Performance of the Absurd

Soren Kierkegaard said that “genuine Christian Faith is faith in the incarnation of God in human form, something that appears to human reason to be the absolute paradox. Such a paradox is the absurd, and faith in the highest sense actually requires that its object be absurd.” You might not think of it being absurd, that is the incarnation, but imagine if you were out working in the garden or the lawn and there appeared in the sky, an angel:

And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:9-12

Probably think the weeds you were pulling were the "Colorado" type of weeds! The truth of the matter is, at the center of the Christmas drama is this amazingly absurd story of a baby, the Savior of the world, born in a manger! God cloaked himself in humanity so as to bring humanity back to him - to reconcile those who are lost, wandering, stuck in the pig trough! What is more, Jesus wants us to participate with him in this performance of a lifetime!

Christ's incarnational performance is not one we are called to observe; observing the incarnational performance of Christ as opposed to participating in it results in nothing more than a group of people - who would like to call themselves "the Church" - presenting the Christmas story as if it is nothing more than a big blow up lawn decoration. Christmas without the baby in the manger produces lives that are fat, dumb and "falsely" happy.

The God whose grace to humankind in times past was shown above all in the deliverance of Israel as God’s chosen, covenant people is the same God whose grace is shown now in the person of Jesus whose life, death and resurrection constitute the inauguration of a new covenant people. Jesus, therefore, is Immanuel “God with us” (Mt. 1.23). He is the one in whom God is “well pleased” (Mt. 3.17; 17.5). Through the invasion of the incarnation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Church participates in the continued revelation and clarity of the Kingdom of God. Such clarity and understanding is made real through the likes of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Triune God invites us to join their performance of the absurd - to love the "other" who cannot repay us, cannot give us a better job, cannot offer us more stuff. To love just as Jesus loves us. This is the meaning of Christmas - the acting out of More Christ!

Stop and think for a moment about the statement “God with us.” What does that mean for you? What does it mean for the Church as a whole over the span of history? What does it mean for Christmas!

Christmas cheer and Donkey dung

Imagine...Some dude stands atop the White House and shouts out "a virgin (of all things) is going to give birth to a son, and this son of hers is going to be the King." And where will this King be born...in a cave amid the donkey dung, cattle and dirt. Imagine, I know you may say that I am a dreamer, but I tell you, I am not the only one...

In what is arguably one of the most imaginative acts of all time, God changed the course of history through His most dramatic move. From a cave God revealed to the world the King of all Kings. Born in one of the most creative and unsuspecting settings, God cloaked himself in human flesh and came to live among us (John 1.1,14,18). Jesus Christ our Wonderful Counselor, our much needed Prince of Peace, Immanuel, God with us gave humanity the greatest gift, Himself. 2000 years ago, Jesus gave us Christmas.

And while so many of us imagine ourselves cozy and comfortable as we bask in the "Christmas cheer," make no mistake about it, the Christian drama is no fairy tale, it is not a warm and fuzzy story told to make us feel fat, dumb and happy. The Christian drama is the definition of reality - it is our foundation. And at the crux of this dramatic story stands the incarnation. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1.14). Christmas without the incarnation is nothing more than eggnog, silly parties centered around a chubby fella in red with his strangely sized helpers and their weird ears - it is nothing more than a story told to make us feel fat, dumb and happy.

As followers of Christ, any and all Christmas celebrations should begin with and flow out of the ultimate and most dramatic reality and act of history that humanity has encountered—the incarnation. J.I. Packer describes the incarnation as the "supreme mystery" associated with the gospel. This mystery is absolutely mind-blowing and as Packer continues, "nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the incarnation." In Jesus, the fullness of God enters the human realm. The incarnation is the sacrificial giving of God to humanity. It is from the performance of Christ that the church, and thus humanity, witnesses the ultimate giving of self.

One thing we need to always keep in mind, the incarnation points directly to the cross, resurrection and ascension of Christ. There is no Christmas without Easter and vice‐versa. Furthermore, the incarnation, cross, resurrection and ascension are not merely to be observed, analysed or discussed, they are the life events of Christ that call for a response from the ones He came to save. 

What are you doing this Christmas season to participate in Christ's incarnational performance?