Friday, Dec. 19th

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Friday, December 19

John 1: 12-13
 
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

This text, along with a number of others in the Bible, points to two kinds of birth. There is physical birth; the biological process by which a human infant is thrust from the mother’s womb and out into the cold world. This process is usually preceded by intense labor pains, considerable mess, and followed by great tears of joy. Physical birth is something that all human beings have in common.

The second kind of birth is spiritual. It does not involve a mother’s womb although it often does involve a kind of labor, at least some mess, as well as tears of joy. Spiritual birth is not the result of the physical love of a man and a woman, rather it is the result of the redemptive work of God who brings new life to a once deadened heart.

Earlier in the week I mentioned a speech President Obama gave during the lighting of the National Christmas Tree and I want to mention it again today. He said:

“It’s the story of hope--the birth of a singular child into the simplest of circumstances--a child who would grow up to live a life of humility, and kindness, and compassion...who taught us to care for the poor, and the marginalized, and those who are different from ourselves,” “And more than two millennia later, the way he lived still compels us to do our best to build a more just and tolerant and decent world.

All that sounds good, and certainly we are to live lives of “humility, kindness and compassion,” but that’s not the primary reason Jesus came; at least not according to the Bible.

In Ephesians 2 Paul writes:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  (Ephesians 2:1-5)

Paul reminds us here that the point of Christianity; the point of the Word becoming flesh; the point of Jesus dying on the cross and rising again from the dead; was not to make us better people, but rather to turn spiritually dead  people into spiritually alive people.

Jesus said it this way:

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3)

The heart of the Christian faith is not about goodness or tolerance or compassion or service; the heart of the Christian faith is death and resurrection.

Right now some of you are thinking, “Hey, Pastor Brian, you’re talking about the wrong holiday! 

We’re supposed to talk about death and resurrection at Easter; this is Christmastime! Let’s talk about the baby in the manger!”

Well, I am talking about the baby in the manger! One of great problems of our cultural celebration of Christmas is that we have cut the gospel out of the story.

The whole story begins with an angel coming to Joseph to tell him about the child already growing in his fiancé's womb:

“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”(Matthew 1:21)

There is it.

There’s the reason for the whole story.

“He will save his people from their sins.”

The child in the manger is the man on the cross.

The man on the cross died that you and I might live.

The last verse of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” says it well:

O holy Child of Bethlehem,

Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sins and enter in,

Be born in us today.


Pastor Brian Coffey