Inspire, Fall/Winter 2009

44 FALL/WINTER 2009 pres ident ’s perspect i ve “It’s me!” Her words caught me by surprise. The woman on stage for the Christmas program had just asked the Christian pop-culture question: What is the reason for the season? I was expecting — as was everyone else in the audience — for her to say, “Jesus!” But instead she cried, “It’s me!” “Such arrogance!” I thought. We’ve all seen the bumper stickers and the roadside billboards that remind us “Jesus is the reason for the season.” What was she thinking? But the more she talked about the awesome realities behind the Christmas story, the more I began to think she was on to something. After all, the angel proclaimed on the night of Jesus’ birth, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). We have embraced “Jesus is the reason for the season” as a tagline to counter the consumerization and secularization of the Christmas season. Although this may be a helpful reminder for us, we also need to recognize that the angelic celebration did not merely announce that God became a man but how and why He became a man. When God chose to walk among humanity, He presented the most captivating drama to be played out in history. Author Dorothy Sayers chided Christians for getting so used to God’s story that they grew bored with the spectacular reality of His presence. Lest there be any confusion, God made certain we understood that Jesus is indeed Immanuel, “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). Jesus came into the world in the usual way. Far from a sterile, painless, holy appearance, Mary suffered the agonies of childbirth and the joys of delivery. Don’t dismiss this incredible picture. Jesus was born — born ! — just as you and I were born. He wasn’t transported, translated, transformed, or beamed down. He was born as a baby, a human being. An angel spoke to Joseph in a dream to reassure him about Mary’s unexplainable pregnancy. The baby, the angel said, “will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). This is why He came. Another angel (maybe the same one) summed it all up in one profound statement to, of all people, the humble shepherds in the field: “A Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). More than a one-act play, the birth of Jesus represents the beginning of something — something violent and beautiful, mysterious and meaningful. The Creator God became a man so He could suffer a humiliating death to pay for the sins of the world. For our sins. So maybe it’s not so wrong to say the reason for the season is … us. We Are the Reason by Dr. William E. Brown Dr. Brown’s Top Picks ■ Book One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life by Kerry and Chris Shook Would you live differently if you knew you only had 30 days to live? Why not live that way all the time? This book is great for a group study and accountability. ■ Website www.crosswalk.com Crosswalk is one of the best-known sites for practical Christian thinking and living. Sign up for daily or weekly e-mails on news, persecution, family, and more. ■ Podcast The Coolest Stuff on the Planet Free on iTunes, this weekly podcast shows you incredible places around the world. Each episode is about five minutes long. You must watch it to appreciate it! ■ Movie Marty (1955) In this Oscar-winning film, Ernest Borgnine plays a butcher from the Bronx who meets a lonely schoolteacher. It offers sweet yet profound commentary on valuing individuals for who they are, not how they look.