CHRISTMAS
DISPLAYS
Introduction
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| Image from Web |
It is here that we move
into that much neglected teaching of the Bible, i.e., the doctrine of the
Trinity. It is at His baptism by John that we see clearly the Trinity in
action. What this has to do with Christmas will become clear. We don’t need to
struggle with a three-leafed clover or ice/water/steam (or any of the plethora of illustrations that always seem to fall short of accurately depicting the
triuneness of God), when we can just look at what Scripture says about Jesus’s
baptism. We’ll start there and then work our way back to His conception and
birth.
Now, you may think it strange that we would have a look a baptism to help us learn some more about Christ’s Christmas incarnation and birth. Think of it as the difference between leisurely taking the “scenic route” as opposed to the “bypass” while driving. Maybe we can even add a Christmas dimension by likening it to driving around the dark suburbs and viewing various Christmas displays. Some are simply a few lights while others get you to wondering how expensive their power bills must be! You’ll need to step out of your car and walk, even wade, through some snow, and at times deep snow, for a closer look at the lights. Of course, the Christmas lights we’ll be looking at are a few Bible verses.
Displays at His
Baptism
Let’s do a brief running commentary on the following verses from Matthew’s Gospel:
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| Sprinkled/Poured-out blessing (Web Clipart) |
We don’t see Santa and his reindeer in this “Christmas display”, but we do see that Jesus wasn’t baptised to wash away His sins. He had no sins of His own. His baptism was to wash away other people’s sins, (the blessing), i.e., the sins of all who believe in Him alone to save them from the punishment (the curse) they would receive for their sins against God. We need to bring an angel into our Christmas display, “The angel said to Joseph in a dream, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:20b-21). There’re more, but four things jump out at us from this display: Holy Spirit, Jesus, His people, sins.
Meanwhile, back to the
first display we looked at. Jesus being baptised to “fulfill all righteousness”
was about the promise of the Father. What promise? The Old Testament is full of
them! But here’s just one for now. “Behold, I send My messenger, and he
will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly
come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He
is coming,” says the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 3:1). We see John the
Baptiser in this verse that was written some four hundred years beforehand by
Malachi. But more importantly, we see Jesus, “the Messenger of the covenant”,
yes, “the Lord” also mentioned. So, here at this Christmas display, i.e., the
Lord’s baptism, we see what the Father promised through His prophet Malachi
arriving on the scene to “fulfill all righteousness.” This means, of course,
that Jesus was doing everything according to the Mosaic law (as properly
understood). This is what we mean by Jesus being “sinless”. He perfectly kept
every jot and tittle of God’s Law as it applied to Him in those days, which
included, of course, the Ten Commandments, and its applications as the
ceremonial and Israel’s judicial laws. To “fulfill all righteousness” mostly
has to do with the ceremonial law, which, in short, was the Gospel in the Old
Testament. Yes, there’s a lot of detail in this wonderful Christmas display!
Displays at the
Temple
We need to hear a
Christmas carol playing at this point. How about this one? “O come, O come,
Emmanuel / And ransom captive Israel/ Who mourns in lonely exile here/ Until
the Son of God appear./ Rejoice! Rejoice!/ Emmanuel shall come to thee, O
Israel.” (From the 13th century Latin, John Mason Neal, 1818-66). Emmanuel,
God with us, the Messenger of the covenant, the Lord Jesus, first appeared in
the temple not long after His birth in Bethlehem. “And when eight days were
completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus,
the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb” (Luke
2:21).
While at the temple, they
met Simeon. “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon,
and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation
of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by
the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s
Christ” (Luke 2:25-26). We note that the Holy Spirit was present. Therefore,
the third Person in the Trinity was known to Old Testament believers who were
awaiting the Messiah’s arrival. He would only be poured out on all nations by
the Father and the Son after Jesus had shed His blood, been resurrected and then
ascended, as per the covenant promise, “So shall He sprinkle many nations (Isa.
52:15; cf. Joel 2:28-29 with Acts 1:4-5, 2:1-21).
So, we’ve seen Jesus at
the temple when He was eight days old. We see Him at the temple again when He
is twelve years old with His parents. He went missing. “His parents went
to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was
twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the
feast… So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now
so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them
questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and
answers” (Luke 2:41-42, 45-47). The twelve-year-old Jesus was asking and was
answering His “Catechism” questions! Oh to be more like Him with an amazing
knowledge and understanding of Scripture!
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| Poured-out curse (Image from Web) |
He would visit again after about forty years. This time by the Spirit with a poured-out curse rather than a poured-out blessing. “Then Jesus
went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him
the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all
these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone
shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matt. 24:1-2).
“Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till
all these things take place” (Matt. 24:34). “But when you see Jerusalem
surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who
are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her
depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the
days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled”
(Luke 21:20-22). “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means
pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words
will by no means pass away” (Luke 21:32-33). The destruction of Jerusalem reached its completion with the demolition of its the temple in AD70.
Displays in the Outpoured
Spirit & Sprinkled Blood of Christ
Now, as we ponder all
those mesmerising flashing light bulbs and beautiful colours, trying to figure
out what they all mean, it goes without saying that the mode and meaning of
baptism is one of the most disputed doctrines among Christians. Some see only dunking,
while others see only sprinkling/pouring. Others see both these modes! But, like
the proverbial hammer that views everything else as a nail, we need to be aware
of our own subtle tendencies regarding the word baptism. Keep this in mind when
you read that “John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with
water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to
loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). So,
later, Jesus was going to “baptize with the Holy Spirit” which also refers to
the promise of the Father.
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| Sprinkled blessing (Image from Web) |
It is the sprinkled blood
of Christ on us that makes us white as snow! Therefore, whenever and wherever
you see snow at Christmas (on the street or on a Christmas card), think
Christ’s sprinkled blood. That’s what the poured out Holy Spirit applies to
believers, the blood of the covenant, as per the pictures in both the Old
and New Testaments, i.e., the Bible. (See e.g., Exod. 24:6-7; Heb. 9:19-22).
Picture this then when it says that Jesus was being baptised by John to
obediently “fulfill all righteousness”.
Let’s set the scene some
more. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return
there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the
sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it
shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I
purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:10-11). I
loved seeing white Christmases when I lived in Scotland and Canada, but where I
live now, we are more likely to see rain, warm rain, “come down from heaven”. God
sending His Word to bring life is illustrated by the rain and snow watering the
crops. It is the Holy Spirit that the falling rain and snow are picturing. Here
we see, as it were, the Spirit “baptising” the earth. A covenant blessing! (Gen. 8:22).
Now, let’s ponder our
Christmas display some more.
“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Now, remember what we said about our tendencies, our presuppositions, our preconceived ideas about baptism? Try not to display your theological biases. Where it says “Jesus came up immediately from the water” does not necessarily mean that He was under the water or had been dunked therein. To think that way may mean that you miss the important thing that baptism is pointing to, viz., the promise of the Holy Spirit (Who comes upon us, to sanctify us, to set us apart with Christ’s blood).
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| Pored-out blessing (Image from Web) |
Do you remember Philip
and the Ethiopian eunuch? Compare the eunuch’s baptism with Jesus’s. Notice the
presence of the Holy spirit too. “So he commanded the chariot to stand still.
And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now
when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip
away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing”
(Acts 8:38-29). Like Philip and the eunuch, both John the Baptiser and Jesus
went down into the water and both John and Jesus came up out of the water.
Nothing is said anywhere about either John or Jesus going under the water.
Therefore, we all should try to keep our presuppositions in check and just let
the Spirit speak to us with the Word without us imposing ourselves on the text.
Baptism is about God’s covenant promise. It is about having that covenant
promise applied to us as pictured by having water sprinkled/poured on us. It is
the sprinkled blood of Jesus that saves us from our sins, not our profession of
faith, as important as professions are.
Again, “You shall call
His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt.
1:20b-21). Remember that Jesus was coming to shed His blood in accordance with
the law. “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with
blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb.
9:22). Therefore, among other things, in our Christmas display we see there are
at least four things of note thus far, viz., baptism, our sins, Christ’s blood,
the Holy Spirit.
What’s that? Do you hear
strains of “Child in the manger,/ Infant of Mary;/ Outcast and stranger,/ Lord
of all!/ Child who inherits/ All our transgressions,/ all our demerits/ On Him
fall.”? (Tune: Traditional Gaelic Melody, Words: Mary MacDonald (1789-1872)
translated by Lachlan Macbean (1853-1931).
Right, as we’ve studied
our Christmas display, when we saw Jesus come up from the water, we saw the Father in heaven above declare, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.” And we saw the Spirit descend from our Father in heaven to come upon the
Son on earth. Thus, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are pictured in baptism. The
Father has given the promise of His Spirit to Jesus who does the Father’s will
on earth.
So, as we continue to study our Christmas display, let us note that the Spirit, as gentle as falling snow, comes upon those to whom the Father sends Him. Think, for example, of old Simeon in the temple, of Philip with the eunuch, (though with a bit of thunderous rumbling!) of those believers at Pentecost etc. This is what baptism pictures. This is what was pictured at Jesus’s baptism by John. Jesus was given (as gentle as a dove) the Spirit so that He could “fulfill all righteousness”. Again, according to the law “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
Trinitarian
Display
So, if we collect our
thoughts about baptism, and just before we have another look at our Christmas
display, we have already seen that baptism is Trinitarian. Indeed, we are
baptised, not so much in the name of God, though it is by His authority,
but more into the name of God, which name, of course, is the Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit (three Persons as one God). Baptism therefore is the sign and seal of the Triune
God. “Baptizing them in[to] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19b).
Baptism is to have God’s
name and God’s covenant promise affixed to you. God declared Jesus to be His
Son at His baptism. He is declaring you to be His adopted child at your
baptism. The Spirit is given to us as a token of this. “Now it is God who makes both
us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of
ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing
what is to come” (2 Cor. 1:21-22). We see this clearly illustrated by Christ’s
baptism by John. i.e., the application of the water to Jesus depicting what the
Father was going to do (and did) with the Spirit. Jesus was anointed with water which was
signifying His (subsequent) anointing with the Holy Spirit. Messiah, like Christ, simply means
Anointed. Jesus was anointed as our Prophet, Priest, and King at His baptism. At
our baptism, we are anointed as His subjects. And, for us, it is by our
fruits, i.e., the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us, that we shall be
known (Matt. 7:16; Gal. 5:22-23). For us, it’s as Paul says to the Galatians,
“My little children, for whom I labour in birth again until Christ is formed in
you” (Gal. 4:19). The Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ, is the One who forms
Christ in us.
Phew! Maybe by now you’re
now thinking that we should have taken that by-pass road instead of the scenic
route! That's the trouble with falling snow, you cannot hear it. It's only when you turn around and look that you see how deep it's getting! But before we pack up, let’s once again gaze upon our Christmas
display. Do we need an angel to help us?
“Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:30-35).
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all involved in forming Christ Jesus in Mary. Only,
Mary has the Spirit forming the physical Jesus in her, while we only have the
Spirit forming Him in us spiritually, i.e., making us more like Jesus.
Conclusion
We have learned that the three Persons in the Trinity
were present at Jesus baptism: God the Father above sent God the Spirit (who was soon to
be poured out on all flesh) who alighted on the (incarnate) God the Son on earth. John
had pictured this beforehand with the poured-out water on all who had come to
him for baptism, including Jesus. With this knowledge we see that the Father, who,
throughout Scripture is called the Highest, i.e., the Most High (Gen. 14:19-20;
2 Sam. 22:14; Psa. 7:10; Luke 1:32,35,76; 6:35; 8:28), with the Son sent the
Spirit upon Mary to “overshadow” her with the power of the Highest in order for
her to conceive the Holy One, so that the Son of God could become flesh. Unlike
us who have human fathers, God the Father is the Father of Jesus.
Mary is His mother. It was the Holy Spirit who brought this to pass.
Likewise, the Holy Spirit must come upon you and me before
Christ will be formed in us. This means that we must be sanctified by, i.e., sprinkled
by, His blood before the Holy Spirit will form Christ in us. Christ baptism is
not the reality. However, it is a picture of this. Therefore, our baptism ought
to be an illustration of this covenant promise of the Triune God, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit.
When considering the birth of Jesus, the Triune God is
displayed to us every Christmas. You just have to know how and where to look.
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| Image from Web |
Click to view (or cut & paste) Celtic Worship play O Holy Night:
https://youtu.be/Ug7DjVvfIrI?si=FQfLWTDg9I0VJ9x2
https://youtu.be/Ug7DjVvfIrI?si=4X8D5nGHSnAQ4hKo
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