The Bethlehem Candle

Tonight we are celebrating Advent in Worship and Study. As we started talking about what Advent means, and what each candle represents, I realized how little I actually know about the Advent season. I've been preparing to share about the Bethlehem candle, and it's gotten me thinking about the birth of Christ in a very different light.

Luke 2:1-6
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

Last week I spent Thanksgiving with my family, which included my older brother, his wife, and my little baby niece Sydney. While we all gathered around the table to eat, I realized that we were never all together because someone was always in the other room taking care of Sydney. She's too little to walk, talk, or even crawl at 6 months. She's essentially helpless, dependent on someone else for everything. One of my favorite parts of the day came while I rocked Sydney to sleep in my arms, so small and precious, totally unaware of the rest of the world.

This image of a baby isn't foreign to us -- we have all been around babies, we can conjure up the image of their tiny toes and fingers. But I can bet that when you think of Jesus Christ, this probably isn't the image that comes to mind. That's why I love this Bethlehem story! I love that the Scriptures give us this glimpse into the beginning of Jesus' life. After traveling up a mountain toward Bethlehem, pregnant, Mary and Joseph found themselves in an actual stable, delivering a baby boy that would change the course of history. But in those precious first moments of Jesus' life, while he laid in a manger, he became relatable to each and every one of us. The God who knitted you together in your mother's womb took on that very same form to become the small, helpless babe in swaddling clothes that we read about today.

I love the way Christ chose to relate to us. Scripture gives us details that confirm that this is more than just “The Christmas Story”, but it’s an actual event that we can trace historically! We see these people – Caesar Augustus and Quirinius, and know that they were real men with authority in those days. Bethlehem is a town you could visit today! The stable where Christ was born was later turned into a shrine, then a church. These are physical places, a real baby was born there. This place in Scripture brings to life a story we know and love, but confirms that it’s so incredibly real, more than a folk-tale or tradition.

Jesus was a real baby, a real man who endured growing up, being human, feeling emotions like you feel today--he understands. I love the kindness of a Savior who took on flesh in order to save us, to love us, to teach us. We celebrate tonight not just the birth of a baby boy--but the birth of a king. This is the true meaning of Christmas, that Christ came to earth in the form of a child in order to sacrifice his life and allow us to become children of God.