Introduction
People like to hear dramatic stories. Dramas are plots made successful by contrasts: Romeo & Juliet, Twilight, Angry Birds, Maya & Sir Chief [a famous noontime Filipino sitcom]. We related to these stories because deep in contrasts there is a need for us to see victory to occur -- where the good triumphs over the bad, the beautiful trumps the profane. Somehow contrasts make us long for the beautiful to triumph over the profane. This is the reason why most of the times we go to movies. To feel good, to see the unfolding of justice in our eyes where the good triumphs over the bad.
The gospel drama is not an exception to these contrasts. In fact, our gospel story is built on contrasts. Take our verse today for example. Kings for the most part are born in palaces, ours is born in a manger. Kings are born with the revelry of the kingdom, ours is welcomed by smelly shepherds and foreign weirdos. Baby kings are wrapped in silk, precious garments, ours is hay and stubble. Our difficulty for this story is this must not be so. How can this be a good story?
Like any other story, we have to see the entire picture. The gospel story is a completed story, not a suspended anecdote. We will see in the gospel story a victory of life and a triumph of hope despite the context of difficulty and pain. In the gospel story: Somebody’s death becomes somebody’s life, technicolor in a monochromatic world, or a budding green plant from dark ashes.
There are many drama happening in our verse but let me focus today on a particular context: the context of the king. Two contrasts come in this simple idea: first, the king of Israel is born yet they were under the rulership of a pagan king; second, the king of Israel is born but welcome by foreigners.
The contrast gives us a glimpse of the ministry of Jesus. He enters situation regardless of its condition. Although the situation is dark and bleak, He enters in with the goal of seizing that moment with forgiveness, mercy life and salvation. Almost always, men give in during times of difficulty and pain, but the when Jesus enters the scene, He lifts up the broken hearted, cures the the pain, the sadness, the bitterness, the fear, the anxiety, the addiction, the anger.
THE WORLD RECEIVES GLAD TIDINGS ON THE COMING OF THE SAVIOR
Israel at this point has an ugly history of kings. You’d think Kings Solomon and David right? Probably. But the immediate history of Israel at this point did not paint a good picture. It was this historical backdrop that gives this verse its impact. Our story begins 700 years earlier, in the reign of a king named Ahaz. This story is the beginning of how Israel’s king forsook his Kingdom and how King Jesus announced its coming. In the years around 700 BC Ahaz, the king of Judah received word from Isaiah the prophet that two alliances up north are planning to invade his kingdom. But Isaiah told him not to give in because “God will is with us” Immanuel.
Ahaz did not heed the call and instead forged an alliance with a bigger pagan army, the Assyrians – disobeying the call of God. This was Assyria, probably the first dominant empire in the ancient world after Egypt. Ahaz was successful in curbing the Syro-Ephraimite alliance but was not successful in becoming a vassal, a slave state of Assyria. From this point began the puppet kings. The succeeding kings of Israel did not have the kind of freedom Solomon and David had because they were puppet kings. One king Manasseh was dragged with a nose ring to Egypt. The last king of Israel, Zedekiah 2 Kings 25 writes,
6 He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was pronounced on him. 7 They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. (vv. 6-7)
The story of the Kings of Israel is a story of sadness. In Ezekiel 19 the prophet issued a lament to the princes of Israel saying, “No strong branch is left on it fit for a ruler's scepter” (Eze 19:14 NIV) referring to the end of days of the kings in Israel. When King Cyrus of Persia finally conquered Babylon defeating Nebuchadnezzar, he was more lenient and allowed Jews to return from exile led by Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah. Yet even then we did not read of a king of Israel. The Old Testament closes in Malachi with Jews back in their promised land but still without a king. When we open here in Matthew, the apostle writes that the king was Herod. Herod was a pagan a king, a Roman king to be specific.
The period of after Malachi was a period of re-enslavement of Israel so that the expectation of a restoration of the kingdom of Israel continued. When Israel fell under the Roman empire they were again governed by a pagan government. The old Mosaic administration was subjugated by the more superior Roman law. All the the anticipation of a coming King was ever stronger especially when they read Isaiah in their synagogues,
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isa 9:6-7 NIV)
So it gives us a surprise that when Jesus was born, the king – no kingdom was there to welcome him, no armies were there to protect him, no royal crib was there to hold him – the throne in a feeding box. And this contrast begins to talk to us as an unfortunate situation. The irony of all ironies. It was ironic that it instead of priests, shepherds came; instead of Jewish noblemen, magis from the East – from whence comes the winds of Babylon and Assyria.
This story gives us the context of some of the most important teachings of Scripture, and that salvation has now come into this world for all peoples. That the King has come and the people who know He has returned has expressed their affections for His coming by a response of gratitude and worship.
The contrast we have in this world is that most of the times good things come with the bad. Wisdom comes with gray hair, discernment comes from experience, care comes from a lifetime of wrong choices, success emerges from failures. We cannot have everything all the time. Life always has a glitch. Our perspectives always have blind spots. Yet it is a good thing we have the eyes of faith – eyes that can see beyond the apparent contrast. Where there are obstacles, we can see opportunities; problems, we see challenges; in the words of Shelley, “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind.”
We are presented with a throne, yet what we see is a feeding box. The contrast defeats our eyes.
DONE: THE KING RETURNS FOR HIS PEOPLE
When Adam and Eve committed their sin, we are told that they were driven out of paradise. And so we thought the story ends. Then these two brothers offered sacrifices: one of them was accepted. This gave us an idea that there is a certain kind of mediation that God desires for the restoration of fellowship with God. It seems that it ain’t the end yet for them – that there was a means by which God would heed a call. It seems like although he drove out this people out, he ushered them to a life mediated by sacrifices.
So he sent Israel to administer those sacrifices, but this people failed to carry out its task. Just like Adam, God drove them away and God called another One who will administer the sacrifices of His people – only this time, the priest will sacrifice Himself as the sacrifice for these sins. This sacrficial lamb is what the book of Revelation exalts,
5 To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. (Rev 1:5-6 NIV)
Without mediation, relationship with God is impossible. That is why the sacrifice of Christ is crucial in the relationship. He returns to mediate, and the magis and the shepherds knew exactly who this one born in Bethlehem was. He was their mediator – their salvation. So even though it was in the middle of a dark and cold night, they came and offered their lives as worship. Why? Because they saw and they believed that this was their mediator – the one who will bring them back to God. This was their gospel, their good news. No wonder the Bible says of the magis,
11they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh (Mat 2:11 NIV)
DO: AFFIRM HIS GRACE WITH GRATITUDE
Our image today is very clear. It is a child inside a feeding box. What do you see?
Last week I hosted a party in my hometown’s local elementary school. It was for this specific class for children with special needs – kids with autism, Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy etc. There were 23 children in all in this SPED class and we threw them a Jollibee party complete with mascots and stuff. One of the kids Jericho had autism with epilepsy and exceptionality. He gave a song number, Pusong Bato. Jericho received the biggest round of applause I’ve ever heard in a long time. They were given by parents and families of children with special needs. Their claps are different – you can feel the joy even in the presence of pain. One parent told me, she could not affort to give up for her child. She was a private school teacher and she told me that she didn’t go to work that day to attend her son’s Jollibee Christmas party. It was a community of travail and triumph, pain and praise – much like our verse today, yet in this simple seemingly unfortunate event of drooling youngters, yelling kids, there was a joyful serenity in my heart. These were families who understand that the Baby gives the meaning, not the feeding box.
My challenge to you is be thankful, and see the world – your world through the eyes of faith.
ACTION POINT: HAVE A GRATITUDE-BASED RESOLUTION
As a man thinks in his heart so is he, the saying goes. If today we commit to seeing things through the eyes of faith, we need to walk with the feet of faith. I challenge you to evaluate your resolutions – ground it in gratitude. I’d like to recommend a few gratitude-based resolution you can do this year:
1. Join a read-the-Bible-in-one-year plan (join https://www.facebook.com/groups/c2ctbioy2013/)
2. Resolve to improve on your commitment to be part of a small group
3. Pray about a bigger faith commitment this year
