christmas 1c                                         

when you wish to study or research a topic or a person of note, you generally start by getting as many books as you can that relate to your subject.

each author gives us additional information or a different viewpoint on our subject, often reflecting those things that the author feels needs to be emphasiZed.  through these different stories we get a more complete picture about the subject or person that is of interest to us.  we get to know them better.

we are presently in the midst of celebrating the birth of jesus.  and, if we wish to know jesus BETTER, our primary source of books is in the bible—primarily the four gospels.

on christmas eve we heard luke’s story of jesus birth.  luke was a physician and tends to put more detail in his stories.  luke starts with the story of zechariah and elizabeth and the announcement of their child john, jesus cousin, known as the baptist.  we then hear mary’s story and about caesar augustas’ census, the trip from nazareth to jerusalem, jesus birth and about the shepards and magi who come to worship him. 

the oldest of the gospels is MARK.  mark tells us nothing of jesus birth.  his focus is on jesus adult ministry. jesus’ childhood is of little interest to him.

matthew's gospel is addressed to the jews and so he wants to confirm that all that was written in jewish scripture points to jesus being the long awaited messiah.  thus, he starts with jesus' geneology and then gives his birth narrative.

john’s gospel is totally different from the three synoptic (similar) gospels.  John writes from the point of view of the resurrected jesus.  his jesus makes long speeches and is all knowing.  it is a more spiritual account of jesus’ life. 

John’s birth story goes back to creation.  he wants us to know that jesus is and was from the very beginning.  he wants us to know that jesus is god incarnate—god made flesh to dwell among us and to reveal himself in a way that we humans could understand.

jesus is the word—the revelation of god to us.  he is not just a good man—or a wise philosopher or teacher—or another prophet.  jesus is god with us.  his birth is a true miracle brought about by the love of god.

and within that miracle is another miraculous expression of god’s love for us.  “to all who receive him, who believe in his name, he gave power to become children of god.”  we become god’s adopted sons and daughters and as such, heirs to his kingdom.

St. Paul wrote to the galatians saying, “now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed.  therefore, the law was our disCiplinarian until christ came, so that we might be justified by faith.”  we could not be saved by the law—only condemed.  we could not be justified—the law could not mediate to set us free.

to better understand what paul was trying to convey we might use the example of a child who is an orphan or ward of the state.  the law (i.e. the state) assigns foster parents to care for the child and pays the foster parents for the child's upkeep.  the law may bring about separation of siblings or raise other concerns. 

the relationship between foster parent and child is established and governed by the law which is for the child's protection.  however, it has little connection to love, the future or to any inheritance.  in these circumstances children may become REBELLIOUS, run away or otherwise create conflicts.  they find it difficult to live under the law and with no mediator there is no way to justify their actions.

when a child is adopted, the whole dynamic changes.  with adoption, the relationship is freed from the law so the child can live under love.  when we are disciplined by love we tend to respond dutifully out of love--we become a part of a family forever and we become heirs.

as christians, our adoption takes place when we are baptized and we receive god’s promise.

as you know, there are different ways that property can be inherited.  there is the story of a man who owned a city newspaper.  he had three sons and wanted to make sure that after his death the newspaper went to the son with the best talent for news.  so he designed a contest in which he offered ownership of the paper to the son that could write the most sensational headline using only three words.

the first son’s headline was, “reagan turns communist” 

the second son’s offering was, Khomeini becomes christian”

but the third son inherited the newspaper when his headline was submitted.  it had only two words, “pope elopes”.

fortunately, we don’t have to earn our spiritual inheritance by sensational works.  god’s grace is sufficient and it comes to us through jesus, WHOse birth we now celebrate and WHOse return we now await.

and our inheritance is nothing less than the kingdom of god.

so let us celebrate with joy the two great miracles of christmas—gods two greatest gifts to us.

the revelation of god in and through jesus and the means of adoption as children of god.  we may now live by and be justified (ie. found guiltless) by faith and not the law-- which could only serve to condemn us.