Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25
For most of us who think of ourselves as Christians, this passage evokes seasonal feelings. Colors and scents fill our imaginations as we hear an echo of What Child Is This.
What child is this, who, laid to rest, / On Mary’s lap is sleeping? / Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, / While shepherds watch are keeping? / This, this is Christ the King, / Whom shepherds guard and angels sing: / Haste, haste to bring Him laud, / The babe, the son of Mary.
While our passage might awaken the default vision of that mean estate where ox and donkey are feeding, its affect on me is not pastoral, it’s militant. When I read this passage I saw the Allied Army’s staging Operation Overlord off the southern coast of Great Britain. Overlord’s ultimate objective was to land 160,000 men on the coast of France who would wage a war to the death with Adolph Hitler, the godless tyrant of the Third Reich. Everything rested upon the success of this invasion. The liberation of millions was dependent on the Allied Forces gaining this strategic foothold in Europe.
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here / The silent Word is pleading. / Nails, spears shall pierce him through, / the cross he bore for me, for you. / Hail, hail the Word made flesh, / the Babe, the Son of Mary.
Satan no doubt expected that God would attempt to reclaim that which was His through some type of invasion – likely with legions of angels. Instead, right under his nose God successfully landed The Word made flesh. He was the true Lord and He would overthrow Satan, liberating millions of captives. What an odd assignment we have for this invasion.
So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh, / Come, peasant, king, to own him. / The King of kings / salvation brings, / Let loving hearts enthrone him. / Raise, raise a song on high, / The virgin / sings her lullaby / Joy, joy for Christ is born, / The babe, the Son of Mary.
This, this is Christ the King, / Whom shepherds guard and angels sing: / Haste, haste to bring Him laud, / The babe, the son of Mary.
Life, for most of us, does not resemble a fight to the death with a cruel enemy. We loose sight so easily of the captives who have not yet been liberated, or as some doctrines imply, were just created as the sovereign fodder in the story of our salvation. (sarcasm intended) I believe William Booth was on to something when he established The Salvation Army.
The Christian’s contribution to this battle and the secret of an abundant life is simply abiding in Christ. It really is that simple. Abiding is a realization of what is true. It is an adjustment of the heart to the reality of Christ in us and us in Christ. The learning process of abiding is what the tenants of spiritual formation are getting at. They aspire to equip men to embrace the mysteries of this reality.
One of my favorite equippers, Thomas Ashbrook, author of “Mansions of The Heart” and “Presence” will be in Tulsa May 2, 3 and 4 fulfilling his mission. I will be attending. I would love to have some company. Tom is a true elder in Christ’s Body. I resonate with his voice. You can learn more about this event directly through me or by going to his Imago Christi website.
Father, succeed in converting us attenders and bystanders into abiders. Teach our hearts to haste in bringing You laud – the Word of God made flesh. Amen.