Wonderful Mystery

We used this video last night (Dec 15th)at our "Wonderful Mystery" Carol Service!

There's a line in a Hymn that goes... "Tis mystery all, the immortal dies" in reference to Easter and Jesus death... by there is a similar mystery at Christmas, I always think we should sing ... "Tis mystery all, the immutable cries" ... it's not as powerful and needs a bit of explaining so I guess it's not likely to catch on. But here is the point...

Theologians use the word immutable to say that God is unmoved by the human condition ... everything is down to his will so if we suffer or get saved that is nothing to do with our worth... Fortunately everyday Christian faith does not experience or see God like this, in fact we see the opposite. God theSon takes on our humanity so completely he makes himself vulnerable to the same things that make us uncomfortable or feel pain.

Despite the line in the carol "Away in a manger" which runs "no crying he makes", the Bible tells us Jesus was subject to  our human frailty. So I'm sure the eternal son did cry and feel pain, hunger and cold. As fully human, Jesus empathised with us, sharing the human experience and carrying not just an abstract knowledge of our condition but the real  experience of creature-hood back into the heart of the creator.

Jesus came because he loved us and lived so he could forgive us. Christmas shows us God is not pure unmoved logic he is also compassionate love. He gets alongside us, Immanuel God With US.

Christen 

Lord Jesus, thank you that you made yourself vulnerable and were willing to step into the dirt and struggles of life, so as to know us better and fully understand your creation from our point of view.

Please teach me to love others they way you love us all.