"I Bring You Good News. . ."Of Incarnation!

“Let us remember the proclamation of the angel: 'I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord' (Luke 2:10-11).

May our hearts go out to the unconverted people…who have no blessed Christmas day. 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord.'” (Nehemiah 8:10).

~ Mrs. L.B. Cowman
Streams in the Desert

It is entirely accurate to say that Christians get too caught up in the “story” of Baby Jesus at Christmastime. We take the whole manger thing way too far. We revel in the tender side of God’s nature and we completely set aside the reality of sin and redemption which is the premise of the entire Bible!

We dress up children in costumes and sing angelic-sounding songs. It’s really all very precious, isn't it? . . . Listening to a child read from the Book of Luke? . . . As other little ones parade about as angels and shepherds? It's almost too much to bear if you're a parent or grandparent.

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.

Don’t get me wrong. This aspect of Jesus’ story is important -- even vital to understanding the Messiah. But the biblical focus on Jesus is not on His birth. The real focus is some thirty years later at an execution scene. There was no tender angelic moment at that place. Instead, the air was ripe with evil. The baby of the manger was murdered.

May our hearts go out to the unconverted people…who have no blessed Christmas day.

Do the "unconverted" understand that He was murdered for them? Do they understand that [really rather simple] theology of "The Incarnation?"

Birth brought God’s Son into the world and gave Him a human body -- just like you and me -- for one reason and one reason only: To redeem us back unto Himself.

The Christian'ese terminology would be "to covert us."

So doesn't it follow that the celebration of His birth be focused on those who have not yet been redeemed? Should we not focus our energy on reaching out to those who don't yet celebrate His redeeming power, but instead focus on the angels and shepherds (and choice foods and sweet drinks)?

In all reality, the "unconverted" do not have a "blessed Christmas day," -- as Mrs. Cowman puts it. They do not understand why He came in the first place! All they really have are the pretty angel songs and precious visions of all those Children's Christmas Pageants -- and of course the food and festivities of the Season. They do not hold to the truth of -- nor really even understand -- the words of John 1:14:

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.

Why? Why did He come? Surely the Incarnation of Christ is one of the hardest truths to grasp. Let alone explain to someone who has no "blessed Christmas day." Some of the greatest theologians have taken great effort to offer a good clarification.

But the infamous Paul Harvey provides one of the most unique explanations of the Incarnation. One very special installment of The Rest of The Story which first aired in 1981 revealed wonderful insight into the verses in John Chapter 1:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God. . . .
The word became flesh and dwelt among us.

~*~*~*~

...the story opens with an apathetic, disinterested husband and father who just was not getting into the Christmas spirit. He turned down an invitation to attend a church Christmas program with his family, boldly stating his disbelief in the miracle of the Incarnation. He simply did not believe that God became a man.

His family left for the program and he settled in for a quiet evening at home. Outside a winter storm was gathering force. The winds were beginning to pick up when he heard a strange noise -- a tapping sound on the windowpanes. Opening the curtains, he discovered a flock of birds desperately seeking shelter from the storm and being attracted to the light emanating from the window.

Feeling compassion for these birds, he threw on his wraps and headed towards the barn. He flung open the doors for the birds, but they did not come. He turned the barn lights on to attract them, but that did not work either. He got bread from the house and made a trail of crumbs, but that too failed. He rushed behind the flock to steer them toward the barn, but they only scattered.

Finally in disgust, he thought to himself,

If only I could become a bird to show them where to go for warmth and safety.

Just then in the distant village, he heard the church bells and an illuminating truth began to dawn in his soul:

Is it possible that the reason for that first Christmas
– with a tiny baby named Jesus –
was for God to become like us in order to help us?

~*~*~*~

And now, you know the rest of the story. . . .

. . . Share it with someone who doesn't have a blessed Christmas day. "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared." Generosity, unexpected kindnesses and "good will" have come to exemplify the Christmas Season to even the "unconverted."

. . . But more important than sharing the food and sweet drinks and other unexpected kindnesses, share the Incarnation of Christ. "The day is most assuredly sacred to to our Lord."

There are far too many in our world -- you know some!! -- who do not believe in CHRISTmas at all! And more tragic is the very real fact that many who call themselves Christians and do believe in Christmas have not accepted the Plan of Redemption that the Incarnation brings!

It's tragic because . . .

. . .at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
~ Pilippinas 2:10-11

The Incarnation is is the single most important fact of all history. There will most assuredly come a day when when His Incarnation is undeniable. Share it!

~ Esthermay V. Bentley-Goossen

© 2009 The Heart of a Pastor's Wife

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This installment of InOtherWords is hosted by Patricia
on her blog, Typing One Handed