Among our family’s’ Christmas Eve Tradition is the recitation of Luke 2. I know of other families that read “The Night Before Christmas” or watch Linus recite the aforementioned birth narrative. Recently, I read of a family that reads selectively from authors like C.S Lewis. That intrigued me because I’ve always loved Lucy’s observation in the Narnia Series:
“Once in our world, a Stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.”
“The Last Battle”
C. S Lewis also touched on Christmas in other writings, here are just a few wonderful quotes pulled from his works:
“The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares for this, or exhibits this, or results from this.”
“Miracles”
“The birth of Christ is the central event in the history of earth — the very thing the whole story has been about.”
Interview
“In the Christian story, God descends to reascend. He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity; down further still, if embryologists are right, to recapitulate in the womb ancient and pre-human phases of life; down to the very roots and seabed of the Nature.”
“Miracles”
“The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who created the whole universe, became not only a man but (before that) a baby, and before that a foetus inside a woman’s body. If you want to get the hang of it, think how you would like to become a slug or a crab.”
“Mere Christianity”
“God could, had He pleased, have been incarnate in a man of iron nerves, the Stoic sort who lets no sigh escape Him. Of His great humility He chose to be incarnate in a man of delicate sensibilities who wept at the grave of Lazarus and sweated blood in Gethsemane.”
Personal Correspondence
But the one that jumped out at me here at the end of 2021, is this little note on a Psalm
“We find in our Prayer Book that Psalm 110 is one of those appointed for Christmas Day. We may at first be surprised by this. There is nothing in it about peace and goodwill, nothing remotely suggestive of the stable at Bethlehem. … The note is not ‘Peace and goodwill’ but ‘Beware. He’s coming’.”
“Reflections on the Psalms”
Tomorrow we adore the baby who came as the Lamb of God. I don’t know where the manger scene is at your house, but if tomorrow morning you if you happen to glance at it as you thank God for sending His Son. Take a second glance, up at the star or angel on top of the tree. Reflect on the fact that the Baby finished His work on earth the first time He was here, and He ascended! But He’s coming back, with the angels and through the stars, and He won’t be lamb-like this time. We needed a lamb to die for our sin, now we need a lion to put an end to sin’s dominion forever and ever!
….so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
Hebrews 9:28
My hope is that tomorrow, we’ll take joy in all that Christmas is and means, while also looking forward to that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ!!!
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Scott
Grace Notes 