The awesome wonder of how the Creator came to live among us

Whatever you may think as harassed shoppers or parents, Christmas does not come too soon. It’s an example of God’s perfect timing, though I appreciate that the Messiah’s actual birthday was more likely to have been during the Feast of Tabernacles.

There was precise timing in the Divine coming, nevertheless. Naturally speaking, the Christ child should have been born in Nazareth. But because Caesar intervened and ordered a census, the holy family were forced to travel some 80 miles to Bethlehem (the town of David, from which their lineage was traced), thus fulfilling the prophecy of Micah:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2)

The stars lined up with such precision, and in such brilliance, that the Wise Men were able to follow the light all the way to the little town near Jerusalem, where the flawless sheep were traditionally prepared for Passover.

And the shepherds on the surrounding hills were perfectly placed to respond to the angelic call to come and worship the new-born King, also to become the Good Shepherd leading his flock to fresh pasture.

Prophetic Statements

Among the precious gifts the Wise Men brought was myrrh, a prophetic statement of the Messiah’s sacrificial death to come as the ultimate Passover Lamb, when he would die on the Cross for the sins of the world – myrrh was used for embalming the deceased for burial.

Bethlehem means ‘House of Bread’ and indeed Jesus was to describe himself as the “bread of life” (John 6:35) whose body (symbolised by the bread of communion) would be given for us, his death bringing us life. Jesus adds: “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Naturally speaking, the Christ child should have been born in Nazareth. But because Caesar intervened, the holy family were forced to travel to Bethlehem, in fulfilment of ancient prophecy.

So the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem and the Wise Men led to the infant King through a once-in-a-blue-moon lining up of the stars were all part of God’s perfect timing. Everything in God’s perfect plan was in the right place at the right time.

Frankincense. See Photo Credits.

The Apostle Paul, referring to the Messiah’s sacrifice, writes: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6).

Immanuel

The gift of frankincense, also brought by the Wise Men, represents the fragrance of God’s presence and speaks of Immanuel, God with us, which is also the central thought of the Feast of Tabernacles, celebrating the time when God made his presence known to the wandering Israelites in the wilderness – providing food, water and shelter in the parched desert environment.

Now, through the one born to be King (hence the gift of gold), God has actually taken on flesh to tabernacle (or live) among us. And at the end of his earthly ministry, the risen Lord promises to be ‘with us’ (his followers) forever, until the end of the age (Matt 28:20).

He Cares!

The reality of God being with us came home very strongly to my wife Linda and I during our recent extended stay in Israel caused by visa problems. Not only did we base ourselves at a guesthouse called Beit Immanuel (Beit = house) but we also learnt perhaps as never before that he really is ‘with you’ when you trust him absolutely.

After all, we weren’t even sure if our bank account could stand up to the pressure, but in the midst of the storm, when the wind and tide is against you, Jesus comes into your boat and says: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Mark 6:50). When you cast all your cares on him, he does indeed care for you (1 Pet 5:7). He is in control – even over immigration officials and government departments.

Through the one born to be King, God actually took on flesh to tabernacle (or live) among us.

And so we were able to enjoy the extra rest, relaxation and beachside restaurants the Lord had graciously provided for us. And documents we needed to board our re-booked flight home arrived in the nick of time – God isn’t in a hurry, but he is punctual. He came at just the right time for you and I to receive him and make him Lord of our lives.

Modern Bethlehem. See Photo Credits.God with Us

The Apostle John records: “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” (John 1:11-14).

The new-born King of 2,000 years ago desires to make his presence known this Christmas with many new-born believers!

Why not turn the words of this carol into a personal prayer? “Oh holy child of Bethlehem, descend to me I pray; cast out my sin and enter in, be born in me today.”

Olympic athletes give praise where it is really due.

As the Olympic Games has shown increasing signs of returning to its pagan roots,¹ and as its promotion of world peace and unity was tarnished this year by the hostility shown to the 47-member Israeli delegation,² the humility (amid personal brilliance) of a few outstanding Christian competitors has shone out like stars in a darkened universe.

For Britain, bursting with pride after collecting a staggering 67 medals and finishing second in the table to the United States, it was an event to savour after some of our politicians had downplayed patriotism in favour of staying within the European Union. But the prowess of our athletes isn't enough; what the human body can achieve should not be an opportunity for self-congratulation, but for giving honour where it is really due.

Niekerk, Felix and the Fiji Rugby Sevens

This was the case for South African athlete Wayde van Niekerk, who gave glory to God just moments after his spectacular win in the 400 metres – echoing the gold medal won in the same event at the 1924 Paris Olympics by legendary Scottish athlete Eric Liddell, who went on to be a missionary in China.³

Holding up his running spikes, imprinted with the words 'Jesus I am all yours, use me' after breaking Michael Johnson's 17-year-old record with a time of 43.03 seconds, Wayde told the BBC: "The only thing I can do now is to give God praise. I went on my knees each and every day and I told the Lord to take care of me every step of the way."⁴

His achievement is all the more amazing as he had to fight for his life when entering the world as a 2lb premature baby in Cape Town 24 years ago.

The humility shown by various Christian Olympians has shone out like stars in the universe.

Also giving praise to Jesus was American pastor's daughter Allyson Felix after winning two golds (4 x 100 and 4 x 400 metres) and a silver medal in the 400 metres individual. Describing her ability as a gift from God, she said: "For me, my faith is the reason I run. I definitely feel I have this amazing gift that God has blessed me with, and it's all about using it to the best of my ability."⁵

But she has suffered pain and disappointment over the years, explaining: "It is with injuries my faith really plays a part because I know I'm able to look at the bigger picture and see that God has a plan for my life and that this is also part of it. I can't imagine my life without Jesus. I can't imagine just waking up and going through life without Him. He is my life and that's what I live for. I have learned that track doesn't define me. My faith defines me. I'm running because I have been blessed with a gift."⁶

The Fiji sevens pray after their gold medal win.And what about the Fijian rugby sevens team who, after winning gold by beating Team GB in the final for their country's first ever Olympic medal, got down on their knees to praise and thank the Lord who is clearly first in their hearts!

As London vicar Andy Palmer⁷ put it, they were reflecting the attitude shown by Israel's King David in penning Psalm 104 that, whatever we achieve as humans, we are merely God's creation and he is far greater than us – he is the one to be praised!

So let's take inspiration from these Olympic heroes who understand that there is a bigger picture to our lives; that Jesus wants to win our hearts and a life lived without him is ultimately empty and meaningless.

Running for the Eternal Prize

The Apostle Paul was clearly familiar with the ancient Olympics, making several references to athletics in his letters to the early Christians. In a rebuke to the Galatians who had been deceived by false teaching, he scolds: "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?" (Gal 5:7).

To the Philippians, he encourages them to join him as he presses on "towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14).

To Timothy his protégé, he urges: "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Tim 4:7f).

And again to Timothy he declares: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing" (2 Tim 4:7f).

Whatever we achieve as humans, we are merely God's creation and he is far greater than us – he is the one to be praised!

Yes, there is a prize for which we can all strive, as St Paul reminds the Corinthians: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize" (1 Cor 9:24-27).

And in the letter to the Hebrews, we are urged to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross..." (Heb 12:2).

So we can learn from athletes of the necessity for strict training in our spiritual lives, because we are not running aimlessly, but for a crown that will last forever.

Personal Testimony

Having competed in many marathons, I have been hugely inspired by these scriptures over the years, encouraging me to keep going, and not give up, even though it hurts and the road ahead seems so long and arduous.

The only occasion I didn't finish a race – 'hitting a wall'⁸ after 22 miles in the 1972 Scottish Marathon – made me realise there was more to life than running, that God had a purpose and plan for my life. And within a week I had asked Jesus to be my Lord and Saviour.

I have never looked back. I see this as a picture of Britain, a nation that has been running away from God in a fruitless race to nowhere. But now, perhaps shaken up by the Brexit vote, we have finally run out of steam, leaving us in a position to once more consider the claims of the Jewish Messiah who has helped historically to make our country great.

The True Treasure

'Britain's golden age' was how one tabloid described our success at Rio. Perhaps that is stretching it too far, but if we shift our emphasis to a pursuit of discovering our true purpose instead of a relentless striving after earthly comfort and material benefits, there is a 'pot of gold'⁹ at the end of the rainbow, and it's found in the person of Jesus Christ, who said: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no-one comes to the Father except through me" (Jn 14:6).

Or, as a Jewish friend told me, Jesus is the only one who can take us to the finish line and award us the greatest medal of all – forgiveness of sin and eternal life!

Notes

1 We have been reminded, in a Christianity Today article by Steven Gertz, that the Olympics was lost to the world for 1,500 years after being outlawed by the Roman Emperor Theodosius in 393 AD for being too pagan. Not only did it involve gory violence and naked competitors, but pigs and bulls were sacrificed to pagan gods, to whom athletes swore allegiance (apparently Theodosius was strongly influenced by Bishop Ambrose of Milan). Alarmingly, the current Olympian anthem calls on an "ancient eternal spirit" – clearly with no connection to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – to bless its endeavours.

2 An Egyptian judo competitor was sent home after refusing to shake the hand of his Israeli rival Or Sasson, who went on to win a bronze medal – somewhat ironic as the two countries have been at peace for 37 years – and the Lebanese Olympic delegation was reprimanded after blocking Israeli athletes from entering a bus they were supposed to share.

3 The subject of the film Chariots of Fire, Liddell elected not to run his favoured race, the 100 metres, because the heats were held on a Sunday – the Lord's Day – and surprised everyone with his brilliant run in the longer event. He went on to preach the gospel in China and died prematurely in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. But his legacy lives on – ultimately his whole life was run as a race to complete the work to which Jesus had called him.

4 See Farley, H. Wayde van Niekerk glorifies God after winning men's 400m: 'JESUS DID IT'. Christianity Today, 15 August 2016.

5 See Allyson Felix – the golden girl acknowledges the true champion. Real Life Stories.

6 Ibid.

7 Rev Andy Palmer is vicar of St John's, Downshire Hill, in Hampstead.

8 An expression used by marathon runners to indicate complete inability to go any further.

9 According to the Bible, all believers can look forward to living in a city of pure gold (Rev 21:18).