santa Claus, gift-giving, and all the rest of the things that tend to draw attention away from the original meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. Now Bible teachers and preachers are trying to remind us that “Jesus is the reason for the season” but more often that plea has fallen on deaf ears. More people are interested in getting the latest iPhone or other coveted goodies. On this Christmas Eve day, we take a quick pause from our parties, food and gift-buying and wrapping and consider the first part of the Christmas story.
In today’s reading from Luke one, we see the announcement of two unlikely births, two cousins to be born named John and Jesus. Israel’s story in the Old Testament has a giant pause and collective waiting. Israel was waiting for the arrival of their promised king or messiah. Several hundred years BC God promised David, the King, that he would have a son who would reign as king over a kingdom that would be unending. At first, people thought Solomon was the fulfillment of that promise. Solomon started well, sought God’s wisdom above all else and the Kingdom of Israel prospered. But Solomon’s heart turned away from faithfulness to God, he was not to be the true Messiah. His son, Rehoboam ruled after him and things went from bad to worse. Eventually, civil war caused his kingdom to split. Eventually, God punished a succession of unfaithful kings with the destruction of the temple, the fall of the capital Jerusalem, and the end of the heirs of David ruling as kings. For hundreds of years, there was no heir of David. The hope for the messiah remained a longed-for and unfulfilled expectation.
The last of the historical/prophetic books of the Old Testament is Malachi. Malachi ends with the hopeful promise that an Elijah-type prophet will come and get people ready for the final day of the Lord that was to come.
Fast forward about 400 years, and Israel is still waiting for the 2 anticipated births- of the Elijah-type prophet, and the Messiah-King, heir of David’s throne. Out of this 400 years of waiting comes Luke 1 with the announcements of two unlikely births. Unlikely because one was promised to an older childless couple, and the second to a young, engaged couple where the young woman was still a virgin. In both cases, God would perform a miracle to bring forth these two baby boys, John and Jesus.
It’s important to note in the story that when the Angel comes to Mary announcing God’s plan for her, Mary offers her consent “Let it be to me according to your word.” This makes perfect sense. We know that in human relationships consent is morally required before union. Anything less than consent is unacceptable and morally reprehensible. It stands to reason that before God placed his son Jesus in her womb she would give consent. “Let it be” or “I agree to allow your word, your promise, your plan for your son, the Messiah to be formed in me.”
The same is true for all of us. God wants to place His word in us and for us to bear the fruits of Jesus. In Galatians 4:19 Paul uses this metaphor of birth: “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…”. God wants Christ to be formed in us. Christ was formed in the womb of Mary uniquely, but God wants all of us to be spiritually transformed, to become like Jesus in our character, in our singular commitment to bring glory to God and to seek first God’s Kingdom (Matthew 6:33) and righteousness (right living in covenant relationship with God).
Sorry this is getting kind of technical, but the bottom line is, for Mary to give birth to Jesus, she first had to give God her consent “Let it be”. For Christ to be formed in us, we must also give our consent. God will not force us to receive His word and be transformed, to have Christ formed in us, we must receive it.
So on this night before Christmas, as you watch the lights on the tree and listen to Christmas music, play games with your family, wrap presents and drink egg nog, or go to Church and any combination of the above, listen for God’s invitation. He wants to plant His word in you so that Jesus Christ might be fully formed in you. Will you give your consent? Will you say as Mary did “Let it be to me according to your word?”
-Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions
- How will you celebrate Jesus today and tomorrow and the rest of the week and in 2024?
- Have you given your consent and received God’s word and spiritual transformation?
- What might it look like and feel like to have Jesus Christ fully formed in you?
Seek Grow Love 