Today I've been thinking about our theme for this advent season, "For All the People". Of course, this is an emphasis on the angels proclamation to the shepherds "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people..." The significance of these words to us is seen in the inclusiveness of the gospel. The angels were making it clear to the world that the gospel was not just for the Jew - that the God of Israel was bringing salvation to all the nations- every tribe and tongue.
The covenant first proclaimed to Abraham was that a Redeemer would come and bless the nations through the Abrahamic seed- that the coming of Christ was the culmination of God's providential plan to bring His kingdom to every corner of the earth.
The gospel has no color barriers, no economic barriers, no language barriers. It is not just for the well connected, the powerful, the privileged and well educated- Jesus was born to a poor Nazareth family in a borrowed animal trough in Bethlehem. It is not an accident that Israel was the backwater of the Roman Empire, that Galilee was the backwater of Israel and that Nazareth was the backwater of Galilee. It not an accident that the first gospel message went out to the shepherds in the field and not heralded to the royal courts in Rome or Athens.
I do think it is a profound point to make that from the very first time the gospel was proclaimed that first Christmas day we were made to understand that the initiative of our mission is to break down every barrier and to embrace every culture.
It is at the heart of the gospel and should always be the passion of our church!
Don't miss the Christmas Eve service this Friday- we have a dynamic worship planned that will emphasize the meaning of the first Christmas proclamation, "for all the people!"
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