Often times nowadays when we want to tell a great story we embellish the details, don’t we? We don’t lie, but what is good we really emphasise, and what is not so great, we don’t spend much time on. For example, in coming home from the gym to tell anyone that will listen that I have set a new PR I won’t tell of the warmup, the lightweight sets, the stretches, the chalk on my hands…only the ginormous weight I lifted off the floor just once. No lies, but more time spent on what I want to share and less time on the details that I feel can be left out.
In Luke 2.7, the simplicity of the birth of Jesus is said in just 8 words (Luke actually used even less in his original Greek writing),
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son…”
“καὶ ἔτεκε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον…”
There is no need for embellishment, there is no need for extra details to be overemphasised, there is no need for unneeded words:
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son…”
The first three-quarters of the Bible have been looking forward to this date.
The opening of Luke has dealt with events leading up to this date.
The first few millennia of the earth, since the promise of Genesis 3.15 was given, have been looking forward to this date.
THERE IS NO NEED TO ADD TO THE SIMPLICITY OF THE WONDERFUL EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE THAT NIGHT.
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son…”
We know they changed the course of human history.
We know this is when an all-powerful creator God pierced the space- time continuum and took up residence among us.
We know that this moment is the beginning of a point in history from which much of the Western world would begin to orbit (whether they know it or acknowledge it or not).
We know that this is how the majority of the world measures time: years before this date and year since.
We know.
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son…”
As we move through this Christmas season day by day, it is easy to fall prey to the trappings and temptations of the season;
one more of those…
buying that extra…
eating/drinking just one more…
Really though, the simplicity of the account of Luke gives us a model for the season: truth first.
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son…”
Truth first: Christmas is about the birth of Jesus.
Enjoy the accompaniments to this time of year, for sure, but always keeping the simplicity of the wondrous events of that night first and foremost.
James Travis 