Christmas's Eternal Sign
Matthew 2:13-18
Christmas is God's eternal sign that the forces of evil will not win. It will never happen/. Evil may sit for a while on the throne but not forever!
Predicting the future is always risky. Change can come so fast. Who could have predicted even two decades ago the sweeping changes that have taken place in the Soviet bloc countries. Life is hard to predict. A century ago "experts" were predicting that people were burning wood so fast, there would be no trees left by 1920. Well, over a century later the situation is bad, but not that bad! Predicting the future is always difficult. There is only one thing we can be sure of: GOD WILL WIN.
That is the good news during Christmastide. The Herods of the world may have their day, but the eternal victory belongs to Christ. And that conviction keeps us moving forward from one Christmas to the next, regardless of how dark things may appear.
Do you remember the story of Pandora's box? In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on the earth. Zeus wished to counteract the blessing of fire, which had been stolen from the gods by Prometheus and given to man so he had Pandora created and given to Prometheus's brother. Since she was stunningly beautiful, Prometheus's brother did not object. But Pandora brought with her a box, also a gift from Zeus. They were warned never to open it. However, Pandora's curiosity overcame her fear of what might lurk within the beautiful little box. She lifted the cover and immediately innumerable plagues flew from within its depths to journey all over the world - plagues that afflicted the mind, the body, and the soul. In terror Pandora tried to shut the box, but it was too late. Only one thing remained in the box - hope. Hope remained to comfort humankind in its misfortunes. It is hope we celebrate today.
The writer of the Gospel of John knew about the importance of hope. "The light shines in the darkness, " he wrote, "and the darkness has not overcome it." And we are recipients of that hope.
I like John C. Maxwell's analogy of a certain kind of fish that has four eyes. These odd-looking creatures are native to the equatorial waters of the western Atlantic region. The technical name for them is anableps, meaning "those that look upward." I like that. That is what Christians ought to be called. "Anableps" - those who look upward." These distinct fish are called that because of their unusual eye structure. "Unique among vertebrates, the anableps have two-tiered eyes, with the upper and lower halves of each eyeball operating independently and having separate cornea and irises. The upper eyes protrude above the surface of the water and enable the anableps to search for food and to spot enemies in the air. The lower eyes remain focused in the water, functioning in the usual fishlike fashion. Thus, in rather ordinary ways these four-eyed fish navigate with ease in the waters of their environment," But, in addition, they enjoy a remarkable capacity to participate in the "higher" world above their primary environment. "They see in both worlds."
That is a good description of the followers of the Christ child of Bethlehjem. We see in two worlds. We see the world of the present reality where Herod so often sits upon the throne. But we also see the world that is yet to come - a world where the Lord of Life, of Truth, of Justice of Peace, and of Love reigns forever and ever.
So do not despair. We live in a difficult world, but He has overcome the world and His star still shines as a reminder that God will not forsake His own.
Questions to Ponder
Do you believe the eternal victory belongs to Christ?
Has curiosity ever gotten you in trouble?
Are you a recipient of that hope?
Do you look upward?
In His Service,
Terry Phillips
