Rediscovering the Magic of Christmas
/by John Hayward
“The eternity of the creator and the time of the creature meet in the incarnation, where in human time the ground of human time appears and its end is anticipated.” (Karl Barth)
Christmas, like Easter, presents every preacher with a perennial dilemma. We know that the message is one of the most exciting stories to be told. After all, it should continue to boggle our minds that the infinite, eternally existent Creator of time and space chose to be confined and contained within the finite ‘tent’ of a human body bound by space and time! It should remain a wonder that Christ identified himself with us, sharing in our humanity, in order that whoever identifies themselves with him might share in his righteousness, everlasting life and relationship with our heavenly Father!
Challenging the familiar
Yet, familiarity breeds contempt. We know that most of our listeners will have heard countless sermons on the usual seasonal choice of scripture passages. Worse still, their expectations of hearing anything fresh from the Lord can seem even lower during December than on a regular Sunday, what with the distractions of Christmas shopping and end-of-year entertaining. What if we could peel away the many layers of tradition and bring a fresh perspective to the nativity this Christmas? What if we could help our fellow worshippers to rediscover something of the awe-inspiring excitement and mystery of the season?
Three years ago, that is effectively what I set out to achieve. When our children were growing up, my wife and I used to share a daily Bible passage with them throughout Advent. Once they were both at university, I decided that we should adopt a more orderly approach. My aim was to unwrap something of the bigger story that appears as the description of Christ’s coming is gradually revealed from Genesis to the Gospels and on to Revelation. In doing so, I hoped to rediscover some of the passages less frequently read each December and to consider some of the traditional texts from a fresh angle.
Finding Christmas throughout Scripture
The more I delved into this unfolding narrative, the more excited I became. Rediscovering the Magic of Christmas (IVP, 2024) attempts to capture and share some of that thrill and sense of adventure. For instance, if our nativity scenes include Matthew’s magi and Luke’s shepherds, why not also John’s dragon, from Revelation 12? Subconsciously, perhaps we resist this idea because we are uncomfortable with ‘that ancient serpent’ reminding us of the reason why Jesus had to be born – namely, the Fall – and of our daily and, without Christ, lifelong unsuccessful struggle with sin and death. Yet its inclusion should instead encourage us greatly. For it also reminds us that ‘God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship’ (Galatians 4:4–5). It reminds us that ‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us … so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith’ (Galatians 3:13–14).
For me, one of the insights that most stood out afresh was how the interlocking themes of justice and judgment are intrinsically bound up with the mission and purpose of the Messiah – and how we, the community of God’s people, are called to share in that same mission through our lives together, participating in his sufferings so as to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10–11). I also loved exploring in greater detail the link between God’s creation and incarnation – and its implications. In the words of a former bishop of Lincoln, Robert Grosseteste, the incarnation was the ‘final act in the unfolding drama of creation: it made Man and Nature complete, and it bound the whole created universe together in union with God.’ Christ’s coming showed us how and what it means to be fully human. It gives us assurance that, with his second coming, ‘creation itself will be liberated from the bondage of corruption and brought into the freedom of the glory of the children of God’ (Romans 8:21).
Approaching advent
Some readers will want to read the daily devotions alongside their Bible. Others will just want to read the ‘Quick version’ paragraphs and skip to the ‘Pause to ponder’ questions. Pastors and preachers will probably want to dig even more deeply for themselves. For, as a visiting scholar to our church in Cambridge recently commented: preachers need to ‘dig deeper’ into the text for themselves in order to be able to ask more probing questions of the scriptures and, so, to offer more relevant applications for their listeners. To facilitate this, I have tried to include among the footnotes and acknowledgements details of some of the books and articles that others may find useful. Either way, my hope for the book is that it enables every reader to rediscover something of the wonder and mystery of Christ and of Christmas. For, to borrow the words of Richard Dawkins, ‘The truth is more magical – in the best and most exciting sense of the word – than any myth or made-up mystery or miracle.’ May church leaders, ministers and preachers especially be enabled by God’s Spirit to enrich, encourage and enliven the gathering of God’s people, in every place we meet, as together we immerse ourselves in the great storylines of scripture and, once again, prepare our communities for Christmas.
About John Hayward:
John Hayward has lived an eclectic life - with a background in science, he's done cross-cultural work in Central Asia, is active in politics, directed the Jubilee Centre in the UK, and has taught in churches and Christian universities in the UK and the USA. A lifelong writer - from foreign language textbooks to UK policy reports - this is his first devotional book. He has been a member with his wife of Eden Baptist Church, Cambridge, since the early 1990s.