As enchanting as it is to watch little children playact Mary and Joseph admiring a Christ child doll with shepherds in tow while adults wonder Are we running out of bath robes yet? – the Nativity scene inspired by the Gospels of Matthew and Luke doesn’t quite capture the drama of another scriptural account of Jesus’ birth.
In the book of Revelation, the Seer peers into the hidden world behind the scenes where a woman, crying out in pain, is about to give birth to “a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron” (Revelation 12:5) while a menacing red dragon waits to devour the child (Revelation 12:4).
I’ve never seen that scene portrayed at the Sunday school Christmas program, though maybe it should be!
Here’s the thing. While the Gospels give us insight into the real historical situation of the coming of Jewish Jesus into the world, John’s apocalyptic Nativity, through striking and troubling symbolism, points to the cosmic depth and breadth of the meaning of the Incarnation.
When I was growing up, a good portion of our culture still understood Christmas was about Jesus. Today, I’ve long lost the shock of surprise to see how rarely Jesus is associated with the year-end holiday. But why has this happened?
It’s easy to point fingers for this cultural amnesia to the influence of secularism, pluralism or even anti-Christian sentiment. Undoubtedly, these have all played a part.
However, what if we Christians ought to own at least part of the blame? What if the de-Jesus-ifying of Christmas is because we ourselves have too often failed to understand the cosmic-conquering significance of the Incarnation?
Have we ourselves too often failed to understand the cosmic-conquering significance of the Incarnation?
As spiritually edifying as it is to remember the lowly circumstances of Jesus’ birth portrayed in our Nativity dramas, the Revelation Nativity reminds us the birth of Christ the King is a decisive challenge to the existing powers and authorities of the world.
Not that the Gospels have missed the immense political significance of Christ’s birth. Matthew reminds us King Herod, the Jewish puppet king of the empire, was greatly threatened by the supposed appearance of a Messiah figure (Matthew 2:3), prompting the Saviour’s parents to flee to Egypt out of fear for their child’s life (Matthew 2:14).
Luke too situates Christ’s birth in the middle of Caesar Augustus’ census (Luke 2:1), designed to show his all-encompassing control over the entire empire, and especially to remind everyone that no one can escape death or taxes, especially the latter.
Perhaps it is Revelation’s Nativity account that most plainly, if symbolically, tells us the significance of Christ’s birth. Despite the sentimentality we associate with shepherds, angels, mangers and required stable livestock, the shocking thing about Christ’s birth isn’t the humble circumstances, but the spiritual challenge His birth had on the evil one’s grip of control over the world (1 John 5:19).
When the angelic host announced, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests” (Luke 2:14), the gauntlet was clearly thrown down. God the Father will share His reign with no one! But unlike the reigns of terror of this world, God’s reign is manifest in His shalom peace – spiritual, political, economic, emotional, relational – given to those who bow to the reign of His Messiah King.
In this Christmas season where the world continues to be rocked by violence, warfare, brokenness, poverty, persecution and unrighteousness writ large, the remembrance of this Child, snatched up to heaven by God before He could be devoured by the dragon (Revelation 12:5), is meant to give hope.
It is the Nativity scene in Revelation that so incisively encourages us in the midst of despair and hopelessness. Let’s remember then, as Handel’s Messiah makes Isaiah’s text echo in our homes, “The Kingdom of this world / Is become / The Kingdom of our Lord! . . . And He shall reign forever and ever!”
In other words, the dragon will not win! Now that’s a Nativity message to celebrate!
David Guretzki is the EFC’s president and CEO. Read more of these columns at FaithToday.ca/CrossConnections. Illustration of Nativity by Ron & Joe.
Author:
David Guretzki