The Cradle that Rocked the World

The Greatest Story Ever Told
We love stories where the underdog rises from humble beginnings to achieve greatness. There’s something very satisfying about a story like that. In 1965 the epic film, ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told,’ was released. This blockbuster about the life of Jesus Christ was the most expensive film produced in the USA up to that time. The cast was flush with big-name talent, but the man who portrayed Jesus was a little-known Swedish actor who had never appeared in an English-speaking film. The director wanted an actor without a public persona in America because he did not want to distract from the storytelling. When you have an awesome story you don’t need Hollywood glamour to juice it up. Jesus, like the actor who portrayed Him, started out in obscurity. At least that’s the way it appeared to the general public. There were a few shepherds who knew something was up in Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. Angelic visitations tend to get to get your attention.

The Cradle that Rocked the World
The Jesus story we read in the Gospels does not exactly follow the ‘rags to riches’ formula for a sure-fire box office hit. This story is really a ‘riches to rags to riches’ story. Jesus was born in a sleepy little town of less than a thousand people on the edge of the desert. By all appearances He was the son of a young carpenter and his teen bride. But things are not always what they appear to be. Born in a barn, Jesus had the ultimate humble beginning. It’s not a stretch to say that the cradle that rocked the world belonged to Jesus. Flash-forward thirty years and the man born in obscurity was now a household word in that corner of the Roman Empire. Amazing stories of miracles were spreading like wildfire in Jerusalem and the surrounding region. Feeding thousands with a small provision; healing countless sick people; opening blind eyes and deaf ears. And then there were the eyewitness accounts of how He raised the dead! Everyone in the world seemed to know that Jesus was a great man, possibly even the long-awaited Messiah. Everyone was onboard except the religious establishment. Go figure.

The Cross that Redeemed Creation
The Old Testament Hebrew prophets used the name ‘Emmanuel’ to describe Jesus. This means literally God is with us. The essence of Jesus’ mission was to be with people and to demonstrate God’s love. One of the ways he demonstrated love was to reach out to people and relieve their suffering. His agenda was to help people build a relationship with God. The religious establishment had a different agenda. They invested tons of time and energy to preserve their own leadership positions and to maintain the status quo. Religion, not relationship was their end game. What really ticked them off was that Jesus was more interested in helping people than in following all their rules. The ‘rules police’ harassed Jesus with trick questions and hypocritical scenarios in an effort to trap Him. This strategy backfired which only made them more angry. Typically, debates with Jesus do not end well. When Jesus revealed His true identity as God’s Son the ongoing conflict escalated. The religious guys trumped up some charges, tried Jesus according to their law and then convinced the Roman government to execute Him as a criminal. The cross that redeemed creation and restored God’s relationship with all people belonged to Jesus. But that was not the end of the story.

The Crown that Rules the Universe
It’s hard enough to keep a good man down, but it’s impossible to keep The Son of Man in a tomb. Jesus’ tomb was more like an extended stay suite since He checked out after only three days! Jesus had been very clear that He planned rise from the grave. This provided hope for His followers, but provoked anxiety for His enemies. The religious leaders took no chances. They sealed the tomb with a large stone and posted soldiers outside to stand guard. The earthquake was the soldiers’ first clue that trying to provide security for Jesus’ tomb was a bad idea. When the angel appeared they all shook with fear and dropped to the ground like dead men. Which means they were unconscious during the Resurrection–one of the greatest events in history. So what was Jesus’ next move? For the next forty days He hung out with His disciples and taught them about the Kingdom of God. When it was time to return home to Heaven, Jesus commissioned the disciples to go and share the Gospel message all over the world. He reminded them that he had been given all authority to rule Heaven and Earth and that He would always be with them. His departure was a big deal because it meant that He had accomplished His mission to reconcile the Father to all His children, defeat His enemy, conquer death and set things right in the universe. In a brief 33-year journey on Earth He had gone from obscurity to royalty. The crown that rules the universe belongs to Jesus.

The Christmas Story
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” Star Wars fans know this is the opening sequence for every installment of the beloved series. It also makes a great prologue for the Christmas story. The greatest love story ever told starts with God creating man in His own image so they could have a relationship. But He recognized that love couldn’t exist without the freedom to choose. When the created ones chose to rebel against the Creator their beautiful, intimate relationship became broken. God wanted to be reconciled with man, but He knew this would come at a great price. Evil had to be overcome and destroyed by a man on the Earth. The Earth was the planet where this cosmic struggle began and where it must end. This is the back-story for the Christmas story. The New Testament guy named Paul wrote my favorite synopsis of the Christmas story. As you read it, try to fathom how much God loves you and the great distance Jesus came to reach you.

“Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11)