A sixth grade class at Launceston Church Grammar School compiled questions for my visit.
Among questions such as: What does a bishop do? Why do people suffer? What animals do you have? came the question, Is God real?
The answer . . . “God is real, look at the baby Jesus!”
While the appearance of a baby does bring joy and hope, it may be hard for some to jump to, “Here you see God!” Yet, in this particular baby, the surprise baby for Mary and Joseph, we do see God. We see that God is real.
The story is told of an ant eater approaching a colony of ants and an ant loving passer-by desperately wanting to alert the ants. Ants don’t text or Facebook or Skype or speak and hear like the man. What could he do? Well, perhaps if he could become an ant he could communicate in ‘ant fashion’ and warn them? But even if he had this capacity to become ‘antlike’, would he do so? Would his love for ants bring forth such sacrifice?
The story of Christmas is the story of God who loved His wayward people so much that not only could He become in human form to save us, but He actually did come in human form: the baby Jesus.
The baby Jesus at Bethlehem is God, the real God, who chose to sacrifice His authority and power as the Being who made us, our Creator, to come and be with us, to communicate with us. This is the amazing good news of Christmas.
How do we know that the baby is God?
The prophets told of a coming Anointed One, the miracle of His virgin conception, His authority over sickness and death, His teaching like no other, His authority over nature and evil spirits, His death and resurrection. Jesus’ claims about His divinity were either of a mad man, a bad man or a divine man who was both fully human – and God with us.
In the crib at Bethlehem we see the miracle of God humbling Himself and taking on the form of a human being.
How do I know God is real?
I see God in the person and work of Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem.
How do we respond?
Mary, the mother of Jesus is our sure example. When confronted with the astounding news that she was to conceive and give birth to a son who will be called the Son of the Most High, Mary asked the angel, ‘How will this be since I am a virgin?’ and hears the unique and history changing words, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’
Mary’s response was in total obedience to God’s call on her life, ‘I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.’ (see Luke 1:31-38)
This Christmas let us join with Mary in affirming, ‘Yes, I am the Lord’s servant.’
Let us say ‘Yes!’ to the God who is real.
