Recapitulation is not only an important part of teaching, but an essential element in all areas of education.
It is necessary to repeat these central basic facts about the birth of Jesus, which took place in early October during the Feast of Tabernacles, because man has tried to dress up the incarnation of the Son of God with much fantasy.
Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, outside of what we would classify as a one-star hotel, where the animals were staying, nothing emotional or sentimental about that.
Wasn’t He wrapped in lovely and cozy ‘swaddles’? Well, yes, but Dr. Luke makes it clear that he was wrapped in medical bandages.
There was no doctor or nurse waiting, no midwife present, to take and wash the newborn Jesus and present him to Mary.
Did the angels really appear? Yes, but to the shepherds in the fields a mile away. These shepherds were like night watchmen. They were not highly regarded by society, and were not trusted as reliable witnesses in a court of law, yet God announced the birth of his Son to the shepherds, just as today we publish a notice in the newspaper.
Jesus came to save people from their sins. Many people would like God to deal first with their difficult situations, serious problems or sickness and pain, or even the circumstances of our troubled world.
Jesus came primarily to deal with sin, and as sin is fully and adequately dealt with, many of the other urgent matters will gradually disappear, but always remembering that the perplexities that cause worldwide discomfort and anguish will only be satisfactorily resolved when the resurrected live Jesus returns.
That too is a fact, which not only needs to be taught, but needs to be repeated and repeated.
There is a very appropriate parallel to the end of the physical life of Jesus Christ on earth.
When the women went to anoint the crucified body of Jesus Christ, the situation was not what they expected to find.
Life is rarely what we thought it would be.
The stone that sealed the door of the sepulcher had been moved, and inside was not dead Jesus. How would you have reacted? While they are bewildered, perplexed and wondering what the hell has happened, two angels appear. What would your answer be now?
They are challenged with – Why do you seek among the dead the one who lives? This is the cemetery. He is not here. He has risen. Don’t you remember that Jesus told you that he would be delivered into the hands of sinful men, he would be crucified, and he would rise again three days later?
Two of these have already happened. Couldn’t believe for the third?
Then they remembered the words of Jesus. All kinds of confusion and bewilderment arise when we forget the words of Jesus. They had seen him taken down from the cross and put in that tomb.
Common sense says that the dead do not rise. Not so this time. They were so wrong. Circumstances had changed.
They expected things to be the way they always have been, and God can have a hard job changing us from our expectations and opening us up to what He is doing and saying.
But God doesn’t get mad at us if we don’t get everything right the first time, as long as we’re willing to learn. We all need reminders of Jesus’ words, and we may need reminders often.
It is when we forget, ignore, or reject His Word, individually or nationally, that things tend to go terribly wrong.
This could be a word of vital importance and very relevant to the White House, Downing Street in London and the leadership at the United Nations.
sand shaw
