日子已到 The day has come

Title: The day has come
Date: 24th Dec 2021
Preacher: Rev. Wong Siow Hwee

In my sharing today, I will start with a reflection on sorrow, but I will end my message with hope. Why start with sorrow? Sorrow is very much part and parcel of the Christmas story. Jesus didn’t exactly come into this world with a rousing red carpet reception. In the Advent devotions on John 1, there are a couple of verses that are especially heart-breaking. John 1: 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. I don’t think John was being bitter or accusative, but really just factually describing the reality of the historical encounter between humanity and the divine Word. As Christians, we would think that the Gospel message of love and grace would surely be well-received by all. But the world may often be too stubborn and fearful for the truth to shine. This rejection of Jesus was reflected in the Christmas story in the massacre of the innocents in Matthew 2. Herod was too insecure to receive the true king of the Jews, and he committed the atrocity of killing all the infants in Bethlehem just to get rid of Jesus. Jesus did not cause the pain, but his coming triggered the insecurities of those who felt threatened by him. In rejecting the king of kings and lord of lords, those who were desperate to keep up their pretense of power like Herod, inflicted and multiplied the sufferings of this world.

There are some who doubt the authenticity of this event, claiming that this is the most legend-like part of all the Christmas stories, even more so than the virgin birth. There are two reasons for their suspicions. One, there are no historical records of such a massacre in Bethlehem, even though they admit that historically speaking, Herod the Great was prone to such heinous deeds. However, this lack of historical record can be easily explained by the insignificance of the little town of Bethlehem. Though the event is still a tragic loss of innocent lives, it is estimated that there were probably only 10+ or 20+ infants in Bethlehem at that point in time, hardly noteworthy enough given those turbulent times. The second reason for their doubts is the similarity between this story and Moses’ story. If you recall the start of the book of Exodus, Moses’ birth was also accompanied by the massacre of innocents by Pharaoh. Could this be just an attempt to mimic Moses’ birth to make Jesus’ birth just as legendary?

The answer to this is yes and no. Yes, I believe Matthew might have intentionally paralleled Jesus’ life with Moses’. In Matthew, you also see Jesus giving the Sermon on the Mount, just like Moses on Mt Sinai. At the transfiguration, Jesus’ face also “shone like the sun”, just like Moses’ when he stood in God’s presence. It is possible that Matthew intended to portray Jesus as the new Moses, and I will talk about this significance later. However, I disagree that this is just pure mimicry to make Jesus’ birth as legendary as Moses’. The massacre of the innocents can still be a genuine historical event of Christmas, and besides linking Jesus to Moses, it also connects the coming of Jesus to the pain and suffering of this world. It is a bleak reminder of the salvation and deliverance that the world needs.

In mourning for the loss of innocent lives in the Christmas story, Matthew quoted from our passage today in Jeremiah 31. Matthew 2: 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” The original context of the Jeremiah passage was the pain and suffering of the exile. The next generation of Israel was going to a foreign land with an unknown future, and so Rachel, mother of the tribes of Joseph and Benjamin, who represented all the sorrowful mothers of the young, lamented their loss. In the same way, we mourn for the suffering and deaths of the young refugees of today’s world whether it is because of war, terrorism, or racial persecution. We empathize with the unnecessary sacrifice of innocent children who are often the collateral damage of the selfish agendas of the powerful.

But the sorrow shall transform into hope, just like a beautiful dream, as stated in Jeremiah 31: 25 “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” 26 At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me. 27 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord. Indeed, this dream became reality through Christmas, the birth of Christ. I believe Matthew quoted from Jeremiah 31 to remind us of the divine promises to comfort those in pain and suffering in this world. 17 “So there is hope for your descendants,” declares the Lord. “Your children will return to their own land.” Besides putting an end to the exile, the vision of Jeremiah includes a restoration of relationship with God. 18 Restore me, and I will return, because you are the Lord my God. God will forgive the sins of the older generation, and have a fresh start with the next generation. The kingdom of God will be prosperous and plentiful again.

Jeremiah used two imageries to describe this restoration. We are reminded of the imagery of the vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7 and Psalm 80:8-16 [1] that was judged and destroyed for its bad fruits. Yet God also promised personal oversight of its restoration. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord. The beauty of this imagery will be apparent to those who have done botany. God has planted the seeds and though the wait may be long, we need to have patience and hope. Just like a vineyard, we must look beyond the barren lands to expect a day of harvest.

Another imagery found in Jeremiah 31 is the parable of the lost son. (see Luke 15:11-32) We see a moving scene of the Father who waits longingly for the return of the son. 20 Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the Lord. There was a recent story in the news of a Chinese couple who reunited with their son who was abducted 14 years ago. [2] The couple searched relentlessly for 14 years until the child was found. Imagine what it is like for our heavenly father who loves us so much that he sent his only Son to restore us back to him. Though there would be many who reject Jesus, John 1: 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Brothers and sisters, the day has come. The day has come for sorrow to transform to hope, and for the restoration of the people of God to begin. In John 15, Jesus said, “I am the true vine” to tell us that the vineyard that was destroyed will be regrown and bear fruits, so long as we remain in him. In John 14, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life”, so that all the children who are lost or in exile can find their way home through Jesus. In the gospel of John, we see the visions and dreams of Jeremiah 31 becoming a reality. This is also the significance of Jesus as the new Moses. He will bring salvation to the people and renew the divine covenant with them. In John 10, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd” to bring us into the Promised Land through the sacrifice of his life. In that sense, he went beyond Moses, because Moses gave to the people the bread from heaven, but Jesus was the bread of Life (John 6:35) itself. Let the message of this Christmas be a source of hope whenever you are in the midst of sorrow. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. No matter how bleak your circumstances may be, you can entrust yourself to Jesus, and he will bring new life to you. Amen.

[1] https://www.jubilee.org.sg/sermons/?sermon_id=766
[2] https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/chinese-couple-reunited-with-son-abducted-14-years-ago

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Video Link
圣诞节前夕烛光崇拜视频链接
https://youtu.be/XDQqyoa3H-M