‘“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for someone else?” This is the crucial question the imprisoned John the Baptist asks his disciples to pose to Jesus (Luke 7:19).
‘Who we are expecting to come at Christmas, is a crucial issue for many of us today, and we are not always helped by the romantic images of an essentially Victorian image of Christmas. So I thought I’d write a devotional piece.
‘When Jesus Christ came into our world he was more ordinary and human than many expected – both then, and now. The ancient Jews had expected Messiah for a long time, and their expectations increased over time. Older expectations of the coming of a great but essentially human King became anticipation of a more supernatural figure. They expected a mighty warrior who, Superman like, could remove invaders from the land, and purify the Temple with a wave of his hand. Or he would be the perfect Law keeping machine, the immaculate Pharisee.
‘And into the world God comes, self sent, as a baby. Among all the super expectations, Jesus Christ comes, plainly human. “Our God contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man.”
‘It’s ironic that many people today are so perturbed by the miraculous nature of the Christmas story. “You do realise stars can’t switch on and off, don’t you?” “A virgin birth? Yeah, right!” It’s ironic because the people of the period were more perturbed by the very ordinariness of it all. “The Messiah, here in this barn? Born of folk like this?”
‘The coming of Jesus, against many expectations, today as then, is of one who comes near, is like us, involved with the here and now and not just the there and then. There is stupendous height involved in the coming of Jesus, but not remote distance. His name makes that clear – he is Immanuel – God with us.
‘As the thunder crashed, little Carol leaped out of bed, ran downstairs to her mother and cuddled into her. Mum stroked her gently for a while then said, “there’s no need to be scared, God will look after you.” “I know that,” said Carol, “But I needed someone with skin on!” And God knew that was true for us all. Which is why Christmas is as it is.
‘So to those readers who feel God is far away, a remote figure, for a multitude of reasons, I hope and pray you experience God in Jesus Christ drawing near, Immanuel with you this Christmastide.
‘I think too that Jesus was more gracious than many expected, then and now.
