Revolutionary Christmas: Beyond Words

Before his arrival, the word would get out: the Good News is coming.

When he came, the crowd would cheer his arrival: “The Son of God is here!”

Others would call out: “You are Lord and God!”

His message as he met the crowds was simple and powerful: The Kingdom was here. If people – ekklesia – would follow him, they would certainly be assured of peace, eventually for the whole world. If they would just have faith, like a faithful husband, they would experience everything Emmanuel – God with us – offered.

As he left, the masses wondered when the parousia – the presence – would return.
All of these commonly heard phrases in the first century referred, of course, to… Caesar, the ruling emperor (anointed by the gods) of the Roman empire.

Unless you’ve read up on first century Roman politics, this may come as news to you – that they stole all these words of Jesus and used them for their own purposes.

But that’s bassackwards, as my college choir director used to say… Jesus used the commonly known language of the Roman Empire to describe himself and his ministry. To create an immediate tension among his listeners. By referring to himself as Son of God, Son of Man, Lord, Savior, giver of the presence of God, the Christ (anointed one), the King of the Jews, he pushed his audience to answer some big questions: who is the real King, which is the real Kingdom, and what does it mean to pledge allegiance?

This line of questioning raised the hackle of those ruling the Jewish religion at that time. They were trying to keep the peace with Rome, and trying to keep themselves in power at the same time, enjoying all the luxuries their positions afforded them.

Jesus’ statements eventually caught the attention of the Roman authorities as well, especially when they caught wind of people referring to him as “King of the Jews” – a Rome-appointed king already existed over the land of Judea.

If Jesus simply said these things and then died, it wouldn’t really have amounted to much. In fact, lots of self-proclaimed Messiahs were popping up around that time. All of them fizzled out soon enough. Except Jesus.

Jesus was different. He was born of the Holy Spirit. He was born in the city the prophets predicted – Bethlehem – one of hundreds of prophecies that came true in this one person. His actions backed up his words. When he would speak about God’s salvation – making people whole again – he would follow it up with a miracle that restored people, usually by healing them – an act of His authority over all things sin and death.

His message of peace was backed up with words of forgiveness and expressions of grace. A woman “caught in the act” was forgiven and directed toward new life. Another woman who had been ostracized from her faith community because of continual bleeding was healed and restored to health and wholeness.

His message of hope in times of hopelessness was supported by his great act of hope in raising Lazarus from the dead on the very day all hope was totally and completely abandoned.

His own death symbolized a final sacrifice for those with eyes to see.
His resurrection provided confidence for all those who wondered if they could really believe in some form of life beyond the grave.

This Jesus was the One making such claims.

Rebellious words. Revolutionary cries in the face of a global super power that claimed to hold the answer to the world’s problems.

It took a certain kind of person to fully get the experience Jesus came to provide. It took a person who could look at the vision cast by the super power, contrast it with the reality of life, and make a scandalous observation: the super power isn’t super enough to deliver the world from the miry clay it’s stuck in.

This same special person would also have the capacity to take a look at Jesus’ words and life and take a huge leap of faith in declaring: this is the One who is worthy of my total allegiance.

This was a huge risk because their life was literally on the line. In that era, pledging allegiance to something other than the super power could lead to death – even on a cross.

Today, it still takes a special person to really get the full Jesus experience.

Because it still requires a person to assess all the claims of promises of every power which would like to be super in our lives. Claims of happiness, peace, and prosperity. That special person has the perspective to see clearly that these promises have not been fulfilled.

The same scrutiny is used by these special people to assess Jesus Christ, to see whether or not He is worthy of complete allegiance. These special people today take a huge risk, a leap of faith, in declaring their commitment to this Jesus.
It’s a huge risk because their life is still on the line. Not because some ruler (in the US, anyway) will cut their head off, but because to follow anything or anyone less than the Way God has shown us is to literally throw their lives away into the garbage dump, to use Jesus’ words.

I guess the question today, and everyday, is: are you that special kind of person who hears the revolutionary, rebellious, scandalous call of Jesus, and answers yes?
How are you answering yes? With your time? With your priorities? With your wallet? With your attention? In your relationships? Your sex life? Your devotional life?

As you say yes to this invitation, how will you choose to grow in your relationship with Christ in 2009? With whom will you gather to support and be supported as you walk in new ways? How will you give yourself to the mission to which God has called you?

This Christmas, as you give and receive gifts, may you accept the gift given in Christ’s invitation to you to follow with everything you’ve got, because everything matters much.

May you have ears to hear that Jesus’ call is still one of life and death – your life – and may you have sense enough and courage enough and faith enough to say yes.