“Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife who was with child. So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:4-7)
Most of us have heard these verses so many times that we don’t think about them too much. But what about someone who is hearing it for the first time? Pastor Max Lucado in his book “God Came Near” tells of an encounter between a pastor and a first time hearer of the history of Jesus. I hope you enjoy!
“You mean to tell me God became a baby….
The one posing the question was puzzled. His thick eyebrows furrowed in doubt and his eyes squinted in caution. Though there were places to sit, he opted not to do so. He preferred to stand safely behind the crowd, unsure, yet intrigued by what he was hearing. Throughout the lecture he had listened intently, occasionally uncrossing his arms to stroke his whiskered chin. Now, however, he stood upright, punching the air with his finger as he queried.
And that he was born in a stable?”
He looked as though he’d walked down from one of the adjacent Colorado mountains: stocking hat, down vest, nylon leggings, hiking boots. And he sounded as though he honestly didn’t know if the story he was hearing was a mountain legend or the gospel truth.
“Yes, that is what I meant to say,” the lecturer responded.
“And then, after becoming a baby, he was raised in a blue-collar home? He never wrote a book or held any offices, yet he called himself the Son of God?”
“That is right.”
The lecturer being questioned was Landon Saunders; the voice of the Heartbeat Radio program. I’ve never heard anyone tell the story of the Nazarene like Landon can.
“He never traveled outside his own country, never studied at a university, never lived in a palace, and yet asked to be regarded as the creator of the universe?”
“That’s correct.”
“And this crucifixion story…he was betrayed by his own people? No followers came to his defense? And then he was executed like a common junkyard thief?”
“That’s the gist of it.”
The authenticity of the questioner didn’t allow you to regard him as a cynic nor to dismiss him as a show-off. To the contrary, he seemed nervous about commanding attention. His awkwardness betrayed his inexperience in public speaking. But his desire to know was just an ounce or two heavier that his discomfort, so he continued.
“And after the killing he was buried in a borrowed grave?”
“Yes, he had no grave of his own, nor money with which to purchase one.”
“There was a hint of emotion in the student’s voice as he carefully worded the next question.
“And according to what’s written, after three days in the grave he was resurrected and made appearances to over five hundred people?”
“Yes.”
“And all this was to prove that God still loves his people and provides a way for us to return to him?”
“Right”
I knew which question was coming next. Everybody in the room knew it. It could have gone without being asked. In my heart of hearts, I was hoping that it would not be asked.
“Doesn’t that all sound rather…” He paused a second, searching for the right adjective. “Doesn’t that all sound rather absurd?”
Landon’s answer was simple. “Yes. Yes I suppose it does sound absurd, doesn’t it?”
I didn’t like that answer. I didn’t like it at all. Tell the fellow how it made sense! Diagram the dispensations. Present the fulfilled prophecies. Explain the fulfillment of the Old Law. Covenant. Reconciliation. Redemption. Sure it made sense. Don’t let him describe God’s actions as absurd!
Then it began to dawn on me. What God did makes sense. It makes sense that Jesus would be our sacrifice because a sacrifice was needed to justify man’s presence before God. It makes sense that God would use the Old Law to tutor Israel on their need for grace. It makes sense that Jesus would be our High Priest. What God did makes sense. It can be taught, charted, and put in books on systematic theology.
However why God did it is absolutely absurd. When one leaves the method and examines the motive, the carefully stacked blocks of logic begin to tumble. That type of love isn’t logical; it can’t be neatly outlined in a sermon or explained in a term paper.
I don’t know what happened to that inquisitive fellow in Colorado. He disappeared as quickly as he came. But I am in his debt. He forced me to see Jesus as I’d never seen him.
Bloodstained royalty. A God with tears. A creator with a heart. God became earth’s mockery to save his children.
How absurd to think that such nobility would go to such poverty to share a treasure with such thankless souls.
But he did.
In fact, the only thing more absurd than the gift is our stubborn unwillingness to receive it.”
(“Absurdity in the Flesh” from the book “God Came Near,” by Max Lucado, pp. 29-34)
How about you this Christmas season? Are you thinking at all about the Creator of the Universe Who came to earth as a baby, lived His life to show us who God is, and then allowed Himself to be crucified on an cross to be a perfect sacrifice for our sins?
Or are you caught up in the real absurdity of this world, worrying about presents you are going to buy or receive, Santa Claus, and dinner with the family? Not bad things by themselves but really pretty trivial in light of what God has done for us, not because we deserve it, but because He just loves us and wants to have a personal relationship with each one this Christmas! Oh yeah, He wants one for the rest of the year too!
PRAY
1.) Dear precious Jesus, thank you for leaving Your throne in heaven and coming down to be born of a virgin in a stable in the town of Bethlehem.
2.) Thank you for revealing Your coming to Joseph and Mary, to the shepherds in the fields that night, and to the Wise men who came from afar to worship You and bring you gifts.
3.) Thank you that I can call You my precious Savior because You died for me and for anyone who will call upon Your Name, and receive You into their life and allow You to rule over them.
