Heaven and Earth

Luke 2:1-35

Christmas is a collision of the heavenly and the earthly. God comes to us, packaged as a baby. The shepherds meet an angel who invites them to visit Mary and Joseph and then witness the armies of heaven as they praise and worship God for this glorious work of salvation and mighty attack against the forces of evil. Mary and Joseph are so thankful for their healthy baby boy. Still, as they bask in these moments as parents, they are reminded at every turn that their child is unique with an incredible purpose.

Even the location of Jesus' birth is a miraculous collision of these two worlds. Caesar, wanting to increase his tax revenues, burdens the people with his decree that everyone should be counted in their ancestral town. Yet God uses this earthly decree to fulfill prophecy. The Messiah is born in Bethlehem, the City of David. But, more than that, this town, just a few miles outside Jerusalem, is the place where the lambs sacrificed at the Passover are raised. The shepherds who care for these lambs are the men who met with the angels and the first who are invited to come meet the true Passover Lamb.

And Simeon’s message to Mary and Joseph is also true for us. Jesus is both a stumbling block and a joy. He is a sign through whom God’s message of salvation is clear, although many have and do oppose him. The deepest thoughts of our hearts are revealed in how we respond to Jesus. This great collision of heaven and earth occurs in our hearts, as we admit our sin before God and are invited to lay our sin on our Savior, this Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.