Where are you Christmas?

Tonight, Dec. 24, 2020, I sat watching Jim Carrey's The Grinch. Now if you know anything about the Grinch you know that he's a Who, that at some point early in his life was treated badly and that is why he's the Grinch. He doesn't believe that he is worthy of love, and that makes the Grinch terribly sad and makes it to where he doesn't believe anyone else should enjoy Christmas either. 

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the story, the Grinch is a mean-spirited Christmas hater who lives at the top of Mount Crumpit with his dog Max. Every year, however, his home gets flooded with trash from Whoville’s Christmas celebrations. This further adds to his hatred for the holiday. The story goes that the Grinch first moves to Mount Crumpit as a kid. After decades of receiving the town’s abandoned gifts and trash, he returns to Whoville for the Cheermeister celebration. Add to the story a young who that is questioning Christmas, 

Oh, hmm
Where are you Christmas
Why can't I find you
Why have you gone away
Where is the laughter
You used to bring me
Why can't I hear music play

My world is changing
I'm rearranging
Does that mean Christmas changes too

Where are you Christmas
Do you remember
The one you used to know
I'm not the same one
See what the time's done
Is that why you have let me go

Needless to say the Grinch sweeps down and manages to steal all the presents from the families of Whoville, and in the next scene the Grinch thinks he's won; he's stolen all the Whos' presents and decorations—even their Christmas food! But here's the kicker: the Whos down in Whoville are having Christmas, presents or not.

Dr. Suess writes "He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought...doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps...means a little bit more!"  When the Grinch sees that, he has an epiphany. Maybe the holiday spirit really can conquer all.

So this year, I want to encourage you to think about the true meaning of Christmas. Not the gifts under the tree, but what Christmas truly means. 

 

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Christmas Prayer: O God, who makest us glad by the yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

 

ADVENT 2019: NAME 1: IMMANUEL

Advent is probably one of my favorite seasons. It's a time for preparation, and anticipation. This year is no different. I decided though to spend my time writing a short devotion that is dedicated to Jesus and the Names that we have given our Savior in the Bible. The First name I chose goes with the candle that we will be lighting today: the PROPHECY name of IMMANUEL. 

Isaiah told King Ahaz to give him a sign. Yet Ahaz would refuse to request a sign, the prophet said that God would give him one anyway. And He did. Isaiah 7:14 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

What I love is the fact that this verse starts with the simple word "Therefore." I love it because it signals the fact that even though we can say "I am (or will) not.." God can and often will say "You can't change my mind. Let me show you what I can do." 

The next part of the verse that is significant is "Will give you a sign." "Signs" were of various kinds. They might be actual miracles performed to attest a Divine commission (Exod. 4:3–9); or judgments of God, significative of his power and justice (Exod. 10:2); or memorials of something in the past (Exod. 13:9, 16); or pledges of something still future. Signs of this last-mentioned kind might be miracles (Judg. 6:36–40; 2 Kings 20:8–11), or prophetic announcements (Exod. 3:12; 1 Sam. 2:34; 2 Kings 19:29). These last would only have the effect of signs on those who witnessed their accomplishment. (1)

Without spending too much time, on Mary, because let's be real, Advent is about preparing our hearts for the coming Messiah, I would be amiss not to mention Mary. Strictly speaking the word means a young woman of marriageable age. Logic demands one of two options. The almah must be either (1) an unmarried immoral woman; or (2) a virgin. The birth of a child by an unmarried woman is so common it could not be a “sign.” For this reason the Greek translators, long before the time of Christ, correctly determined that only the word parthenos (virgin) was a suitable translation for almah in this context. (2)

His name is not a mere appellation, which neither Isaiah’s son nor Jesus Christ bore literally; but what describes His manifested attributes; His character (so Is 9:6). The name in its proper destination was not arbitrary, but characteristic of the individual; sin destroyed the faculty of perceiving the internal being; hence the severance now between the name and the character; in the case of Jesus Christ and many in Scripture, the Holy Ghost has supplied this want [Olshausen].(3) 

While the name has come to mean "God with us," it should be better understood as "WITH US is God!" To you this may not be significant, but in understanding the name as this, we are able to capture the awe, and wonder of the incarnation, and the fact that the God of the universe, the creator of all things created, came to become one with us.

How undeserving are we that the king of the universe would leave His place in the heaven to join us in the human experience. So as we prepare our hearts for the coming Messiah, let us remember we are not deserving of such an experience; and that it is only through God's desire to relate to us and to be in relationship with us that we are given this child. 

Bibliography: *Accessed from Logos Bible Software*

(1) H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Isaiah, vol. 1, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1910), 127.

(2) James E. Smith, The Major Prophets, Old Testament Survey Series (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1992), Is 7:10–16.

(3) Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 437.