The coming of Christ was not a Hallmark card.
Mary didn’t have her make up on, her hair looking just right, with a soft halo-like glow around her lily-white skin. She gave birth in a shelter for animals after a journey that lasted for several days with no rest areas.
Joseph came to grips with Mary’s “condition”, but not without great inner turmoil before, during, and after Jesus’ birth. Lots of pride to swallow.
The shepherds who heard the angelic choir that night most certainly soiled their loin cloths.
The Wise Men spent loads of dough heading for the castle, only to discover the newborn king in a feeding trough.
I believe that the prophets who were used of God to foretell the Messiah’s coming struggled as well. How could they not struggle? They could not know what kind of world or religious culture into which this Christ would be born.
Christ’s entrance into the world came as a terrific shock that nobody really expected, even though they had been looking and praying and hoping for the Messiah’s arrival.
Christ’s entrance was a shock to his own religious tradition. In his adult ministry, Jesus bucked the system. He ticked off the religious leaders left and right (both sides of the aisle – he was an equal opportunity offender!). But even his birth didn’t hit the radar of those watching. Who would have guessed that the person God would send to reestablish the Kingdom would be born in the most humble of circumstances? Who would have guessed that his arrival would come in such a provocative, seemingly immoral way? From the very beginning, Christ challenged the religious system he came to recalibrate.
Christ’s entrance into the world was also a shock to the political system. There was one superpower nation on the planet when Jesus drew his first breath. It wasn’t the United States. It was Rome. The Roman government was ruled by Caesars over a long period of time, each with their strengths and peculiarities. In the first century, the prevailing belief among the people was that the gods had appointed the Caesars to their throne. Some of these Emperors really took that idea to heart. Domitian, for example, believed himself to be a son of God. He demanded that Roman citizens call him Lord and God. As a general rule, the Caesars believed themselves and the empire they ruled to be the Savior of the World. They proclaimed the good news (using the same root word for our evangelism) of Pax Romana – peace under the Empire’s rule. The prophecy of the long-awaited Messiah used terms like Lord and God to describe him. The prophecy (Is. 40:1-11) painted a picture of one who would have authority to level the playing field completely – ultimate power and authority. The words further describe his dominance in contrast with humanity’s frailty.
Whichever lens you use to view this – the religious or political - all of this was provocative. Subversive, actually. This Messiah, this Son of God came to bring about a revolution.
Tickle Me Elmo and Snuggle Me Jesus…. Without question, we have created Jesus in our own image. We have custom-made Christ into a vehicle to satisfy our need for a little inner peace, and a little intellectual assurance that when our bodies give out, we’ll live forever. We want a stuffed doll – a Snuggle Me Jesus – who is only there when we have trouble sleeping at night.
But that’s not really a choice we have. Christ is who he is.
The question is: do we want the real Christ?
The Christ that was prophesied is radical. Provocative. A rebel who is leading a revolution, an eternal movement that bucks all systems in favor of one that actually changes – and saves – the world. To embrace this Christ means that we allow him to challenge how we think about our precious religion. To embrace this Christ means we allow him to challenge how we think about our nation. At first, you may give a quick nod to this invitation.
But wait.
The only comfort this Christ offers is the comfort that comes from knowing you have finally found and are growing in Truth, in Reality instead of the façade we’ve created. Following this Christ does not allow room for devotion only when you really feel like you need it or feel it’s necessary to get rid of your guilt. Remember, we’re talking about a revolution-leader, not a stuffed animal.
If we’re really honest with ourselves, I think we’ll admit that if we’ve settled for Snuggle Me Jesus, our deepest needs haven’t been fully met. Not even close, actually. Snuggle Me Jesus only offers momentary, shallow peace during difficult times, but does not compel us toward changed behavior or changing the world. Snuggle Me Jesus only offers slight intellectual satisfaction about heaven, but hardly enough confidence to actually commit our lives to the King’s cause (I’m speaking of total devotion, not suicide bombings).
I usually, quickly define the word “fear” as “reverence” when it shows up in a passage where fearing God is instructed. Maybe in my efforts to make the Bible relevant I’ve done the word a disservice. Maybe we need to shake in our boots a little when we consider this invitation that Christmas proclaims, because the invitation is coming from the one who has the power and authority – forever – to level the playing field, to outlast all of us, and to do whatever the Kingdom needs done.
Do you really want the Christ that came, and still is?
Or do you want a Snuggle Me Jesus for Christmas?
Questions to Journal, then Dialogue in Community…
What emotions do you typically feel or think of (if you’re void of emotions) when the Christmas season arrives?
What warm, fuzzy traditions do you celebrate during the Christmas season?
What is the emotional tone of our beloved Christmas carols? How about the covers of Christmas CD’s? Christmas movies?
Do we generally associate Christmas with a revolution? Why or why not?
We live in a consumer-driven economy and national system. How has this reality shaped the way many of us celebrate Christmas?
We live in the only superpower nation of the planet (for now). How do you process Isaiah’s prophecy that paints a picture of the Messiah as one whose power dwarfs and outlasts our incredibly mighty nation?
What might it mean if our primary allegiance is to God, which may at times significantly challenge our allegiance to what has become construed as Christianity in America? Can you handle it?
What might it mean if our primary allegiance is to God, which may at times significantly challenge our allegiance to the United States? Can you handle it?
What keeps you content with your Snuggle Me Jesus? In other words, why have you embraced Snuggle Me Jesus in the first place, and why do you still?
What is compelling about the actual Christ? What would compel you to give up Snuggle Me Jesus in favor of Christ? What hopes do you have? Fears?
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