FOUR CHRISTMAS PRESENCE

 
Watch the Christmas Story fit for a Queen:  Bethlehemian Rhapsody

December 24, 2011
 Christmas Eve
 Isaiah 52:7-12
 Matthew 1:18-21
 Luke 2:15b-20
 Galations 4:4-7

(prayer)

There was a time in the history of God’s people in the Bible that ancient Judah was at the mercy of an expanding empire. Okay that happened a few times. One of those times occurred about six hundred years before Jesus’ time.

From the time of King Saul, the southern Hebrew kingdom of Judah had run its own affairs, it had expanded its territories, created Jerusalem as a new central city and even built a magnificent temple in which to worship God.

All that came crashing down when from the watersheds of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the Babylonian Empire marched west and eyed the valuable trade routes in Judah that bridged Africa, Europe and Asia.

With a massive effort the Babylonians gained control: the political and religious leaders were deposed and sent off into exile. Landowners too were forced out. In the end, any citizen that held no worth to the empire was forced into refugee camps back in Babylon. As for Temple in Jerusalem, the very symbol of God’s presence – it was plundered of anything valuable and laid to ruin. For almost 400 years, the Temple had stood as a sign that God was with the people. Theologically, some of the more fundamentalist among the people came to believe that God actually physically dwelled in the temple. Now it was gone. Imagine how that felt.

You may know Psalm 137, written during this time: 1By the rivers of Babylon—there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. 2On the willows there we hung up our harps. 3For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ 4How could we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?

Imagine what a demoralizing devastating time it must have been.

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And yet it was into this time that the prophet spoke (words that we began our service with tonight): 7...The messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, ...says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’ 8Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the LORD to Zion. 9Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.

Words of hope that an end to the exile will come. Words that what has been taken apart can be rebuilt. Words that God IS present.

One of the gifts of the Christmas story is the presence of God. Solid as a rock!

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Mary’s pregnancy came as a surprise to her family. So much so, that the gospels hint that this embarrassing, young, unwed mother was sent off to live with a distant relative during the pregnancy. Be that as it may, it was perhaps a bigger surprise to Joseph, her fiancé. ‘She must have been unfaithful’ – that has to be what Joseph thought. He couldn’t marry her. It would be a scandal; it would be wrong. He had every right to publically disgrace her, but instead he chose to just end things quietly and move on with his life. But...one morning Joseph felt differently. For a moment, he thought he had dreamed about angels, but that’s just silly. Even so, Joseph felt at peace with Mary and about the baby she carried. The child was not a disgrace – this whole situation was a blessing. The child would change people’s lives, Joseph just knew that. The child would bring safety and salvation. In fact, Joseph decided then and there to name the baby (assuming it’s a boy) Yeshua (God Saves) – a name we have come to pronounce as Jesus.

One of the gifts of the Christmas story is the trusting presence of Joseph. Comforting like a pillow!

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Mary lay there quietly, with Jesus resting against her breast. I imagine, her looking down at him - at the miracle that every child is to her or his mother at that moment. She watched his little breaths; his small movements; his eyes opening and closing. And she was quiet. At least she was quiet on the outside. Inside, her mind raced.

She thought about the last year; the engagement to Joseph; that strange messenger, telling her she would bear God’s child; the controversy over her pregnancy; Joseph’s compassion and honour and trust. Now these shepherds, who she didn’t know, shared a similar message. Could this young baby, her baby – be that special?

If her child is the Messiah, God’s anointed, even God’s child alive on earth, things are going to change.

While the others talked about the wonder of the moment, Mary pondered the changes that were coming.

One of the gifts of the Christmas story is the pondering presence of Mary. Watching, reflecting and seeing things for how they were and might be! (mirror)

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And of course, the gift of gifts: the presence of the Christ. (manger and child).

Jesus, born of a woman, born into the reality of our existence and also Emmanuel – an old name that means “God-is-with-us”.

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Tomorrow, there will be countless numbers of presents opened – gifts exchanged – wrapping destined for the recycle bins.

Tonight – let us pledge to appreciate the presence of the holy in our midst. That we are not alone – that God is with us – known to us in Jesus – and alive within us always.

Amen.

**choir**