Scripture: Luke 2:1-21
One of our evening routines with my boys is to read books to them before they go to bed. When we read their children’s bible, I usually don’t expect deep theological insights. But there’s one children’s bible that reminds me of a good Pixar movie. It’s great for the kids, but also stimulating for adults too!
There’s one particular insight concerning the birth of Jesus that I found to be particularly helpful that I wanted to share with you.
When we think of the census that Caesar Augustus decreed, it seemed relatively harmless. In 2010, we will have a census and so many organizations are making sure that everyone will be counted especially the underrepresented. Some census officials came to visit our church a few months ago to explain why the census was so important. Why? So that the underrepresented will have a voice. Overall, the census should benefit the people, especially the minority voices.
But the census decreed by Caesar Augustus was not for the benefit of the people. Rather, the census was decreed to count how many people belonged in his empire. The census was one tangible way of showing the surrounding nations how powerful his kingdom really was. People to him were like property. The Emperor of Rome wants to display his glory to the surrounding nations!
It’s in this context that God was getting ready to show everyone how great he was. Here’s an excerpt out of the children’s book:
“And do you know how God was going to do this? Not like Caesar…
not proudly by counting his people,
but humbly, by becoming one of his people.
Here we see a stark contrast between two Kings: The Caesar Augustus ruled with his own greatness in mind rather than the plight of the people. In contrast, Jesus enters into the world with the plight of his own people in mind, rather than in his own greatness. In fact, his birth shows us that this King is willing to identify with the suffering and pain of humanity. This true King does not help from a distance, but he is willing to draw close to broken people by becoming one of us.
This is the message of Christmas and it is good news for a broken and dark world. It is good news for those who are burdened and weary, those who are broken in body and spirit, and those who feel helpless. The true King has come to into the messiness of our lives by becoming one of us. In Hebrews, the writer says Jesus is our not only King, but our high priest who is able to sympathize with weaknesses because he was tempted as we are, yet was without sin. This means that no matter what you are going through in life, we can know the comfort of our Lord Jesus because he himself has lived among us and identifies with us.
The problem of course is that this message has been rewritten and has been morphed into something entirely different. The “spirit of Christmas”, in our society closely resembles the spirit of Caesar Augustus whose main preoccupation was his own power and influence.
Henri Nouwen says:
“What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life. Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” We ask, “Can we sit at your right hand…in your Kingdom?” We have been tempted to replace love with power”.
Jesus is a different kind of King. Jesus who is infinitely powerful than Caesar Augustus uses his power differently. Jesus doesn’t use his power control or own, but he puts away power to love us in a very personal way by becoming one of us in order to redeem us. Jesus had different route to greatness. Jesus’ path to greatness was through a cross. It is through the cross that the sin and brokenness of the world could find a decisive answer. Through the cross, God displays his personal love by dying in our place. All our sin and brokenness can be forgiven so that we can be reconnected to God and have a relationship with him again. That is the greatest gift anyone can receive. It is gift to be received by, not something we can earn or work towards.
This is Jesus is a different kind of King. Do you know this King who loves you with an everlasting love? Have you received the gift of forgiveness and restoration that can be had through the sacrifice of God’s son? It’s a gift that can be received no matter what the season. As we remember what he has done for us, may we be the people that God has called us to be: to be a light in this dark world. We have the opportunity to show the world God’s greatness through our love, service, and humility that reflects Jesus, our Savior. Amen.
