God’s Love: Birth and Rebirth

Luke 2: 1-20  The birth of Jesus Christ is the point where we see eternity, space and time intersect. It’s also where we see our beliefs, our faith, and reality intersect, when the love of God physically appears. After the birth of Jesus, we see the Angel of the Lord appearing to the shepherds in the fields, and announcing His birth as the gift of salvation to all people. We ask: why is this appearance of angels to the shepherds even mentioned in the Bible? It was important that the birth of the Messiah have independent confirmation and be witnessed by an unrelated source; otherwise the birth of Jesus would have been just another birth, of just another ordinary person. So this witness, this independent confirmation, was made to the shepherds, who were thought of at that time as the lowest of the low. God chose people rejected by the society of that time to be the witnesses of the birth of God’s Son. Shepherds of that time were not allowed to own property, and were not allowed to be witnesses or testify in court. They were fit only to live out under the stars and herd sheep. So, it is fitting that at the very beginning of the life of Jesus Christ, that God announces and confirms the birth of the Messiah to the lowest of the low, the shepherds out in the fields, working on the night shift. This tells us that the story of the Christ, from the very beginning, is inclusive of all people, and not exclusive and subjective. So, even if we wanted to build our church on those that we exclude, we could not do so, if we follow God’s example. 

The Holy Spirit is also at work, and it is astonishing to see how the birth of Jesus was such a supernatural Godly event, that the heavenly celebration of His birth spills out of heaven, over and through even the fabric of space-time. The heavenly hosts suddenly appear, and began singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among people with whom God is pleased!" So much are we to understand that Jesus is the light of the world, that there is even a star of light over Bethlehem. So joyful is the arrival of the Son of God that the celebration of His birth in heaven becomes so wild that it spills out and through the fabric of space-time itself. Angels are seen in real-time by the shepherds, celebrating and singing about the birth of Jesus. If the birth of Jesus Christ is so radical, so incredible, and so joyous that the celebration of His birth spills out of heaven itself, shouldn't we as well, as the purpose of this joyful event, take notice and celebrate it, too?  When we read in Luke how the fabric that separates eternity, space and time was broke open, and that angels spilled out of heaven singing for joy, I think it would be a good thing for you and I, like the lowly shepherds of Jesus' day, to do more than just take note of the arrival of the Savior at yet another Christmas. Like the shepherds, who said to each other, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us;" let each of us, also, seize the opportunity that the birth of God’s Son provides for us. 

Jesus said, "Except you be born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” God’s love points the way to rebirth for us through Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus is the Good Shepherd; Jesus IS God’s love, given freely to each of us. The birth of Jesus ultimately allows God to kick through the rusty gates to our hearts, souls, minds and bodies, and pour into each of us God's love! This brings us new life, and new life is possible to each of us as we experience the rebirth that happens when we allow Jesus Christ and the Spirit of the Holy One, into our heart of hearts. Jesus is the One who will “bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” We are all prisoners in Darkness to something; but Jesus Christ makes it possible for all of us to lay our broken-ness at the foot of the cross, and claim the new life that Jesus promises. Like the lowly shepherds on the night shift, who first witnessed the birth of the Messiah, and for all people everywhere, we claim our rebirth today by saying: Come, Lord Jesus; Come, Lord Jesus, come.

Pastor Jan