November 2000
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Published with the belief that God acknowledges no distinction between the secular and the sacred.
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In this issue:
Christmas is not too far down the road; actually the celebration is less than 60 days away. In anticipation of the holiday the stores are stockpiling a fresh supply of Jesus junk: crosses, cute little creches, and all kinds of "Christian" commercial refuse designed for the religious sentimentalists who wish to show how much they love Jesus. Most of this merchandise is terribly offensive to God because it symbolically devalues the true worth of His Son.
People are way too comfortable with the Babe in the manger. In a postmodern world the creche no longer communicates the ultimate significance of Christ's birth; rather, it represents His vulnerability. God-hating sinners love the baby Jesus because He is harmless and helpless. Yet, let that Kid in the cradle grow up to be a man, let Him assert that He came to die in the stead of those who live under the wrath of a righteous Judge, let Him proclaim His resurrection from the dead and His imminent return, let Him declare His deity, let Him call upon men and women to embrace Him alone as their Lord and Savior and watch what happens: those baby lovers immediately become Christ killers, crying out, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Manger scenes sell big time only because the meek and mild Child is socially acceptable, whereas the Christ of the Cross most definitely is not.
Sad to say, clever capitalism has also managed to obscure even the grotesque nature of the Cross by marketing it as a piece of beautiful jewelry. Cross-shaped necklaces and earrings made of silver or gold are sold by the millions. But there was never anything pretty about the tree upon which our Savior hung. Rather, it was a rough-hewn instrument of extreme torture, sticky with the blood of the sinless Man who gave up His life for the sake of sinful men. Jesus endured the sufferings of the Cross so we may enjoy the blessings of eternal life. Shiny trinkets tend to cheapen the costly work of redemption. There are significantly wiser ways of demonstrating love for the Lord during the Christmas season. Instead of placing so much emphasis upon decorating ourselves and our homes with Jesus junk we might try preaching the Gospel, living godly lives and loving the brethren.
