Advent: The Mess is the Message - Wednesday, December 18
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Titus 3:4-6
A recent study reported that each Christmas, we throw away enough wrapping paper to cover 45,000 football fields. Regardless of how you feel about the trash, one thing is sure: Christmas involves a lot of cleaning up!
In many ways, we have cleaned up the Christmas story. We imagine a cute little baby surrounded by the scent of pine trees and cinnamon. The father and reverent onlookers gaze in wonder at the child. It is a romantic vision!
But the Bible’s version of Christmas tells a different story. A census in Bethlehem has left the little town flooded with people. Mary’s baby is wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed, not in a cradle, but in the animals feeding trough. The smells that surround the baby are donkeys and straw. The first Christmas was a mess.
But the mess is the message. Christ came into a world that was a mess, a world soiled by sin and rebellion. The son of God came into that mess to bring forgiveness, salvation, and hope.
Jesus fulfilled God’s will. Yet, he was condemned and crucified. Nailed to a cross, the smells surrounding him were sweat and sour wine. He suffered and died. His body was wrapped in strips of linen and laid in a tomb. Three days later, his first disciples found a mess. Strips of linen were lying in the middle of an empty grave. The mess was the message. Jesus was not dead. He had risen!
The mess is the message in our lives, too. This season is often as much a season for short tempers, greed, and quarreling as it is for peace and goodwill toward men.
We need God to rescue us, and He has! The Son of God humbles himself by being born into a mess to save those who have messed up lives. He has come, and he has saved us!
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of Jesus. Thank you that in the midst of a world filled with brokenness and sin, you sent your Son. By his birth, life, death, and resurrection, we have forgiveness, life, and hope. Help us to reflect your love and share your story. Amen.