I’m going to suggest something that most people would probably consider somewhat outlandish. I’m going to suggest that this Christmas we not focus on trying to retell all the details of the Christmas stories–angels and shepherds and wise men and all that. And in fact, I’m going to go so far as to suggest that we not give our attention in any serious degree to any of the narrative surrounding the birth, or the even the life, of Jesus.
Instead, here’s what I recommend for us to do this Christmas as we celebrate what this year is all about: let’s read John’s introduction to his gospel (chapter one, verses one through eighteen), taking it in phrase by phrase, and stew on the profound truth of the Incarnation that John expounds so brilliantly and elegantly, yet so simply.
Thinking about the Incarnation from the narrative perspective can be very helpful, because the story reveals many facets of God’s character and His love for us. We see in the virgin birth God’s sovereign and omnipotent hand; we see in the dirty manger God’s utter disregard for the world’s value system; we see in the helpless infant Jesus the unfathomable paradox of the Vulnerable Almighty. And there is so much more. But if you grew up in church like most of us here at Mere, the Christmas story, and even its more profound applications, can easily fade into tradition and rote regurgitation of something we think we already understand. And the minute we begin to think, even subconsciously, that we understand Emmanuel–the minute we lose our awe at the concept of the God Man–we have at that moment lost the significance of Christmas. And when our Christmas celebrations get reduced to tradition and unthinking liturgy, we have totally wasted the immeasurable riches implicit in the Christmas holiday. The whole purpose of Christmas is to help us to meditate on the wonder of the Incarnation, and if we get so lost in the Christmas story (not to mention gifts and parties and “holiday cheer”) that we forget to meditate on God-with-us, we have wasted Christmas.
For that reason, I suggest that we try to think about the Incarnation a different way this year, and really devote ourselves to meditate on its mystery, and what it means for us, for the world, for the church, and even for the whole universe. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day I’ll post some of my thoughts on a few different parts of John chapter one which I hope might help us to consider anew some aspects of the Incarnation that are often overlooked. And ultimately, my prayer is like Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians (found in Ephesians 3:14-21), that we might better comprehend the love of God.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
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