Advent-ure 2021 December 9: He Would Rule Over All (Christmas Story)

Christians, among all people, have an incredible story to tell during this season - we can certainly be skilled on sharing the "what" of the story, part of which we find in Luke chapter 2, which says:
4 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,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
7 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.

Then the story moves into the glorious announcement of the Savior's birth by the angels to the shepherds. Picking up in verse 10, we can read:
10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

They were told they would find the baby in a manger, and the angels' number multiplied; they proclaimed:
14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

This is a short play in three acts: the journey to Bethlehem, the birth of our Savior, and the appearance of angels to shepherds. We read on and see that they responded by quickly going to find the baby Jesus. It is a brief passage, but it packs so much power and meaning. It is undoubtedly the work of a loving and powerful God, who came to restore broken humanity to Himself - He did it by sending His son to earth to be our Redeemer. 

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It's Day 9 of our 25-day series of readings exploring prophecies written in the Old Testament and fulfilled by the coming of Jesus, our Savior and Messiah.  The Faith Radio Advent Guide, "25: A Christmas Advent-ure," is available free from our website and is contained in the latest Faith Radio Ministry Magazine, which you can see online, as well.

The prophecy is that the Messiah would rule over all.  He was certainly a King, and came to earth to establish an everlasting Kingdom.  Not only was that established throughout the ages in Scripture, but He was not secretive in His identity during His earthly ministry - He taught about the Kingdom He would establish. He boldly proclaimed it as He stood before Pilate with His life on the line.  And, we see that at His Second Advent, the fulfillment of that prophecy will be displayed.  But, He is the sovereign King now.

Psalm 72 states:
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, And His enemies will lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts.
11 Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him.

A pertinent question here during the Christmas season has to do with our faithfulness to share His story of why He came.  And, a new Lifeway Research study shows that a number of Americans do not feel equipped to tell the Christmas story.  The survey summary relates:

Slightly more than 1 in 5 Americans (22%) say they could accurately tell the Christmas story found in the Bible from memory. A plurality of U.S. adults (31%) say they could tell the story but may miss some details or get others wrong. Another quarter (25%) could only give a quick overview and 17% say they couldn’t tell any of it.

Add up those first two categories, and just over half of Americans say they could relate the Christmas story; another 1/4 think they could at least give a "quick overview."

And, the ability to tell the story increases the more one attends church. In fact, 45% of those surveyed who attend church 4 or more times a month said they could relate the story accurately.  

This comes against the backdrop of the findings of Lifeway that 9 out of 10 Americans celebrate Christmas and a study from three years ago that found that 2 out of 3 people would like for Christmas to be "more about Jesus." 

Lifeway Research Executive Director Scott McConnell said, "While fictional Christmas stories seem to multiply each year, the biblical account of Jesus Christ’s birth is unchanged since it was recorded in the Bible...Yet almost half of Americans do not think they could share the Christmas story somewhat accurately from memory. Of all the Christmas programs churches offer in December, possibly the most important is simply reading the biblical account of the Christmas story itself.”

Now, I did not see it specified what passage of Scripture is referred to as "the Christmas story," for the sake of the survey, although I would suspect that we're talking about the Luke chapter 2 passage, in which Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, they were rejected at the inn, Jesus was born and laid in a manger, and the angels appeared to shepherds to proclaim the good news.  That is a familiar passage, and it's an important part of Christmas celebrations.  

Other storylines involve the Magi in Matthew chapter 2, as well as the announcements of the Savior's birth to Mary in Luke 1 and Joseph in Matthew 1. These all document the physical events - the "what," if you will, of the story of the birth of Christ. We can strive to know and relate the events that occurred surrounding the birth of our Savior...

...then you have the "why," of the story, and that is of utmost importance.  The Christmas story has touched us throughout the ages, but it's more than just a beautiful story - it's a testimony of a faithful God who kept His promises to redeem fallen humanity.  It's about a loving God who cared so much about us that He became one of us so that we might be restored to our Heavenly Father. It's about a Redeemer who came to earth to not only teach us how to live but to give us new life. 

Jesus is so much more than a baby in a manger, but what He has done in fulfilling God's plan for salvation required Him to take upon Himself humanity in order to be the perfect substitute for us. We could not pay the penalty for our sin, but because He came to earth as a human, He could sufficiently pay it.  And, because He defeated the power of sin and death, He now reigns over all the earth. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the victor who has invited us to be part of His heavenly Kingdom.