The Return

Without a doubt, it was a surprise to see Josiah standing in our living room. He certainly wasn't supposed to be there. In fact, he wasn't supposed to be anywhere in the United States. Truth be told, I figured he was jogging along some beach in Mexico, or perfecting the surfing skills he's learning. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Josiah is my son, the eldest son in fact, and he works as a student counselor in a school in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Several months before Christmas, he had told me that he couldn't afford to fly home for the holiday. I was disappointed, but understood and, more importantly, believed him. In retrospect, the latter was a mistake on my part. He lied. All of my boys had lied. They had actually planned it when he left. The thought process must have gone something like this, "Let's surprise the old man at Christmas. We'll tell him Josiah's not coming home, but then he will come home. It'll be a nice little shock for the ancient one." Well, they lied, it did surprise me, and it was a wonderful Christmas.

But now, Christmas is over, and I just put Josiah on a plane bound for Mexico. In the coming days, people all across the world will be taking down Christmas trees, packing away decorations, and nativity sets will be carefully wrapped and stored. Everything, including the porcelain baby, will be carried to some safe spot where it will lay quietly until Christmas rolls around again.

It occurs to me that, for many, this yearly interaction with the baby Jesus is as close as they want to come to the eternal. It's as close as they want to come to the divine and holy. Yearly, they will bring the child out of storage, and neatly place him in his proper position on the mantle with Mary and Joseph. They will surround him with shepherds, wise men and an assortment of animals. A nonthreatening, inoffensive , unobjectionable porcelain baby Jesus.

It seems as if most people want to remember him as that harmless little baby born on Christmas. But it's certainly not the end of the story. Jesus grew to manhood. He grew into a man who became offensive to the religious leaders of the day. He grew to become a man who was a threat to the seemingly pious and self righteous leaders of his time. He grew to be a man to whom religion showed nothing but objection. He would be mocked, ridiculed, spit upon and finally lashed, nearly to the point of death, before he was nailed to a tree. It wasn't neat and tidy. He wasn't nonthreatening, inoffensive or unobjectionable. But human kind is more comfortable with an innocuous porcelain Jesus.

It is why, I think, so many people celebrate the birth of the baby, and so few truly adore the life he would live, the death he would die, or the life he now lives. You see, it's hard to be offended by a baby. It's hard to be threatened by the porcelain little child surrounded by his parents, and shepherds, and cute little animals. But the man he grew into will stagger you. He will threaten your sense of self-sufficiency, and the kingdom your ego has built for itself. He will offend your pride, tear apart your arrogance, and confront your sinfulness. The person of Christ will tear down everything you are so that he can build you into everything he needs you to be in him. The man will compel you to truly, "Take up your cross and follow him." It is done in love. It is done to give you peace and joy. The helpless little baby grew into a man who will astonish you in the thoroughness of his sifting.

This man, Jesus, offended people in his time. He offends people in our time. But, truth be told, the biggest offense is yet to come. And that's my purpose in mentioning Josiah's Christmas surprise. You see, this same Jesus is coming again. Only this time, it won't be as a helpless little baby. This time it won't be revealed only to a few. But, to be sure, this time it will be a surprise to the world. It is true, Josiah's surprise return is miniscule compared to the surprise that is coming when the Father turns to the Son and says, "It's time."

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse,

and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True,

And in righteousness He judges and wages war.

His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and

He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.

He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron;

and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written,

"KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

Revelation 19:11-16 (NASB)

I think it's his eyes that will offend most people. People, perhaps, who year after year have religiously placed that porcelain little baby neatly on the mantle in the midst of Mary and Joseph. People, perhaps, who have religiously occupied a spot on a church pew every Sunday for decades. Many such people will look into those eyes that are a flame of fire and hear the words, "I do not know you." For Christ is not returning for the religious, he is returning for those who are his. And people will be offended. People will be threatened as they look into those eyes, and I am sure that if they could speak, they would object. But the eyes will keep them silent, and in their hearts they will know the truth. They really do not know this King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

My advice, for what it's worth, is to get to know the man the baby became. Receive the life he lived, the death he died, and the life he now lives. Don't be content with a porcelain baby Jesus, but press on to know the salvation and life offered by the man he became.

As the new year begins, my goal is the same as it has been for the past three decades. To know that man better. To know him deeper. To anticipate the day he returns, and to be confident that I will be able to look into those eyes that are a flame of fire and see recognition.

Have a blessed 2011!