When we read the chapter one of Luke, we're reading about his take on events that occurred decades before he was ever around. So, for the audience he was writing to, the story would've been rich with symbolism and artistic expression.
And so, we have these characters: King Herod, Zacharias, Elizabeth, angels, and a son that isn't born yet.
King Herod is ruler of Judea.
Zacharias is old. He's a priest. He's from the line of Abijah. And Abijah was a name that would've been like a road sign for the audience. Why? Because he was from the lineage of King David.
Elizabeth was barren.
The angels announced that Elizabeth would have a child in her old age, named John.
If you were sitting in a living room while someone was reading this letter aloud, what would you think?
First of all, you would have been a good Jew - which means you would've been very familiar with where this story was pointing to.
For a Jew listening to this story for the first time, it would've brought up very familiar references to a similar couple, who were old, who didn't have kids, and who angels announced that they would have a kid (any of this ring a bell?).
If you guessed the story of Abraham and Sarah, correcto!
Why would the first chapter of Luke been a really good opening chapter to present the story of Jesus?
Because it was a way of telling the audience, "Something big's about to happen, but let me give you the backdrop first."
Luke is recreating a story that was very familiar to his Jewish audience. But it wasn't just familiar, it was the meat of their religious tradition. Abraham was the father of Judaism. And, it was common in Jewish literature, if you wanted to emphasize the importance of someone, you would always involve some divine beings connected to the character being built up. It was also common throughout Jewish texts to conceive important characters from women who were without children (because, if a woman has no chance of conceiving, and then has a child, the gods have obviously blessed her and the child must be divine).
So, Luke has the audience on the edges of their seats, waiting for what happens next.
The thing that fascinates me about the scriptures is how intentional the authors were in connecting their stories to the audience. These stories weren't pulled out of thin air, but were rich with meaning. They also weren't created in a vacuum, but were completely in step and in continuation with the ongoing stories of the audience.
The birth of Jesus (the next chapter) would've meant to the audience two things: something great would come of this child, and this child had divine connections.
So, what does it mean to us, in 2014, in a culture that has nearly removed the rich, Jewish context from the Christmas story?
Too often, the story is presented in a vacuum. A child is born, conceived by God, to a virgin, and the child is somehow destined to become savior of the world. And we're supposed to believe it, and accept it, and somehow let it change our hearts and fill us with joy. The truth is, if we can't be connected to the backdrop it's nearly impossible for the birth narrative to mean anything more than Santa Claus means to well-meaning parents of kids putting out cookies and milk.
When there's no backdrop, no artistic expression, no connection to the age old traditions that lead up to this child, why is it a surprise when Christmas is less about the story and more about the parties, the music, the [way too many] Christmas Eve services, and the presents?
The Jewish audience in Luke's time was under immense pressure from the Roman empire. They were constantly in flux between following the God if Israel and following the god of Rome. This pressure was building and building, and the Jewish audience knew that if something didn't happen soon, it would be bad news for their program. Roman emperors (for the most part) wanted no competition with foreign gods, so if they saw that a group was growing around a god other than himself, he would keep an eye on it and if needed, snuff it out.
This was Luke's way of saying, "Wait! Don't you dare give up now! Let me tell you about this story. You're story is not complete, you just haven't heard the rest of it. I guarantee that it'll inspire you, motivate you, and move you to look at your current circumstances in a completely different light."
The underlying message of the birth of Jesus is the same for us as it was for the Jewish audience listening to it at the time.
Our stories aren't over yet.
Are you sick and tired of living under the rule of someone else? Listen to this.
Are you sick and tired of constantly wondering when you'll get your freedom back? Listen to this.
Are you sick and tired of feeling hopeless? Listen to this.
Are you sick and tired of living in fear for your life? Listen to this.
Luke (as well as the other gospel writers) connected Jesus to their greatest hero Abraham, meaning that something new and important was underway - something that would recharge their movement, give them new life, and refuel their fledgling attitudes. Not only this, but something new in their psyches was starting as well. Luke was introducing them to a concept they'd never heard before, which was this:
The God you've been following this whole time wants you to know that Caesar isn't your king.
In the opening chapter of Luke, the audience would've also been mindblown about this: Abraham and Sarah conceived the child that essentially created Israel.
And so, a new Israel was being announced. And it would be through this new child that this new Israel would come.
Do you see how if you were sitting in a living room sipping coffee at the time of this message you wouldn't have been able to leave? Do you see how if you were a Jewish person under the thumb of Rome you would've been given new hope?
So, here's my conclusion: If the birth narrative of Jesus isn't providing some sort of motivation, inspiration, or hope, maybe you're reading it too literally. Maybe you're so caught off guard by the literary-allusion-turned-fact that you completely turn off to the whole thing.
Maybe you're not digging to find the principles behind the birth, and instead relying on the way-out-of-context, hand-fed stories that are all too familiar around this time of year.
The truth is, the Christmas story isn't about a day, or a season, or a linear time window. For the original audience, it was about adopting a whole new attitude. It was about seeing that the story wasn't over, but was just beginning. It was about seeing that who they thought was ruling over them really wasn't a threat at all, because they had a God who was pulling them forward into existence.
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