The Christmas Calling by Bryan Craig

“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.  I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.  Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” 

Isaiah 42:6-9

I love Christmastime, and I especially love going to church, when the old classic Christmas hymns are sung. Last Sunday was the fourth Sunday of Advent, and at my church, they were lighting the Candle of Love. The windows were covered, and the large sanctuary was dark. It was a somber, sacred environment. And they were serving Communion. My church does not celebrate Communion as often as I would like, and I do not remember having Communion during Advent before.

As I looked at the flickering candle of Love and held the Communion elements in my hand, my imagination took me to the Manger of Jesus. I was picturing a chubby baby boy laying in the hay.  I envisioned picking him up and holding him in my arms. By the way, I love babies.  It was a special moment to think about lovingly holding the baby Jesus. Then, suddenly, it was as if someone yanked the baby out of my arms, and I saw them laying him on a Cross. As he cried, they stretched his little arm out and prepared to strike an iron nail into his hand. I could not bear this thought any longer as I tried to re-focus my thoughts and wiped away tears that would not stop flowing. It truly was one of the most impactful times of Communion I think I have ever experienced.

What a stark reminder for me of what Christmas was all about! Jesus came on a mission from God the Father to fulfill a Calling. It was a calling to die. Ever since Adam and Eve were banished from paradise because of Sin, man could not be allowed back into Heaven. But God so loved the world that He sent His Son Jesus that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) But the Son had to die as an unblemished, sinless man to make the sacrifice for our sins complete. 

He spent three years making disciples as He helped us understand God the Father and the Master Plan. He showed us how to live and He showed us how to die. And He told us that it was good that He would die so that He could send His Spirit to be with us forever, the Spirit of truth.

The verse I quoted above, Isaiah 42:6-9, is one of many “Messianic prophecy” scriptures which point to Jesus thousands of years before he was born.  I find this one particularly intriguing because in Acts, when the Apostle Paul is talking about his encounter with the Jesus (after Jesus’ death) on the Damascus Road, he says this:

“At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me.  And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” Acts 26:13-18

This is similar language to that in Isaiah 42:6-9 and also Isaiah 61:1-3, both passages which point to Jesus, but here, Jesus is speaking the words to Paul, and I think, to those of us who are His followers.  Jesus sent His Spirit to His believers so that we can continue His mission. We cannot save anyone, but we can point them to the only One who can!

Have you ever noticed where the Christmas story begins in Luke 1? It begins with the miraculous pregnancy of Elizabeth by Zechariah, in old age, to bring forth John the Baptist. The angel told Zechariah:

“And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” Luke 1:14-17

Before Jesus and His death and before Pentecost, God speaks of an anointing and filling of the Holy Spirit in John that would be used to point people to Jesus Christ. And here we are, a few thousand years later, celebrating Christmas.  We are celebrating Jesus’ birth, His death, His resurrection, His Holy Spirit which helps us fulfill our calling.

We, like Paul and John the Baptist, are called to join Jesus on His rescue mission to share His Light, to open eyes that are blind, to set prisoners free, to reconcile hearts, to Make Disciples. This is the Calling of Christmas that exists still today. This is the calling of Influencers and every believer in Christ.

May we celebrate this Christmas with His mission in mind. For in this, we can truly worship the King.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  Romans 12:1-2