In my last teaching letter, I wrote that God wants us to look back to those things he has done, forward to the things he has promised to do, and up to what he is doing now. Looking backwards is very natural at Christmas season. We look back to the time when God's rescue plan for mankind took a giant step forward.

Only two of the four gospels describe the events of Christmas, albeit fairly briefly, whereas all four describe the events of Easter extensively. From this we may conclude that while Christmas is important, Easter is even more important! But, what do we learn from the Christmas stories that can encourage us, strengthen us and feed our souls?

Matthew's gospel describes the birth of Jesus as the fulfilment of God's promises to the Jewish people. Jesus family tree begins with Abraham (Matthew 1:2). This reminds us that God's rescue plan began with a threefold promise to Abraham of descendants, land and blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:1-3). Christmas reminds us that GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES! He has his own timetable and sometimes he does things in a different way to our expectations, but what he says, he does. Human promises are at best sincere declarations of intention. But because we are not in control of all circumstances and because our knowledge is limited, sometimes we are unable to keep our promises even with the best of intentions. Not so with God.

It is Matthew who links Jesus to Isaiah's prophecy Emmanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14). This was a stepping-stone to the understanding that Jesus was in fact both God and man. In Jesus, God entered our broken and messy world. He knows precisely what it is to be human, to be despised and rejected. When we pray to God through Jesus, our great high priest, we know that he TOTALLY UNDERSTANDS OUR SITUATION.

Luke wrote his gospel for Gentiles. His genealogy of Jesus goes all the way back to Adam (Luke 3:23 - 38). He has all mankind in view. It is likely that Theophilus was a Roman convert to Christianity (Luke 1:1-4). It seems that Luke who researched his gospel very thoroughly before writing it, had spoken with Mary the mother of Jesus. Mary would have told him about the visit of Elizabeth and the birth of Jesus' cousin John. She would have mentioned the incident of the boy Jesus in the temple and how he was left behind. She would have had very vivid memories of the journey to Bethlehem from Nazareth, the manger, the visit of the shepherds. Luke anchors the birth of Jesus into contemporary history. These are real events involving real people like Caesar Augustus, the Roman emperor, and Quirinius, the governor of Syria. He explains how it was that a woman whose home was in Nazareth had her baby in Bethlehem. THESE ARE REAL EVENTS. This is not fiction. IT REALLY HAPPENED!

And Luke records three beautiful prophetic songs (Luke 1:46, 1:67, 2:29), one by Mary, another by John the Baptist's father Zechariah, and a third by Simeon (an elderly intercessor, who under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit explained the significance of what God was doing through these two births).

• GOD WAS SHOWING MERCY TO THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
• HE WAS FILLING THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS.
• HE WAS RAISING UP A HORN OF SALVATION.
• HE WAS KEEPING HIS COVENANT.
• HE WAS BRINGING LIGHT INTO THE DARKNESS.
• SALVATION FOR THE GENTILES.

Luke was keen to show us that God is merciful to those who know they need God's mercy. God feeds those who are hungry not those who are satisfied. God rescues people who know they need rescuing. He lifts up the humble. He brings light to people who are in darkness. GOD IS A GOD WHO REVERSES THINGS. That is why Jesus was born as a helpless babe. AND GOD'S WAY OF REVERSING THINGS is NOT LIKE MAN'S WAY. It begins in a straw filled manger not a palace.

Mark, by contrast, totally passes over Christmas! His is a fast-paced gospel beginning with Jesus' public ministry announced by John. Lots of action, dramatic works of power, teaching mostly in parables needed explaining to his disciples, growing opposition and rejection leading to the crucifixion. Mark was concerned with the identity of Jesus, but in a rather cryptic way. He was not concerned to step back and paint the background. His was the first gospel to be written and it was left to Matthew and Luke to expand and fill out the picture.

John also ignores the Christmas event. He is more concerned to establish Jesus' heavenly credentials. He begins with Jesus, as the Word. Here is someone who was present with God at the beginning of creation. 'In the beginning...' echoing God's creative activity in Genesis (John 1:1). By him all things were made. Here is the man from heaven who stepped into the world for a season. John has other important things to say. And yet, John does not ignore Christmas truth. He portrays Jesus as fully human. He records Jesus getting tired and thirsty and asking a woman at a well for water (John 4:1-45). He records Jesus weeping on hearing that his friend Lazarus had died (John 11:35).  He records Jesus, as the oldest son passing the care of his mother to his disciple John, who took him to his own home (John 20:26-27). So, he fills out the picture of the incarnation, (Jesus becoming flesh and blood like us), with specific examples. JESUS IS NOT JUST HUMAN HE IS FULLY HUMAN. And if he came into our world and became like us, then as we are connected to him (as in the picture of the vine) (John 15:1-17).  John wants us to know that WE CAN SHARE HIS HEAVENLY LIFE. 

John wants us to move beyond the manger to the all-sufficient saviour. He wants us to move beyond Christmas to Easter and indeed beyond Easter to the glorified Lord who imparts his Life to those who BELIEVE (trust) in Him (John 20:30-31). 

So, Christmas is a hugely important essential step in God's rescue plan. We celebrate it. We marvel at God's grace. We are in awe of Jesus who became flesh and lived among us. But Jesus is no longer in the manger. He is risen, ascended and Lord of all. And like the angels, we serve and worship Him.

Chris Moffett