The Sovereignty of God in Christmas (7)

Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2.34, 35

Man of Sorrows
In his great Christmas oratorio, Johann Sebastian Bach includes a lengthy scene of celebration surrounding the birth of Jesus. All the instruments and chorus join in jubilation to acknowledge the birth of God’s Messiah and announce the Good News of the Kingdom to the world.

And then, suddenly, in the midst of all that revelry, Bach inserts the briefest quote from the hymn, “O Sacred Head, now wounded”, based on a poem by 12^th century theologian, Bernard of Clairvaux. Jesus is the Christ of God, Immanuel, the Bringer of joy and rejoicing to all who know and believe in Him. But He is also the Man of Sorrows, the Lamb of God Who took upon Himself the sins of the world. It is inevitable that the life and radiance of Christmas should also include, in the sovereignty of God, the message of darkness and death.

Simeon’s cryptic prophecy to Mary must have sent a shudder down her spine. How could such a beautiful Baby Boy, Whose birth was filled with so much wonder and glory and mystery, ever be the cause of the falling of many in Israel, a sign opposing anything, and a sword to pierce His own mother’s soul?

Let’s look more closely at Simeon’s words.

The end of works religion
Jesus came to bring an end to all religion based on works. The Jews of His day were but the latest generation of those who had sought to earn their way into the favor of God by their “good works.” The Pharisees and other religious leaders of Israel were the keepers and arbiters of what amounted to “good” works, and they knew just how to work the formula to keep the people in line behind their leadership. They were the top of the heap in true religion, as they saw it, and everybody else was expected to give them proper deference.

Jesus stripped the mask off that façade and showed that true religion is based on grace and love, not on works and privilege. Those who had been “on the rise” in Israel – and in religions all over the world – would soon enough find themselves falling from their privileged place as the message of grace and salvation began to be Good News all over the world.

The end of kingdoms
Jesus also came to overturn, supplant, and replace the kingdoms of this world – both those  of men and that of the devil. Ancient prophesies had foretold the coming of a King and Kingdom that would grow, expand, and replace all the kingdoms of men and demons in order to fill the earth with the knowledge of God and His righteousness (cf. Dan. 2.44, 45; Is. 9.6, 7). This would not occur without a struggle, of course, but, in the end, the Kingdom of Jesus would oppose every way of men and demons to bring a new order of the ages into being, characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Dan. 7.13-27; Rom. 14.17, 18).

Thus, as Herod quickly recognized, and Caesar would shortly understand, the coming of King Jesus was not good news for those authorities and powers who regarded themselves as the last word on the affairs of men and nations.

A sword to the soul
Jesus came at Christmas for the salvation of all who believe in Him. But that salvation comes at a price, a price of pain and suffering to Jesus, and pain to all who would embrace Him.

The Good News of forgiveness and eternal life, and of the Kingdom and righteousness of God, pierces to the souls of those who believe, bringing conviction, sorrow, repentance, and faith. We can believe that Mary was heartbroken and filled with grief to see her Son harassed, scorned, mocked, beaten, and hanged on a cross.

But even more, her soul, like ours, would have been pierced with sorrow when it became clear that we are the ones who subjected Him to all this and put Him on that Roman gibbet. We caused His sorrow. We brought on His suffering. And we must fall from whatever heights we think we occupy, and yield to His opposition to our presumed autonomy, if we would rise with all those of God’s true Israel into the grace and salvation of Joshua our King.

For in Jesus Christ the kingdoms of this world – and of every spiritual domain – have become the Kingdom of our God, and of His Christ, and He, the Man of Sorrows, must reign forever and ever (Rev. 11.15).

Next steps: What do you think? Is there a connection between the Lord’s Day and how we use it and the holy seasons of the national calendar? Do you agree that Christians should begin trying to recover the real significance and use of both? Why or why not? Share your thoughts with a Christian friend.

T. M. Moore

We’re taking a 3-week intermission from our series on The Disciplined Life to review three archive series on the meaning of Christmas. This week’s study, The Sovereignty of God in Christmas, is part 3 of a 3-part series on Christmas, As Advertised, and is available as a free download.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.