And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
In the days when David was on the run from Saul, it was the men of Issachar who are listed in particular as coming to him, because they “had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” (1Chron 12:32) They understood that whatever power was enjoyed by the faction of Saul, it couldn’t hope to prevail against the one God had anointed. The tables would turn. The vagabond would become king.
We too live in confusing times. Our society is divided and God’s people seem to be on the run. We find ourselves slandered and branded – sometimes legitimately, often not. We have learned some hard truths about the limits of our influence in the public square. In the year of its 500th anniversary, the Reformation’s power to affect massive change in Western society seems like a distant memory.
In the year of its 500th anniversary, the Reformation’s power to affect change in Western society seems like a distant memory.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, there is no shortage of opinion about how we should understand our times and what we ought to do. Some advocate radical new strategies to take account of the new times. Others insist that little has changed and that we’re the ones to blame anyway. Some tell us the key is cultural engagement; others that the only hope is in a renewed commitment to the life of the church.
Of course there’s a measure of truth in all of these perspectives. We need to keep working hard at understanding our particular historical and social context. We need to keep praying that God would give us wisdom and grace to see our situation and ourselves as he does.
Yet the coming of Christmas challenges us to contemplate deeper and more certain truths about our age. Because—no matter what society thinks of us; no matter how effective our evangelism is; no matter what influence we exert over our culture; no matter what straits we find ourselves in as individual Christians or as churches—there are things that remain true: We belong to the age of glory. We are those on whom the fulfilment of the ages has come. We live in the last days when God has spoken to us by his Son. We know mysteries that the prophets of old and angels in heaven longed to know. We have been given access to a reality so profound, of such immense significance that it makes the least of us greater than the greatest of the Old Testament saints. We live in the age of Satan’s defeat and we have been given a glorious part in that fight. We know that even (especially) our sufferings draw us deeper and deeper into this glory.[1]
Our troubled times might tempt to lament that we are alive at this point in history. But we are immensely privileged.
Jesus Christ,
God’s Son
–the second person of the Trinity–
has come into the world as a man.
He has finished his mission: lived, died and risen to bring forgiveness and new life.
Let’s pause and rejoice. Just for a moment, let’s turn our thoughts from our defeats and, worries and strategies and remind ourselves, and each other, of all that we’ve been given—irrevocably and eternally. Let’s pray that the glory of Jesus would shine in our hearts, and in the hearts of all who hear his name.
May God bless you and fill you with that joy.
Merry Christmas.
[1] Respectively – John 1:14; 1Cor 10:11; Heb 1:2; 1Pet 1:10-12; Luke 7:28 c.f. John 14:12; Rev 12:10-11; 1Pet 4:12-14.
