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Unimaginable stories
BY CHRIS SCOTT • DIRECTOR, HIGHLAND LOGOS AND WORSHIP LEADER, MCDOWELL UMC
"But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.
"You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.
"For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian." (Isaiah 9:1-4)
On Dec. 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk, N.C. On their fifth attempt, the plane went for a 12-second flight.
Wilbur rushed to the local telegraph office and sent the following message: "We have flown for 23 seconds. We will be home for Christmas!"
Upon receiving the telegram their sister, Katherine, went to the newspaper office, told the editor of her brothers' new flying ma- chine, and informed him they would be home for Christmas, if he would like to set up an interview.
He told her that was nice, and he would be sure to put something in the paper regarding the boys.
On Dec. 19, the local paper placed the following headline on the sixth page: "Wright Brothers home for Christmas."
The most important story of the year - man's first flight - and the editor missed it!
I wonder if the same could be said about us when it comes to Christmas.
How many times have you heard the Christmas story?
Mary's unexpected pregnancy. Joseph's perplexity. Visits by angels. Caesar's tax. The trip to Bethlehem. Born in a stable. We've heard it many times.
C.S. Lewis said, "We don't need to be told new ideas so much as we need to be reminded of old truths."
I urge you to look at the Christmas story with fresh eyes, to put ourselves into the sandals of some of those first century people. And to imagine how utterly amazed they were at some of the events that took place. The ancients had been anticipating the coming of the Messiah for many years, and had it fixed in their minds exactly how His Kingdom would come, and what He and His Kingdom would be like ... But things did not happened as expected.
As a matter of fact, probably nothing the average Jewish person thought would happen actually did. There were many surprises in the Christmas story.
The people expected a mighty ruler coming in kingly purple robes, yet he came as a suffering servant, a man acquainted with sorrow. They expected a warrior, yet he came as a sacrifice.
What do you expect this Christmas? Are you looking for Christ in the season or are you unable to look outside your preconceptions?
Hear the story. The life of Jesus tells a story. His ancestry includes scandal, outsiders, and murders. Read it. Check out the backgrounds of some of these folks.
At the opening to the book of Matthew at the beginning of the New Testament, the writer tells it as God's story. Matthew links us with God's story. Matthew's genealogy says the Messiah is birthed out of longing, out of the pain of women, out of our need to be saved.
And when I read the Christmas story I pray, "Come Emmanuel, come to your people, come and set us free."
The birth of Christ is a promise. God's promise to be with us. The story of the great lengths he goes to be with us.
I urge you to get caught up in the story again. Get caught up in the call of Christ through the story.
Come to the manger and see the Christ child. Invite him in. Commit to him.
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