By KRISTINA KROON
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree …”
So begins the oft-quoted account of Jesus’ birth, as recorded in Luke 2. The setting of that first Christmas so long ago is as relevant today as ever. Not unlike our own times, the season of Jesus’ birth was a time of widespread upheaval and distress. In many ways 2020 feels similar to “those days.” In recent months our nation has experienced significant political unrest. Moreover, the global pandemic has caused far-reaching uncertainty and fear. Executive orders, in response to COVID, have impacted how we carry out our daily lives. Life events have been canceled, postponed or modified. We keenly feel that the stress of life is beyond our control.
“Not unlike our own times, the season of Jesus’ birth was a time of widespread upheaval and distress. In many ways 2020 feels similar to “those days.””
It’s into our mess that Jesus comes. As in “those days,” He continues to be our Emmanuel, God with us. We see clearly portrayed in both Luke’s account (Luke 1-2) and Matthew’s account (Matthew 1-2) of Jesus’ birth, that in the seeming chaos of human politics, God is in complete control. We see that He is present, intimately involved in the events of our lives, and always at work fulfilling His purposes.
God is present, God is in control, God is at work. Mary and Joseph seem to have understood this reality. As a couple, they navigated a staggering amount of stress during “those days.” An unplanned pregnancy, stigma, revamped wedding plans, improvised birth plans, infanticide threat, fleeing their homeland as refugees, and dwelling in a foreign country. Facing extraordinary upheaval, Mary and Joseph consistently chose to trust God, praise Him, listen to His voice, and obey Him. We can learn much from Mary and Joseph and how they responded to God in the midst of the tumultuous circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth.
From Mary’s famous Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), we can see that Mary was someone who knew Scripture well. She internalized God’s promises. She understood God’s purposes. So when the occasion arose, she was able to visualize God’s faithfulness to herself personally, as well as to all generations. She overflowed with praise to God. Like Mary, one of the most valuable things we can do in our own unsettling circumstances is to recollect the promises, purposes, and faithfulness of God.
It’s worth noting that Mary expressed her song of praise while visiting her cousin Elizabeth. We see from the passage that Elizabeth was more than kin to Mary--she was confidant and mentor. Elizabeth, “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41), whole-heartedly affirmed God’s miraculous work in Mary’s life, and it was in this space that Mary “magnifie[d] the Lord” (Luke 1:46). Like Mary, we would do well in hard times to seek companionship with godly friends who can encourage us in our faith.
As I consider this 2020 Christmas season, I find myself contemplating one of my perennial favorite Christmas carols, “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” The song’s famous first line captures my attention: “O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant …” For many of us, 2020 has proven to be a roller coaster of a year. And there’s not a clear end in sight to the upset. Disappointment, frustration, animosity, anxiety and apprehension abound. Faced with our current pressures, how many of us would be inclined to describe ourselves as “joyful and triumphant”?! The beloved Christmas carol invites us to abide in our source of life:
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels!
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord.
Beholding the King of Angels, we find His joy; adoring Him, we experience His triumph. As Mary and Joseph witnessed in “those days,” God remains present with us. He is in control of all things. And He continues to be at work in our lives. With that confidence, I’m singing heartily this Christmastide, “O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant…”
O come, all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels!
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord.
Text: Attr. to John F. Wade, ca. 1711–1786; trans. by Frederick Oakeley, 1802–1880
