Potential Restored

Luke 2:1-14

As human beings, who are we? Where did we come from? What is our potential? In this article I am writing from the belief that human beings were created by God. As Christians we believe that God exist apart from His creation. The bible records an account of God creating the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1-2 Human beings are created with the potential to refine and beautify the earth. God creates humankind and establishes a covenant with them. In Genesis 3 the man and the woman disobeys God; essentially breaking the covenant. God’s Spirit leaves them and their potential is interrupted. Human being are born in sin and sin prevents us from realizing our full potential.

Human beings have accomplished great things, but it seems that there continues to be a struggle to eliminate the hostilities that exist between people and to establish a lasting peace. The good news is that God has done in Jesus Christ what human beings cannot do on their own strength. For Christians, the Christmas story is about what God has done to reestablish the covenant relationship with mankind that existed in the beginning. Through His Son Jesus, God restores human potential. Our text for this article is an account of God announcing that God has come to the earth in the person of Jesus Christ to restore us to our full potential.

The story of Jesus’ birth actually begins in Genesis 12:1-3. God calls Abram and tells him to leave his country and go to a land that God will show him. God with bless him with descendants and land, God promises to bless all the people of the earth through Abram. God says to Abram, “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). Today, in the Middle East there is tension and war over land. However, verse three is not a statement about land. Rather, it is a statement about God’s intent to provide a means for all the people of the earth to be restored to a right relationship with God. The apostle Paul states this truth. In his argument that salvation is of faith rather than works of the Law (Galatians 2-3) he writes, “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is Christ” (Gal. 3:16, NASB). Thus, Paul says that God saves us through the Son Jesus Christ.

The story of Jesus’ birth continues in the writings of the prophets and the psalms in the Old Testament, and the birth narratives found in Matthew and Luke. The angel Gabriel announce to a virgin named Mary that she will conceive a child by the Holy Spirit, His name is Jesus because He saves His people from their sins. His name is called Immanuel which means God is with us. The angel visits Joseph her husband in a dream and explains to him that his wife is not guilty of being unfaithful to the marriage bed. Rather, she is pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph marries Mary. Joseph and Mary live in Galilee, in a town called Nazareth. God uses the emperor of Rome to get Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, the place where prophets have foretold that the Messiah is to be born.

Luke writes: “Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth” (Lk 2:1, NASB). “Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David” (v. 4). Luke writes, “And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (v. 7).

Now, this passage has theological significance. First, God exist outside the world that He created. Although God is in the world, the world is not large enough to contain God. Isaiah learns this truth in a vision. “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple” (Is. 6:1, NASB). That the world and nothing in it can contain God symbolizes that God cannot be controlled by the world. This is good news because if the world could control God, He would be unable to save the world from sin. Sin separates mankind from God, and sin interrupts the potential that he was created with.

A second theological implication might be that the crowded inn symbolizes that the world, that is the world systems and mind—set, has no room for God. God offers Himself to man. But history shows us that most of humanity rejects God. Jesus comes to offer peace between God and humanity. The church is made up of people who have been called out of the world into the community of faith.

After Mary gives birth to her son an angel goes to shepherds that are in the field watching their flock. Shepherds live in the world and they provide a great service in the world. They take care of the sheep that are sacrificed in the temple. Yet, the shepherds are considered to be low class people; rejected by mainstream society. The angel goes to this outcast people and makes an announcement to them. Luke records what the angel says to the shepherds as they gaze in fear: “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:10-11). The angel says to the shepherds what God had told Abram when God said: “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:4).

Jesus comes to save us, and He restores human potential; the potential that human beings were created with; a potential that was interrupted and lost. The bible does not give us details of what God had planned for the human family. Rather, the majority of the Holy Scriptures is about how a gracious God has allowed the human family to continue to try to make it on their own without success. Jesus is born. He is the Son of God. He is the Savior of the world. He is the way to God. Jesus says, “No comes to the Father but through Me (Jn. 14:6). A restoration to a right relationship with God is for all people made possible through Jesus Christ. The shepherds hear the heavenly host as they praise God. They say, “‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased”’ (Lk. 2:14, NASB).

While Matthew’s birth narrative is written to Jews, Luke’s narrative is written to Gentiles. Matthew proves from the Hebrew Scriptures that Jesus is the long awaited promised Messiah. Luke writes that the Savior is not for Jews only. He is the hope of all the families of the earth.

Does Jesus’ birth alone give us peace with God? Does Jesus’ birth alone restore human potential? No, but Jesus makes it possible for everyone to be united with God. We must have faith, because God saves us by grace alone through faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9). Paul declares, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1, NASB).

Human beings do not reach their full potential as individuals and as a whole in this life. Our hope is in the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus lives and we will live with Him in the kingdom of God. This is the good news that brings us hope, joy, and peace as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this Christmas season.