Christmas 2020-"unprecedented!"

Unprecedented! “Unprecedented" is the word elected as the People's Choice 2020 Word of the Year.

"Unprecedented" beat out "pandemic" by a small margin, according to John Kelly, senior research editor at Dictionary.com, and is defined by the site as "without previous instance; never before known or experienced; unexampled or unparalleled.”

As Christmas 2020 approaches I think we all will experience this Christmas a little differently, as unprecedented. With the pandemic and all fatalities, the economic blow of lost jobs and closed businesses and the other crises our country had gone through this year, maybe we are taking a more sobering look at Christmas, a more reflective and less materialistic view. This Christmas is less the Currier and Ives picture that we imagine and more the stark reality that is life. In the Bible, the Christmas story, from ancient prophecy to Bethlehem’s fulfillment took place in the stark reality of their times but always brought hope of something better.

The times were difficult and dangerous. Israel, consisting of the the Northern tribes had allied themselves with King Rezin of Aram and they marched against Judah and Jerusalem and King Ahaz. As it reads;

“Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.”

In other words they wanted to destroy Judah and the House of David. Now King Ahaz was not a good king. In 2 Kgs 16:2-3 it reads;

“Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.”

Later, Ahaz would desecrate the Temple by building a pagan altar in it and selling off the gold to placate the King of Assyria. In spite of the King’s wickedness, God sends the prophet Isaiah with this word to Ahaz about the threatening armies;

“ Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘It will not take place, it will not happen,”

He goes on say that within 65 years all of your enemies will be completely destroyed, adding;

“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’”

Through the prophet, the Lord continues;

“Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”

13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[c] a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Now Ahaz and all the people as v.2 described;

“his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.”

The king did not have confidence in the prophets words. But God calls upon Ahaz to ask for a sign, any sign, as deep as hell or as high as heaven, any sign at all, that would prove the prophet’s words. Ahaz refuses. Now it may sound humble to say, “I will not test the Lord” but when God directs you to ask for a sign, to refuse is disobedience. Perhaps Ahaz refused because he had taken the gold from the Temple and bought the help of the Assyrians to come and help.

This is why the Prophet responds in anger.

Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?

Then Isaiah delivers this marvelous prophecy, one we always turn to at Christmas time.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

What an unprecedented sign! A Virgin birth! Of course Isaiah is looking into the future and speaking of the birth of Christ.

Now many people deny the Virgin birth and view it as an impossibility invented to promote Christ and Christianity.

One such person is Rabbi Marc Gellman of the “God Squad.” This is a syndicated column originally with Monsignor Tom Hartman, who has passed, and Rabbi Gellman, who continues the column. For the most part the Rabbi writes in a gracious style often offering grandfatherly type encouragement. However, his theology is squarely in the liberal camp and he does not believe in miracles, unless they suit him. This is common with those who hold liberal theology, they become the judge of Scripture. They will preface their comments with, “The God I serve would never do this or that.” Or, write off Scripture as being written by primitive, uneducated peoples who wove stories together to keep people entertained.