LESSON 12

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Linda and I just returned from a Christmas Eve service. I couldn't help wondering as we sang beautiful Christmas carols, many derived from the story found in Luke 2, how none of these songs would have been written had God simply given us 2000 years ago a doctrinal treatise on his love for man. I was reminded that our faith rests in a story, and stories lend themselves to repeated telling. And beautiful stories like the one found in Luke 2 inspire beautiful music.

But how much of the story is historical truth? Recently I read a book by Marcus Borg in which he concluded that many of the stories about Jesus are true only metaphorically, much like the way poems contain truth couched in metaphorical language. On the other hand, we have those who proudly proclaim their belief that all stories of the Bible are historically factual.

In questions like this I return to that about which I wrote in an earlier blog: let us rejoice and fellowship with those who claim that Christ is Lord by virtue of the fact that he died and rose again for our sins. I refuse to believe that early Christians were moved to the point of death by belief in the resurrection as metaphor. And for two thousand years the church has survived and thrived because of its belief that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus was not just a metaphor but the great act of God for our salvation.

However, when it comes to the historical events surrounding Jesus birth I can fellowship with those who see many of these stories as metaphorical truth. While this may not sit well with some, which I understand, I am convinced that ultimately we will be held accountable more for what we did in our lives beacuse of the stories than exactly how we believed about them. Belief in the Bible can be a source of pride which Jesus faced in many of the Pharisees of his day, who had a strongly conservative view of the Old Testament scriptures. To them he said: "You search the scriptures and in them you think you have life, but they testify of me and you will not come to me."

In the sovereignty of God we have been given the beautiful accounts of Jesus' birth. And those accounts have inspired the most beautiful music the world has ever witnessed. Our faith centers on the story of a person whom God sent to reconcile the world unto himself. Doctrine alone would not have saved; great words would not have saved. Only the person of Jesus, Son of God, could save. And because he came in history the story of his coming is one which continues to be told and which continues to inspire song and belief. The ultimate response to the songs of Christmas is that we worship "Jesus, Lord at Thy birth."

May the joy and beauty of Christmas fill your hearts and lives this Christmas season. "O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord."