During this time of year when so much pageantry and celebration is happening, the thoughtful person tends to reflect upon the real purpose of Christmas, the birth of the anointed one, the Christ, the big bambino, you know the sultan of swat. He was sent from God. He came to us. He was made in the flesh like us. He died for us. He was taken to heaven. And here is the catch, we are predestined to be like him, to be conformed to his image (Romans 8:29). He was the first born of many to be like him.
(I feel a little like Bud Abbott in "Who's on First". At some point in this great routine Abbott said"I don't even know what I am talking about").
He became like us so we could be come like him? Genesis says originally we were made in the image of God (Gen.1:27 - note the we means male and female). Of course that did not last long so we fell from that created state. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us plainly that Christ is the imago Dei (the image of God). And it warns that if we do not see this then we have been blinded by the god of this world. Are the images of Christmas blinding me or helping me? Am I seeing clearly what I am celebrating? Am I seeing the Christ, the anointed one? Have I found where he lays? If so where am I seeing this? Like the wise men saying "where shall we find him"?
We are definitely in deep Theological waters when we reach to understand who and what is being talked about when we speak of the "image of God". Paul talks of being changed in the twinkly of an eye (1Cor.15:51-52) and as "we borne the earthy image, we will bear the heavenly image" (1Cor.15:49). What does change into a heavenly image have to do with Christmas and finding the birthed Christ?
We were made in God's image. We fell in some way from that image. Christ came to earth as the imago Dei (Col.1:15). We are to be changed, (predestined to conform) to the image of Christ (in case your wondering summovrfouß is the word Paul uses for conformed which means literally "with change". Sum morphous, English would be our metamorphous). So we have this change taking place in us into the image of Christ. Christmas is the time to celebrate Christ birth. I should have it clearly in my mind what this looks like, right? Is our celebration about the plastic baby in the nativity scene?
Christmas brings about so many images. We have images of sugar plums dancing in our heads. Santa and his reindeers, rudolph the red, frosty, just plain presents and toys, the eastern star, the nativity, with the wise men, and don't forget the Christmas tree, are all images closely associated with Christ's coming, oh yeah, Angels too, and elves. By the way, the word in Greek for image, yes you guessed it, it is eikon - icon. You know the little idols made with hands. The making of images and idols is prohibited again and again in the Pentateuch (Ex.20:4, Lev.26:1 Deu.4:16). The one true image that seems to be missing from my Christmas list of icons is the imago Dei. So we are commanded not to have any icons or idol other than God. But to visualize this is difficult. Christ is the image of the invisible God. What does that mean? Where can this image of Christ be found and what will it look like? If I am to celebrate it, I must find it. One key for us maybe found in Romans 8:29. Here it tells us that the way we can be sure that we are worshiping and celebrating the true image is that we are being changed.
I know this because Paul links change to the birth of Christ. A full reading of Romans 8:29 gives us this promise, o{ti ou}ß proe√gnw, kai… prow◊risen summovrfouß th:ß ei∆kovnoß tou: uiÔou: aujtou:, ei∆ß to; ei«nai aujto;n prwtovtokon e∆n polloiæß a˙delfoiæß` It says we are changed (metamorphosed) into his image the one who was first born of many brothers (and sisters). So maybe the real celebration is the birthing of Christ in us. It is his birth in us who are being changed into His image, the imago Dei. Am I in the right place, celebrating and worshiping the right image? If change is happening then I am. Is my focus on wether I got a lot of presents or had a rockin' time? Or was it that I changed this Christmas? Did I go through a metamorphosis? Was the anointed one, Christ, born within me. Did I have a new birthing of anointing from God. Or am I the same man fallen and blinded by the images of the god of this world? The big man and his eight not so real reindeers, did they help or hinder?
I want to start this New Year off with the image of God being wrought in my life. Changed into His image is for me the true celebration of the birth of Christ. And I want to be among the many sisters and brothers who feel the same. That is my "home for Christmas".
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