God became man. We know this miracle as the Incarnation of Jesus. It is the necessary miracle of redemptive history. If the blind never see or the lame never walk, we accept that as the realities of a broken world.
But if God does not become man through the virgin birth of Jesus, all hope of our reconciliation with God is lost. All hope of God restoring what sin has stolen is lost. The future is no future at all apart from the Incarnation.
The future is no future at all apart from the Incarnation.
It is upon this work that all of God’s eternal purpose from before the foundation of the world rests.
What is this work? A holy God taking on flesh and dwelling among us.
Christmas is Our D-Day
Christmas is not primarily a socio-religious-cultural ritual with friends and family. At its core, Christmas is our D-Day. The evasion of a Holy God on a peaceful, but broken land occupied by an enemy who exists to shatter peace. Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem, fully God and fully man to crush Satan, dispel darkness, rescue and reconcile sinners to God, and restore creation to Himself.
In other words, it a big deal. But to do all of that, God put on flesh and dwelt among us. God came near.
How Does Your Faith Move You?
So, if our theology somehow moves us away from people who are buckling under the weight of sin rather than toward them, we have misinterpreted the Gospel. If our disposition is to separate ourselves from a people still enslaved in an occupied territory, we’ve missed the wonder of Christmas all together.
If our theology somehow moves us away from people who are buckling under the weight of sin rather than toward them, we have misinterpreted the Gospel.
There were many tragedies of the sinking of Titanic, but one was the under-used lifeboats. Those in the boats were afraid to retrieve those swimming for survival in the cold waters of the sea because of what it may cost them and their own safety. So they separated themselves to the unnecessary peril of their neighbors.
In contrast, Jesus did not stand at a distance making declarations. He was so repulsed by sin, so broken over our despair that He refused to stay away. He never missed an opportunity to serve sinners, and the religious elite hated Him and literally judged Him for it.
But according to God’s eternal purpose and for His eternal glory, God came near, put on flesh, and dwelt right up amongst us.
This is the reason for Mary’s Magnificat. This is the beauty of the jarring announcement of the angels. This is the source of the settled joy of Simeon. This holy scandal is the hope of all nations.
The Calling to a Holy Scandal
And it is to this holy scandal that we are called today.
Jesus said it like this, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you” (John 20:21).
Hiding in a foxhole or remaining safely tucked away on our religiously insulated lifeboats are not options for the faithful Christian.
As ambassadors for Christ, our ministry of reconciliation is incarnational. It’s up-close. It’s personal. It’s integrated.
How to Compromise the Faith
There are many ways to compromise biblical Christianity. For example, we can reject the inerrancy and sufficiency of the Bible. We can deny the Trinity. We can reject the fully God and fully human nature of Jesus. We can go soft on the exclusive requirement of trusting Jesus as Lord for salvation. We can walk away from the dignity of humans that is rooted in the Imago Dei. And we can deny God’s design for marriage, gender, and sexuality.
But we can also compromise our faith by separating ourselves from our neighbors. We deny the faith once for all delivered to the saints by adopting a lifestyle that does not invite sinners to our table. Our churches lose their saltiness and go dark by failing to build a culture, strategies, and systems that actually move people into the public square in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our churches lose their saltiness and go dark by failing to build a culture, strategies, and systems that actually move people into the public square in the power of the Holy Spirit.
You are Sent!
If the exclusive expression of our faith is found in our sanctuaries, not only is the celebration of Christmas dimmed, but our Gospel impact is dulled.
Too many neighbors are stringing up lights, but still living in darkness. Too many of our neighbors are exchanging gifts, but have never experienced God’s grace.
And most of them are not coming to one of our Christmas Eve services. They are not coming to us at all. That’s the whole point of Christmas. God came to us, put on flesh, and dwelt among us.
And as the Father sent Him, He sends us.
This is the holy scandal of Christmas.
PICTURE OF THE WEEK
EVERYONE’S WILSON | THE EVERYONE’S WELCOME NETWORK
I’m the Executive Director of Everyone’s Wilson and The Everyone’s Welcome Network—a Gospel-driven community transformation initiative. Our mission is to unite the Church to engage the community, so everyone thrives. Very simply, we’re passionate about helping Jesus-loving people live like missionaries in their local community through prayer, service, evangelism, and collaboration.
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