Saturday 25 December 2010

Background

This passage opens in a factual and prosaic way. It gives thenecessary details to locate the birth of Jesus in time and place bymaking reference to the Roman Emperor, the local governor andBethlehem, the city of David. 

Theologically the historical fact of Jesus' birth matters. It isthe central claim of Christianity that "the Word became flesh andlived among us" (John 1:14). For this to be true, it isimportant for us to be able to establish where and when thetimelessness of God intersected with the coordinates of space andtime. 

Immediately, however, there are problems with the account in Luke'sGospel. It seems that no universal census took place in the RomanEmpire. It is unlikely it took place under Caesar's directauthority. It is also unlikely that any registration would haverequired a Galilean to return to Bethlehem to be counted. And it isimprobable that even if Joseph had to appear, he had to take Marywith him. 

Theologically, though, it mattered to Luke to set out the facts ashe understood them, and to demonstrate how the prophesies of theHebrew Scriptures were being fulfilled: Jesus is descended fromDavid (Isaiah 11:1-3); he will be born in Bethlehem(Micah 5:2). 

It is this that grounds Christianity as a 'this-worldly' as well asan 'other-worldly' religion. Although the second half of thepassage brings us back to the world of angels and miraculouswonders - and all the familiar motifs of chapter 1 are there - fearat the angels' appearing (v. 9); announcements of joy (v. 10);amazement (v. 18); the praising of God (v. 20) and the ponderingabout the meaning of all these things (v. 19) - the miracle is thatGod is being revealed in flesh and blood. The miracle is that fromnow on, flesh and blood will be a place in which God will beencountered. From now on, the miracle is that the more we learn tolive on earth in the here and now, the more we will find ourselvesin heaven: 

"Glory to God in the highest heaven, 
and on earth peace amongst those whom he favours!" (v.14) 

To Ponder

Does it matter to you that the date and place ofJesus' birth are hard to evidence? Why?

What experiences do you have of moments where'the timeless' intersects with time?

What implications does the "Word becoming flesh"have for the way in which Christians live in the world?