Christmas—The Beginning of Easter

As a matter of accuracy, Easter actually “started” before the beginning of time when Jesus committed to saving sinners. In addition Jesus, the coming Messiah, is the focal point throughout the Old Testament—God’s record of His dealings with Man.

Nevertheless, the actual act and fact of God’s Son coming to save begins with the first Christmas. Yet His coming was never an end in and of itself.

That would be like Santa showing up, just to show up. What child would anticipate for weeks the arrival of a red-suited rolly-polly, white-bearded stranger who would come in the middle of the night to eat cookies and drink milk? No, the story of Santa Claus only makes children wide-eyed and hopeful because of what he supposedly comes to bring.

Jesus, of course, has the advantage of being real, but would His story have any more impact than Santa’s if it was simply about a baby—even God’s Son—showing up one night long ago? Sure, the events were miraculous. A pregnant virgin, an angelic announcement—well, actually three, over the nine months, capped by the grand showing of a host of heavenly beings saying, Glory to God in the highest.

Glory to God, indeed!

Not because He’d pulled off the birth—His fullness wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. But because the baby would grow up and become the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. In Him, peace with God would be possible, and love, one with another, a reality.

This was the good news—the very gospel—those shepherds heard that night. No, I don’t think they “got it” any more than Mary and Joseph did. Nevertheless, the events of Easter were underway.

One man got it. A week after Jesus was born—on the eighth day, to be precise—his parents took Him to the temple, as prescribed by Jewish law, and they encountered Simeon:

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,

According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
– Luke 2:25-35 (New American Standard Bible)

May we, like Simeon, have a clear understanding of the significance of this day we commemorate.

Merry Christmas