One of the things I love about the Christmas story is how it is totally inclusive. All of society gets to hear about the arrival of Jesus! – from the harassed workers (the innkeeper and the shepherds) to the rich academics (the Magi) to the king (Herod), not to mention how the line between heaven and earth is blurred as angels proclaim the good news and sights are seen that are rarely repeated in the rest of history.
The gospel is good news for everyone, as Rend Collective’s song ‘Rescuer’ makes clear. It doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor, illiterate or educated, male or female: Christ came to be the Saviour of the world. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. There are simply no exceptions to this. It doesn’t matter if we’re disabled or healthy; it doesn’t matter what our nationality is; it doesn’t matter where we live in the world. All we have to do to receive everlasting life is to believe that God sent His Son to save the world.
Christmas reminds us that life isn’t just about the time we spend on earth. Life can go far beyond our earthly lifespan; it can encompass eternity. Christ existed before time; He is the eternal ‘I AM’ (Jn 8:58). He was, and is, and is to come. (Rev 1:8) We can all be included in this redemption story. The only thing that can prevent our inclusion is our refusal to believe.