In Chapter 2 Yancey looks at the birth of Jesus, trying to imagine it from various viewpoints. But what stands out the most to me is the contrast he draws between what we put on our Christmas cards today and what that first Christmas was really like. The gritty, dangerous, uncertain, and very messy way God entered creation was no accident. It was chosen. And it was chosen for very specific reasons, because God does not do happenstance or accidental. But we are pretty much left to wonder about these reasons. What does it mean that God would enter His own creation in such a way?
Humble, Approachable, Underdog, Courageous are the words Yancey chooses to describe how God entered the world He created.
Have you ever wondered what it says about the character of God that He chose such a messy way to enter the world? That He chose for His entrance to be so humiliating for two teenagers? That He chose a stable? That He chose the cold? That He chose a time period that was so primitive? A family that was so poor? That He chose to bypass literally all the advantages of history, power, privilege, geography, technology, wealth, and prestige to enter the world the way He did?
I can only assume that He was making a huge point about the desire of His heart to communicate to me and to you how much we are worth to Him. How far he is willing to go. How much He is willing to endure. That no cost is too high for Him to pay to have relationship with me and with you.
I also think He wants us to realize that all these things we hold so dear are really so unimportant. Wealth, and reputation, and power, and comfort are all overrated and probably unhealthy as well.
But mostly, I think He wanted a story that would be like no other. One that simply had to be told. One almost impossible to believe.
Why do you think God chose such a way to enter His creation? And what should that mean to you personally? And what does that mean to you personally?
God bless
coach
I really liked this chapter. It definitely made me think about Jesus' birth in a different way. I thought it was neat to think about how embarrassing it was for Mary and Joseph, and especially about the fact that Jesus was a refugee! Wow! I guess one thing that came to mind for me was that this previewed the type of people that Jesus would associate with and the type of people he would love! I mean when we look at Jesus' life he was at parties with cheaters, and talking with prostitutes. He didn't like the guys on their high horses, who thought they were good enough. This makes me think about the type of people that Jesus wants us to hang out with. He wants us to love and reach out to the refugees (like Him), and the teens with unplanned pregnancies (like Mary). He hung out with them and loved them, and so we should too. That is something that is really easy to say, but really hard to do. I also liked the idea that our earth is this tiny, dirty, little, nothing planet, but we are so amazingly loved that he shrunk himself enough to be confined by every aspect of it (time, pain etc.) It's hard for me, personally, to remember that, but it is really neat because it is a huge display of God's love. So yep, it's pretty cool to think about how much Jesus' birth says about who he is and how he feels about us 2,000 years later.
ReplyDeleteI’d say one reason is so that God can show the world his own humility. If we didn’t get how humiliated, low, and disgusting the God of the Universe had to become in order to make himself any kind of human (even if he had become an earthy king, or wealthy priest etc.) we might get that Jesus, (God) who at least deserved to be an earthly king, was poor, and undignified. I liked what Yancey said about God leaving no room for being blamed for “playing favorites.”
ReplyDeleteAlso, this way people know that Jesus endured the lowest of human experience. It’s like on all of my college tours, people could say that I didn’t get a true feel for a college if the tour only showed me the best dorms, the best classrooms, and introduced me to the best teachers.
I guess that should make me realize the vastness of God’s love for me, and I guess it does, I have just heard about it so much in Christian society that it seems dry. “God loves you so much that he became human to be with you” Every so often when it’s explained ‘just so’ and it seems more meaningful, but I see God’s love for me better through the cross and how he interacts with me now, rather than through how he came into the world.
It does seem weird to me that God would choose to reveal himself in a time period and situation like that. If I were him, I would probably reveal my glory like the Israelites thought Jesus would: with crown, flaming horse, told-you-so facial expression etc... and if I did choose a humble birth I would probably choose to do it at a less tumultuous time in a less tumultuous region, because I would be worried that my sacrifice might go by unnoticed. If I was God, and I became a man and died for sins, and then everybody forgot about it because of all the chaos of the time period, that would be a bummer. Fortunately for us all, I'm not God. And I guess the unlikeliness of Jesus' story surviving to today is nothing short of a miracle, and shows the Spirit's power like crazy. The fact that despite being born into a tiny region to a tiny people in a violent time period God shines through is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI really find it amazing how humble Jesus is. When i think about how low and disgusting of creatures we are, and yet we are continually puffing ourselves up and wanting the world to see how amazing we are. When Jesus, the only Son of GOD, who created us, and sustains us, and is the ONLY reason we are here, came to earth messy, in the scared arms of a teenager, without the notice of anyone but some shephards and wise men. There was no trumpets, no party, nothing to point out the coming of the Savior of the world. But at the same time there was. In the heavens the angels proclaimed him to the shephards and shouted his glory across the skies.
ReplyDeleteThis is sort of a rabbit trail, but has anyone else ever wondered how no one else noticed the extreme expanse of angels in the dark night sky? I guess God could have made it so that they were only revealed to the shephards.
Back to the question at hand, in my life Jesus' humble beginnings express his love for us. How easy would it be for us to relate to a King? There would be no sense of him knowing exactly how we feel and having experienced everything we have. By coming to earth as a humble baby in a stable, Jesus allows us to see him.
Post from Zack Cousins
ReplyDeleteCoach-
For some reason the "Post a Comment" link won't work for me. so here's my post if you could repost it for me:
I think that Jesus chose this way to humble himself in the eyes of the people. Other God's put themselves above their believers. Jesus chose to come in such a way that brought him down to the lowest level of society. He wasn't born in a wealthy Jewish leader's home, but in a stable with cow poop.
He used this to display his willingness to meet us on our level. to come to God we need no ceremonial cleansing or bathing, just US. I think he also continued this throughout his ministry. He hung out with the rejects: tax collectors and prostitutes. There was no class barrier. He wasn't concerned with what people thought of him.
I think it was a theme for him that underscored his ministry. He didn't come for the healthy, but the sick.
For me, Jesus' entrance into the world is a humbling thing for me. Cause when I was little God didn't seem like this all powerful man in the sky, but he wasn't like a low member of society either. I also pictured him as an average joe. But when ready about his birth story I realize that he was much more than an average joe. By coming to earth Jesus stands up from his throne in heaven and choose to come and interact with me personally. And better yet, he enters the world in one of the most humiliating ways possible. It's such an awesome picture of humility I should daily be giving up my image of myself, and my shrine to me, to God. Giving him all the glory not only with my words but with my actions. But too often I don't. Instead, I become consumed with day to day life and forget whom is at the root, and should be at the center, of my life.
ReplyDeleteEven though this is kind of broken-recordy at this point, I have to admire Jesus' amazing humility. That he would come to earth at all shows his vast love- but to arrive the way he did, in essentially the worst possible way I think brings it more into perspective for me personally. Again, pretty much all of this has already been said, but I feel like Jesus' lowering himself into the worst situation imaginable just for the sake of my life really shows me my value in his eyes, which makes spending my life on worldly things feel wasteful of the great prize Jesus has given me. But, for some reason, I still find myself doing exactly that. Wasting this life for which Jesus has paid so large a price. I am owned by Jesus and should therefore live my life the way he commands. It's frustrating, then, to still have the selfish tendency to live my life the way I want. It feels like letting Jesus down.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty overwhelming how humble God is and that He loves us so much that He would go to such unextravagant ends to save us. (Does that make sense?)It's pretty humbling and it should prompt me to stake my life more on the things of God than comfort/money/popularity/stuff like that. I feel alot like Spencer said. I'm frustrated at the fact that I often choose my own way of living over God's way, even though I know God's way is infinitely better and more worthwhile. And yet I still keep choosing my own way instead. Sometimes I feel like the guy in the wheelchair from Dr Strangelove, who is tormented and choked by his own arm, which has a mind of its own. It's like I'm constantly betraying/being betrayed by myself when I betray God. Its infuriating.
ReplyDeleteWooo long comment, here goes...
ReplyDeleteSo yeah, in an attempt to not repeat everything everyone else has said (because they're all right and I agree with them all) I'll go a different route and see what happens. Another reason God chose to enter creation in such an unpretentious (thank you, thesaurus.com) way was because that’s just the way He works. He went with the most unlikely, convoluted-yet-still-fulfilling-prophecy way possible. He’s just so unpredictable, even when He tells you what He’s going to do. So what should this mean to me personally? Uh, well, to not get comfortable with God? Because you/one can’t. You just never know what He’s got up His sleeve. He doesn’t change, but He doesn’t really do the same thing twice so much. Like with the whole hitting the rock with the staff to make water come out thing, it worked once, and then they did it again and got in big trouble. So sure, God may answer a prayer one way one time, but don’t expect Him to have to do it the same way next time you’re in the same situation. God likes routine and order, but He definitely likes to spice things up a bit too. And what does this mean to me personally? Well, just that. Like, I’ve never really thought through this before, so what it should mean to me and what it actually means to me are basically the same I guess. Except for that I totally do get comfortable with God, and like don’t progress in my relationship with Him just because I’m lazy and get content with where we are, but I really shouldn’t. Because there’s still so much to learn. I’ll never fully figure Him out, but I might as well try, because in the process I’ll still figure out a whole lot of other useful stuff about Him and everything else.
cool thoughts so far guys!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I think it's impossible for me not to repeat everything everybody else already said so I'm just going to go ahead and repeat it anyway. I agree with everything everybody said. It's so incredibly humbling to think that God, the most brilliant being in and outside of existance, would be born in such a way that He was. Personally, I can barely grasp the fact that He loved(and still loves) me enough to have done that. I think He chose to be born that way so we can relate to Him more. I think it was to try to make people think God was more atainable(not exactly the right way to say that)versus Him being born in a higher position which might make Him seem out of "the common peoples" reach. Well, I hope that answers the questions. Sorry if that was confusing.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling so horribly repetitive because everyone else already said that they didn't want to be repetitive about the blog. and now i'm repetitive about both of those. Its weird that i always imagine a "taking the world by storm" event (that jesus pulled off with such finesse)with the four horsemen. I'd imagine that if you wanted to get the world to notice you, that fear would be easiest. And it most definitely would be. And God could have done that, more people would be christian, just out of fear, but then establishing a relationship would be really, REALLY hard. Imagining that God just offed anyone that dissagreed with him, thenn getting to know him would be like a coffee date with Hitler (he was doing God's work, right?) I guess as much as i wish that God had just made it easier on all of us so we didn't have to spread the word (awkward situations anyone?) I'm so glad that the way he did it allowed for a relationship.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter discussed an idea that lots of preachers talk about at Christmastime. I think about it a lot at Christmas. It always blows my mind that the great, powerful, awesome God of the Universe chose to confine himself to a limited human body and not only that, but to be born into that low, dirty, poor situation, surrounded by low, dirty, poor people in a very unpleasant time in history. Of course God chose all this very particularly--it was no random "well this works well enough" incident. Everything God does has infinite layering, being simple enough for a child and way too deep for a great theologian. Since everyone has already touched on some of the reasons, (which I agree with) I'll just add another. The reason that stands out most to me, because it impacts me personally, is that it was another way of showing his love for us. Even being a king or an emperor in this world would be a huge step down for him, but he wanted to prove he was going all out for us. It's similar to the scene of the cross in that he endured all the pain and shame to save us, even though a powerful God could have easily zapped all the people who were beating him or everyone who had cast the vote of "crucify!" But he didn't. He spared no expense. Not at the cross, and not in his birth. He loves us all enough to come to this dirty little planet and be born in a stable to an unmarried girl surrounded by animals and stinky shepherds, to save us. I just think that's awesome. And even though I think about it a lot at Chritmastime, I think it's something we should think about a lot more often, because it's awesome.
ReplyDeleteI think it's pretty awesome how Jesus came into the world. and even lived on the world so humbley. and he died in the most terrible way possible for our sins as a sacrafice! but if he had come into the world as say a Roman they wouldn't have ever cruicified him. and I think that no other, except his own people would've rejected him and even had him killed. But honestly. But I feel like, to spite God being the highest of highest, he didn't have to be a big deal on the earth. Or really anything more than just a simple man. Totally huble in every aspect of the course of his life. I feel like he could do this because he didn't need to express his authority on earth. He is God and he has all the control and all the power. But he chooses not to express it. Because he really doesn't have to.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of Jesus' birth and reasons why He came in such a way, it draws me to what went on before His birth. My mind goes back to the Trinity before man was created, and while the following conversation did not probably occur, I believe something of the sorts probably did.
ReplyDeleteIn light of which, I can picture the Father asking Jesus," Jesus, if We make man, You know that they are going to outrageously blow it and have to be rescued? Do You realize that You will have to leave this eternal bliss that is enveloped in perfect joys and pleasures, spill Your blood on an old, rugged tree and still have multitudes of them spit in Your face and reject You?" Then I picture Jesus as saying," Yes, Father, I know. But I am so passionate about them, I want them as My inheritance forever. I want them to be the vessels that I can lavish My God-sized love upon, and so I disregard the temporary shame of the cross in light of the joy that is set before Me." Then, I picture the time of Jesus' birth on the earth as approaching, and the Father saying," Jesus, the time is approaching within minutes, are You sure You want to do this?" Then I imagine Jesus replying," It hasn't even crossed My mind to step down. I am resolved. I am jealous with desire for them to be with Me."
Of course, that little narrative is an inadequate analogy, but it still manages to make me think of Jesus as being possessed by passion for us by coming to earth as He did. I mean, He traded His robe and mansion for a diaper and a stall. For me, that really speaks of how much He values us. I don't think I could name a price for heaven, but He traded that AND His life for us!?!? That's bizarre!
Of course, it's also pretty humbling, especially when I think about all my screw-ups, yet He still went through with it. Which brings me to think about the quality of my love for other people...Will I still love and value them even in the midst of their weaknesses, confusions, and failures or will I slander and reject them?
Also, in light of fully knowing all it would cost Him, He still chose it...and by seeing a God who is lovesick to the point that He is willing to die for my mistakes, just so I can be with Him forever, well, it sparks passion in me...to the point that I really really Really want to be a student of His heart, both to know and understand Him, both now and forever.
Zack writes...
ReplyDeleteLet's take an example from the government. Whenever they try to force something onto their people, does it ever end up going well? As humans, we don't like to be forced into things. We're so proud that we think we deserve our free will. When, in actuality, we deserve nothing. It's God's gift to us. He loves us so much, he would rather see genuine love in us when we CHOOSE him, than forced love.
I'm sure this has all been said, seeing as I'm posting super late.....