A revolution begins in private

The birth of Christ was a big deal, so big that a star appeared in the sky, angels lit up the sky  announcing his birth, and sages from foreign countries east of Judea came to worship the newborn.  This is unprecedented!   Singing angels, ringing bells, gifts for the well-behaved are all empty hype when we compare them to what happened when Christ came into the world and when we compare them to what he came to do.  Throughout  the three and a half years of the Messiah’s life people have found all kinds of trinkets, and the trinketologists have been trying to convince people who are drawn to the the Messiah that the trinkets define and summarize the benefits. It only makes sense to treasure the most dramatic and traumatic events; birth which brings joy in expectation, and death which brings life.

This is the first of three lectures on the birth of Christ

The Nativity’s Revolution Breaks Out in 42 Months

When it dawns on us that the Bethlehem babe was born to die the mega decoration and spending blitz, the holy night proclamation, and the wholesale rejection of monarchy fizzles like the dew on a hot day.  A thin slice of Judean life and the traditions of the chosen people were involved in the drama of the nativity.  David’s family in Bethlehem made no parade or fanfare as the king of the Jews came into the world.  The priests and the officials of the temple had no idea what was happening and had no interest, even when they were asked by Herod the king to investigate the circumstances and manner of the birth of Israel’s King. They could not care less.  The huge crowds that accompanied Yeshua during the three and a half years of his public ministry are  anachronisms, because in both his birth and his death Yeshua was quite alone.

Right to rule and salvation rights

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:11-13, NASB

I am sure that someone will say that the star, the angels and the foreign sages being hip to a cosmic event are regular happenings, or at least happens on the appropriate circumstances.  Even so the government of Judea was moved in a direction  other than welcome and alliance.  Governments outside of Palestine / Judea are headed up by people wanting to have absolute rule over the citizens. Government in Judea was schizophrenic to say the least. Herod was afraid and launched a massacre of babies, while the Romans were fearless and ruthless in keeping the people of Judea under the thumb.  The right to become a child of God was what the birth of Christ was signaling and the record tells us that people did not receive Christ in droves.  Throughout his life people questioned his authority, even after his words and actions came to life in thousands of converted people after the Pentecostal Event there still was no wholesale reception of the king.

Huge crowds in the city square

This year, 2022, we are likely to be treated to the spectacle of huge crowds in the city squares singing carols and celebrating Christmas.  Our churches may be filled on Christmas Eve and there are many churches that put on convincing and spectacular  dramatizations and musicals of the birth of Christ.

The season for life’s most amazing gift

Despite the high level operatives who we might expect to be closely involved in such a seismic  event like the birth of a king, the people who were  at the centre of the nativity were not priests, royals, or prophets.   The arrival of the Saviour-King, listed as the cause for great joy, was noted by a few chosen ones.  We must, however, be aware that God’s gift of a son was intended to exceed the wildest expectations of the Jewish people and bring salvation to all mankind.