Rev Mark Elder's Christmas 2005 Message

A Christmas thought from Mark

He who was rich became poor: A Christmas thought from Mark

Even though the lead up to Christmas is always something of a ‘mad’ season, I have to say, I love Christmas. I can’t deny that Advent this year has a different feel to it, due I’m sure, to the fact that 2006 will be a year of change for the Elder family. So, whilst this is our ninth and last Christmas in Poynton, it is another opportunity to reflect again, with open hearts and minds, to the earth-shattering, blindingly good news, that God decided to live in person amongst his creation.

The theme for both our carol services this year is taken from a brilliant passage in one of my favourite books of the bible, 2 Corinthians: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2Cor 9:.9) So God, who has riches beyond comparison or imagination, became human, vulnerable and poor, so that we through him, might become rich. Wow! How good is that?

How should we respond to the God who became poor for our sakes? When the Pharisees encountered Jesus, they despised him. When the puppet king Herod, heard about Jesus, he was so insecure and so angry, he ordered the slaughter of all under-two males. Isn’t it interesting that the powerful, the rich, the religious and the ruling classes could find no home in their hearts for Jesus. But the poor, the needy, those who knew they were sinners, welcomed him with open arms.

Do you know who the first person was to encounter Jesus? No, it wasn’t Mary, or Joseph, or the Shepherds. It was his distant cousin, John . Luke recounts the 22-week foetus leaping for joy in his mother Elizabeth’s womb at the presence of the divine life of Jesus in Mary’s womb ( 1:41 -44). Read it, it’s great.

This was the same John , who became known as the Baptist; he of the uncompromising ministry, and of locusts and wild honey. Being part of a close knit family, I guess Jesus and John would have played together as children. There are loads of moments in the Bible when I wish I’d been there in person but Jesus’ baptism by John is definitely foremost among them. And then that climactic moment that translates across the centuries, when John says of Jesus; “Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John knew that he was to be eclipsed by Jesus – he was to become less and Jesus would become greater ( John 3:30 ). The Jesus encounter for John led to a radical reorientation of his life and ministry. He responded humbly and obediently. No wonder Jesus said of him, “there is no-one greater than John ”. (Luke 7:28).

AS we approach this Christmas, in the midst of our food, and presents, and family parties, and TV repeats, contemplate the history defining moment when the one who was rich became poor. Jesus is there to be encountered. Don’t miss him.

Happy Christmas,

Mark

 

The Christmas Story

The Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 

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