The Divine Crash

Recently I found myself in a discussion with another pastor about the meaning of Christmas.  This pastor told me that it didn’t matter if the Christmas story was true.  That what mattered was the meaning behind the story.  He went on to say that the virgin birth didn’t matter because it is impossible to have happened and what was important was the reason why Matthew and Luke would write about it.

Now, I am all about questioning authority, questioning tradition, and debating on whether or not it is important.

But at some point we have to be willing to put our foot down, stake our claim, and say this actually happened.

My response to this pastor was to say that if the virgin birth didn’t happen then the whole idea of Christianity is a myth because Jesus isn’t divine which means the crucifixion doesn’t matter and the resurrection is meaningless.

Now, as a pastor I have bet my life on the fact that these events actually happened.  If it were to come out that the Bible is a myth then my entire career plan is shot. I wasted my time in seminary, and I am wasting my time when my kids are crying when I leave for one more meeting.

Every Sunday I stand up and proclaim that these events actually happened and that these events matter 2,000 years later.  To claim anything else makes me into nothing more than a salesman pitching the ridiculous.

If these events didn’t happen then I become nothing more than a snake-oil salesman selling you eternity insurance.  It means that church is nothing more than greedy pigs building an empire.  If the virgin birth didn’t happen, then evangelism becomes nothing more than trying to get a bigger market share over other religions. If this whole thing is a myth then going to church is nothing more than a social club.

But, if the gospel is true and God really did become flesh and live among us only to die and be resurrected then everything changes!  Then the universe is different, love wins, and Jesus really is the most important message to proclaim and the only thing worth dying for.

So then, here is where I draw the line in the sand and say I don’t understand it all. It doesn’t always make sense but the events recorded in the Bible actually took place, they actually happened, and they have meaning and purpose for us right now, in this place at this time. If you disagree, that is fine, I just think you are wrong.

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Pastoral Life by RevBT