A Child is Born

What a great few days! On Sunday we dedicated two little boys, and on Monday evening another baby - a beautiful girl - was added to our church family. It has been a time when I have been reflecting on how good God is and how thankful we can be for his presence and care in our lives. I was thinking about the joy of life, friends and the beauty of creation, and of the promise each new life holds.


When a new baby is born, we are affirming our confidence in the potential and possibility that tomorrow holds. This world can be a place of hurt, suffering, greed and ugliness, but each new life has the possibility of bringing love, joy, grace and beauty into the future. Tomorrow can be better than today. The Christian faith is an eschatological faith. We don't look toward the future, but in the resurrection of Jesus we have the reality of the future present to us now. Our present is actually experienced from the perspective of God's promise to one day make all things right. Each child that comes into this world is a confident declaration that Jesus is the Lord of this world and that he is actively working to bring about the redemption of his good creation.


The whole promise to Abraham of blessing, the whole promise of new creation, the announcement of 'good news' began with the birth of a baby. The angel told Mary, 'You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus....the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.....his kingdom will never end.' The birth of Jesus started the establishment of the kingdom of God, the resurrection of Jesus was the first day of God's new creation. However did we get this dualistic notion that the goal of the Christian faith was to escape this planet and be with Jesus forever in heaven? Heaven is not my home, God's promised redeemed Earth is my home. Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 15 and the end of Revelation that sees Jesus return victoriously to Earth make it so very clear that God won't abandon the Earth, but will renew his good creation to be our home forever.


What has this to do with new babies? In the same way that Isaiah's prophetic declaration of 'For to us a child is born...' (Is. 9:6) contained the promise of salvation, each baby born is in a sense a prophetic affirmation of God's new life and creation now and to come. The presence of his kingdom and Lordship of Jesus is seen through lives that express his values and embody his love. The good news that Jesus is Lord and his kingdom is here is carried into tomorrow by each child born that grows up to love and serve Jesus.


The question that is so often asked when contemplating having children is, 'Why would you bring a child into a world like this?' The answer on the lips of every follower of Jesus Christ must be, 'To change it.' I'm not saying have lots and lots of kids, that hasn't seemed to be a very effective remedy to the ills of the world. I'm think that what I'm saying is that in the families we are a part of, the friendship we enjoy, and the community in which we live, 'Always abound in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your work is not in vain.' (1 Cor. 15:58) In birth, in life and even in death, what I do matters. Somehow, in some way, by his grace, God uses it to build for his kingdom.


Rejoice, party, celebrate when a child is born, for in that event God is creating his better tomorrow.