Advent Week 2; Peace & Place
One of the things that has made the Christmas season richer for me is finding new Christmas music. New songs. Old songs new ways. Music, much like a great book, has always gripped my heart in ways a sermon or other verbal communication doesn’t. I’m going to share a few thoughts and some of the music inspiring me this Christmas season. I hope you have time to listen, but if not I hope the thoughts will point your heart in a good direction.
This week, our first video is a unique Christmas song. But I think it might be Nic’s absolute favorite. There is an actual music video that is a modern representation of the Christ-child being born into a world riddled with occupation and conflict, but I know it might be bit much for some of you. If you can handle mild war violence, you can go here to see it.
Excerpt from Psalm 89 (Feel free to skip this and just read the whole thing!
1I will sing forever of Yahweh’s acts of loyal love.
From generation to generation[b]
I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.
2 For I say, “Forever your loyal love is built up.
The heavens you have established with your faithfulness in them.”
3 “I made a covenant with my chosen one;
I swore an oath to David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your descendants forever,
and I will build up your throne from generation to generation.’”[c] Selah
5 And so the heavens will praise your wonderful deed, O Yahweh,
even your faithfulness, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the sky[d] is equal to Yahweh?
Who is like Yahweh among the sons of God,
7 a God feared greatly in the council of the holy ones,
and awesome above all surrounding him?
8 O Yahweh God of hosts,
who is mighty like you, O Yah,
with[e] your faithfulness surrounding you?
20 I have found David, my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him,
21 with whom my hand will be steadfast.
Surely my arm will strengthen him.
22 The enemy will not deceive him,
and no evil man[m] will afflict him.
23 But I will crush his adversaries before him,
and I will strike those who hate him.
24 And so my faithfulness
and my loyal love will be with him,
and in my name his horn will rise up.
25 And I will set his hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27 I will also make him the firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
Although advent devotionals often assign week two the theme of peace, this idea stems from the traditional theme of Bethlehem or lighting the “Bethlehem candle” in honor of the place that peace on earth was declared. So in addition to discussing peace this week, I’d like to talk about place. We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, the City of David, to poorish parents. Last week we discussed the culture he was born into and how the Roman-occupied Jews would have anticipated the coming of their King. But I want to peel back another layer for a moment. We’ll come back to the concept of visible place; let’s chat about the unseen realm.
All of heaven and hell and everywhere else knew that God had a plan. Angels and demons alike must have been on the watch for the Messiah. I can’t help but wonder about all the people that claimed to be the Christ before Jesus. Did the Adversary look at them and know right away they weren’t the guys? Did demons even waste time persecuting the imposters, or did they give their nod of approval and move on? I’d just love to know the whole atmosphere!
Some of you know I’m a Heiser fan. Before listening to Dr. Michael S. Heiser, I grew up imagining a couple handfuls of angels, and fewer demons. Intellectually I knew that’s not how it was, but I rarely heard about anything more. In fact, when the heavenly host came and proclaimed “Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth and goodwill toward all men,” I kind of wondered where God mustered up all of those angels. Go ahead, laugh. I’m with you. It sounds ridiculous. But at the time very few were teaching otherwise. I’m glad Bible teachers are growing brave enough to touch the hard scriptures.
So we have a supernatural stage with massive forces, good and bad. And everyone has their eye out for the lynchpin— the Messiah. Suddenly, angels come and blast his coming in Bethlehem. It’s a wonder that Paul, in Colossians, refers to the mystery of Christ that was predestined before the ages but hidden from everyone. An innumerable angelic flash mob doesn’t seem very secretive. So why and what was the secret? It was that Jesus didn’t come to rule on earth yet, but to save with his life, death and resurrection. He subdued death through death and this is where God kept his secret. Because otherwise, the rulers would not have crucified Jesus.
Back to the flash mob and the unseen political atmosphere. Maybe you’ve read War for Mansoul by Paul Bunyan or Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis, and you can easily picture with me an evil version of the divine council. Satan and his associates are around a massive table with furrowed brows. “Alright, boys. He’s here. Pitch me your best plans.”
“Tempt him! Turn him!” One shouts.
“Make him one of ours!”
But the Adversary remains nervously unconvinced.
From the far end of the table someone puts forth, “He’s just a human, a baby right now even. Let’s just kill him.”
”I believe we have our plan A and our plan B.” The Satan says, but a look of concern still veils his hideous face.
I don’t know how it actually was at Jesus’ birth. But I do know that this place, the physical and spiritual worlds were rocked by his arrival. Some scholars have even attempted to backdate the constellations and have found remarkable evidence for astronomical events near the time of Jesus. Native American tribes tell stories of an angel appearing and declaring Jesus to them! And what did he bring to this place? Peace on earth and goodwill to mankind.
If you know me, you know I can struggle with contentment regarding place. Call it wanderlust or free-spiritedness, it is what it is. As a child, our family’s best months were during the “fresh starts” we got when we moved with the military. Somewhere in my brain, there’s a neural pathway that screams change leads to happiness. Well, during my recent mental escapade of trying to move us to the upper peninsula, Michigan, (I know, I know) our folk song convicted my heart and reminded me that I can stay if that is what God leads me to do. I want to share that song with you, even though it’s not a Christmas song. I’ll bring it back, I promise.
I (we) have a God who lives both in and out of time and place. He came and won the victory so that we can go preach the good news. It’s just surprising news for my wandering heart when the “Going to preach” looks like staying and building deep, time tested relationships. But he grasps my hand and he leads me, and that is where I must go (or stay). Neither struggle is too big for him.
What a solace it is that Jesus came and walked every trial! What comfort to know that our Father grieved his Son, that he knows our pain! This is peace on earth, goodwill to men.
God did not drop us in this place and step away from us. He did not leave us to the evil that entered it. This week I heard a woman in anguish ask, “Why is God doing this to me?” But she’s asking the wrong question. If only her heart would cry out to him from her very stormy sea, she would find that Yahweh is a refuge from evil, not the source of it. This is peace on earth, goodwill to men.
Regarding place, (and inherently then, peace), are you following where God is leading? Are your eyes peeled for the places he is working? He is inviting you to shine his light in the darkest places and in your sphere of influence. Look at what people said about Jesus’ town:
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets wrote about—Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth!” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see!” John 1:45&46
When I was a teenager, people said the same things about Vaughn, Montana. Can anything good come from there? When kids from Vaughn & Simms schools combined for high school, Vaughn kids had to prove themselves to Simms kids. I learned phrases, stereotypes and which was the “right side” of the road. But God is at work in Vaughn, Montana just like he’s at work near you. And if God is there, then what greater honor could there be than to go where he is? When Jesus came out of Nazareth, he showed us that no corner of the world is too (Fill in the blank - rich, poor, dark, rigid, oppressed…) for him. “Come and see!” the disciple said. Come and see what Jesus is doing, take the plow from his teaching hands. Plant, water and harvest for the lowborn King, wherever you are or wherever he calls you. This is peace on earth, goodwill to men!
If you’re enjoying these Christmas song ideas, here’s my Jesus-y Christmas Spotify playlist.
