If I, (and possibly fellow Christians) had one wish, it might be that the good news of Christmas be less hidden to our non-religious friends and family. For many who are not Jesus followers, the story of Christmas often comes across as quaint, something more akin to ‘Once upon a time’ fairy tales. Yet, if we look at Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus, it does not begin, ‘Once upon a time’. Nor, for that matter, does it begin with a star, shepherds, or even a manger. Rather, his gospel launches with an unexpected and tedious genealogy and history lesson (Matthew 1:1-17).
Why a genealogy and not ‘Once upon a time’? Because, as Tim Keller writes in his book Hidden Christmas,
“Once upon a time” signals that this probably didn’t happen or that we don’t know if it happened, but it is a beautiful story that teaches us so much. But that is not the kind of account Matthew is giving us. He says, “This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ.” That means he is grounding what Jesus Christ is and does in history. Jesus is not a metaphor. He is real. This all happened."
In other words, Christmas is not a fairy tale. Jesus’ birth is not one of Aesop’s fables, inspiring us with examples of how to live well. The Gospel is not just another story meant to morally educate and provoke us. Rather, Christmas is real, bonafide, genuine good news, and not simply good advice. This news tells us that someone else has acted on our behalf and informs us that something staggering has already been done for our benefit, if only we would see it.
Back to Keller,
"Let’s say there is an invading army coming toward a town. What that town needs is military advisers; it needs advice. Someone should explain that the earthworks and trenches should go over there, the marksmen go up there, and the tanks must go down there.
However, if a great king has intercepted and defeated the invading army, what does the town need then? It doesn’t need military advisers; it needs messengers, and the Greek word for messengers is angelos, angels. The messengers do not say, “Here is what you have to do.” They say rather, “I bring you glad tidings of great joy.” In other words, “Stop fleeing! Stop building fortifications. Stop trying to save yourselves. The King has saved you.” Something has been done, and it changes everything."
What is often hidden in the Christmas season is that Christianity is not primarily about improving ourselves, nor is it simply a place to get some motivation or guidance for life. Undoubtedly, the gospel has massive implications in that regard. But first and foremost, Christmas sends a message that you need to be saved and that you cannot be saved in the slightest by what you can do, but rather by what Jesus has done.
Again from Keller,
Jesus comes as the Light into the darkness of our world because we are too spiritually blind to find our own way. Jesus became mortal and died because we are too morally ruined to be pardoned any other way. Jesus gave himself to us, and so we must give ourselves wholly to him. We are, therefore, “not [our] own” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Christmas, like God himself, is both more wondrous and more threatening than we imagine."
If the biblical story began, “Once upon a time,” if it is inspiring advice and not the declaration of the greatest events in history, then it is all nonsense. But this is not how the story begins. Instead what we have in Christmas is the splendor and magnificence of God on full display, revealing what is hidden for all to see.