Friday, September 10
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Do We Misunderstand Advent and the Gospel?
I was in an Evangelical worship service recently where a young woman sang a song that seemed rather disjointed to me. The singing was fairly good, but the lyrics were odd, at least in my book. She began singing about the Christ being born and that this was such a wonderful gift, that He would die on the cross for our sins. Did she just jump 30 years?
Now, certainly the death of Jesus for our redemption is crucial, but I don't think this is the crux of what Christmas and Advent are supposed to be about. Still, I think the Evangelical church on the whole has failed to grasp this. We are focused on the death and resurrection of Christ and salvation from sin (and specifically guilt), and that is absolutely a positive thing. Yet I fear the church has become so focused that it has let slip other aspects of life with God and the work that Christ did.
Advent is indeed waiting period of the birth of the one who would eventually die to be the propitiation for our sins, but it is also the waiting period of the birth of God Himself, proving that God had not abandoned His people despite 400 years of seeming silence. It is the waiting that leads to the life and ministry of one who showed that God's love and work deals with the concrete problems of humanity - our inability to escape from sinful habits, our poverty, our disease, and so forth. It is the highlight of the waiting period that we are still in, waiting for the culmination of this age when we will be with the Lord fully amidst a new and perfect Heaven and Earth.
Yes, the cross is the crux of history, and apart from the cross, everything else in creation will ultimately collapse into meaningless or destruction. But the cross is not the principle focus of Advent, and it is not the only aspect of the gospel. The more we encompass of the gospel and the better we understand the seasons of Christian history and its calendar, the more we are open to what God desires to do for us and in us and through us. Yet the Evangelical church seems fuzzy on this aspect of Advent and the fulness of the gospel. Or am I the one who's off?
- Matthew R Green's blog
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I get what you mean
The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is not what advent or Christmas is all about, I agree. It is the crowning point of Jesus' life and ministry, the one thing by which it all makes utter sense. It was by far the most important thing he did, and the crucial aspect of his revealing the character of God. If we think of Jesus without reference to his death and resurrection, we see a Jesus of limited effect.
So on the other hand, I don't think it's wrong to mention it at Christmas or any other time. The message of hope we receive at Christmas is the *first* message...it is powerful to people as we share it, because people need to know there is hope. I think in our excitement about the cross we forget to give due importance to hope. That's a pastoral responsibility. Peace, goodwill and hope is the first message of Christ. But the reason for the hope is not "God entered the world as a baby": that is just the first major sign that big events are afoot...There is a turning point ahead, and Christmas is pointing towards it.
Christ talked on the one hand about bringing good news to the poor, but on the other about bringing a sword, tying up the "strong man" and looting his house... We first need to understand that in Christ, God offers hope first of all. "Who, for the hope set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame".
I think the problem remains so long as we are unable to communicate the fulness of these doctrines. But yes, we don't have to explain fully to people at our carol services the doctrine of atonement. It is more important at first to assure them of the hope that Christmas brings. But at some point, that assurance will fail until it finds its root not just in the advent, but in the death and resurrection of Christ. If people only get Christmas, but not Easter, that's a tragedy indeed. They get the promise of hope, but not its fulfilment.
I am very excited about advent again this year. The advent hymns just give me shivers. It's the story of the shepherds witnessing the angels celebration in the skies which really moves me. Can you imagine glimpsing that!? I don't know how much Easter features in my conscious thinking as I celebrate Christmas, but I know its there, and I think that's how I'm able to fully appreciate Christmas.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and reflections, and giving the chance for people to respond like this. Merry Christmas when it arrives!
SDG