Peter Witkowski Discipleship

Christmas Reveals the Worst in People

dark-side-of-humanity.gifThe Christmas holidays is perhaps one of the greatest sources of hope for humanity. We gather together to eat big family meals, we exchange presents with long lost relatives, and we take an interest in the poor and broken. The very lights on the street seem to boldly proclaim that hope for humanity does exists. As Lady Gaga recently said, “Kindness is the cure to violence and hatred around world.” Is there a kinder time than Christmas for the western world? Let the hope bubble up anew.

And though the world is understandably hopeful at Christmas, we must recall that this is not the point of Christmas. The point of Christmas is not that a lifetime of kindness can change the world. The point of Christmas is that humanity is beyond fixing. The point of Christmas is that humanity forces the kindest person in the world, Jesus, into stable and then seeks to violently kill the baby that offers to heal the sick and to restore the broken-hearted. The greatest gift of kindness is met with some of the greatest expressions of human violence and hatred that the world has ever known. The message of Christmas is that men and women are hopeless race devoted to violence and hatred. Even the best of us violently reject God’s loving design for our lives. In short, the message of Christmas is one of human despair. As the philosopher Bertrand Russell once said of the human condition:

The life of Man is a long march through the night, surrounded by invisible foes, tortured by weariness and pain, towards a goal that few can hope to reach, and where none may tarry long.

But that is not the end of the story. Christmas is also comes with a message of divine hope. Men and women are not left condemned to wonder through clouds of doom on their way to death.

In Isaiah 9:2, the prophet says,

The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

The story of Christmas is the story of how a great light broke into our dark world. It is the story of how the Son of God came to earth as a baby to fix our relationships and to usher in peace between us and God. It is the story of how our God suffered poverty, loneliness, hate, and even death to overcome the violence and hatred that ultimately lead to his death on the cross. Christmas is not about our acts of kindness; it is about how Jesus’ one act of kindness ( his death, burial, and resurrection) liberated all of God’s children from this world of doom. Christmas is hopeful precisely because it is all about Christ.

And Christ is not the ultimate motivator of human self-advancement; he is the savior. He is as Isaiah wrote the, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” He is the God of the universe who sacrificed all to save us from our despair. This Christmas and every Christmas, we should seek to make much of him as we talk to our kids, as we open presents, and as we interact with our families.Christmas is a time of hope!

How do you point people to Christ at Christmas?

Peter Witkowski Christmas

The Nativity Cures Holiday Blues

Christmas-Time-BlogEven though the tree up was up, the advent calendar was hung, and our outside lights were twinkling about the night air, my third-grade life was still rather drab. I had to plod along with school work. Chores had to be done. And Christmas specials on T.V. could only take me so far.

If anything, time seemed to slow down. Hours became days; days turned into weeks; and, weeks became almost unmeasurable. Oh for Christmas, new toys, and to have fun again. Would that happy day ever come?

Of course, the answer is, “yes.” Time doesn’t really slow down. And December 25 pops up like clockwork every year at exactly the same time.

But, the sentiment of futility doesn’t end with childhood. When we look around our world, it can be tempting to think, that no one cares. It can be tempting to think that God doesn’t care. We are just living life, doing our thing, and eating our cereal without any real purpose. Sadly, the holidays often highlight our loneliness and insignificance.

Thankfully, the Christmas story is the perfect antidote for holiday depression. Through the nativity, God reveals that all things work together for his glory and the good of his people. Everything has a divine purpose. And, we should trust the God who rules the universe.

Sometime around 6 B.C, the Emperor Augustus enacted the census the put Marry and Joseph on the road to Bethlehem. At the time, Augustus was focused on paying his armies, on defeating the rebellious Germanic tribes in northern Gaul (Modern Day France) and on keeping his daughter and grandsons from creating yet another family scandal. He barely mentioned the census in his memoirs. And his historians ignored it all together. In short, the census was not that important. And, the Emperor cared nothing about the little Jewish couple traversing Judea. And why would he?

But the king of kings did. Over 700 years earlier, God had declared that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Long before Augustus was born,  before Rome was founded, and before Adam and Eve sinned, God had a purpose for Rome. He established the empire in part so that His word would come true, so that the savior would be born in Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph

The first lesson of Luke 2 is that God cares about his people and their struggles. Despite appearances, nothing is insignificant, pointless or trivial in God’s sight. We do not wander aimlessly about for no reason. The Lord rules over, moves, and works everything for his glory and for the good of his people (Math 10:29-30). Even, “the authorities that exist have been established by God” (Rom. 31:1b). God uses everything in his power to bless his people through Jesus Christ.

Don’t lose heart this Christmas season even when life is hard. Eternal life and true joy are not dependent on our circumstances, stuff, or human relationships. Life and joy are dependent on the God who rules over our circumstances. If he can wield Rome for his glory, he can care for you. Trust him. After all, Christmas is coming!

Peter Witkowski Christmas

Airplanes, Lying Prophets, and the Hope of Christmas

Airplanes lying prophets and the hope of ChristmasIt was here! To my grade school psyche, the Sears Wish Book announced the commencement of the Christmas season like nothing else could. The catalogue’s glossy pages were filled with completely with toys. Quite naturally, the Wish Book deserved my full attention.

One year while I sat on my bottom bunk bed relishing the joy of the Wish Book, I saw it: the glorious P-40, G.I. JOE airplane 1/54 scale. At that moment, my little heart was smitten. I wanted that toy with every ounce of my body. But somehow as the scent of fresh baked cookies and cinnamon candles announced the rapid approach of Christmas, I neglected to let my parents know about the toy. Christmas came and went without any sign of the P-40. Slightly crushed, I determined not to let that mistake happen the next year.

The following November, I grabbed the Wish Book with marker in hand. I was going to highlight my toy of choice for all to j. i. joie p40see. But, I could not find the P-40! I scanned through every one of the pages. Then, I scanned them again. Still in shock, I flipped through the pages a third time. To my horror, the plane was gone! I looked in other catalogues, but it was nowhere to be found. Many more Christmas came and went without the P-40. But every year, I kept searching for the toy, trusting that one day I would find it!

In a much more meaningful manner, the story of Christmas is also about longing. As generations of Jews before him and after him, the prophet Zephaniah longed for the coming Messiah. Zephaniah looked at ancient Israel and saw evil succeeding. The rich took advantage of the poor. The prophets lied and cheated. And the priest openly defied God. Even pagan nations mocked the God of Israel. The world needed a savoir!

Many of us can empathize with Zephaniah. As we prepare for this wonderful Christmas season, we too see the effects of sin. We are rightfully saddened when we noticed empty chairs that were once filled with the pleasant smiles of loved ones who have passed away. We groan quietly under our breathe as we hear about crimes committed against innocent people. And, we all still have to deal with the ugly sins that plague our own lives, families, and communities.

navitiy setBut here is the exciting news: We have hope! Zephaniah encouraged those around him to, “Be Glad and rejoice will all your heart,” because the Savior is coming (3:14b). He will punish the wicked. More importantly he will save! “The king of Israel, the Lord is in your midst…..The Mighty One, who will save (3:15b,17b).” The prophet looked forward to the coming Messiah because he would remove the reproach of sin from those who believed on Jesus’ name. He would quiet people’s cries for help with his love. He would exalt the lame and the hurting, gathering them to himself. Lips that were once filled with moaning would be turned to joy!

At Christmas, we celebrate the arrival of this long awaited Messiah. We recognize that Christ offers eternal happiness and peace to every person who repents and trusts Jesus as his or her savior! Admittedly, not all sorrow has ended. Although Jesus initiated his kingdom at his birth, he has not fully established it. However, he promises to return and to fully reign. Today we look forward to the complete fulfillment of God’s kingdom when all of the promises that Zephaniah spoke of will be reality. This Christmas let us rejoice that Christ has come to save and that he comes again to reign!        

Joy to the world! The Lord is come
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing