This Christmas greeting is really written for two very different people. First there is still an unsolved murder of a local boxer Andrew Gover. Those readers of this site may or may not know that June of this year the rapist and murderer of a friend apparently killed himself on death row. The result is a saga that began before this site began with a phone call June 1993 I participated in program crew LLYC for the most part ended. Now for the reader not familiar the links provided are nothing to do with Christmas. There is only one murderer on mind the way and those eyes are on this page continue reading.

First of all the scholarship on when Christ was born tend to differ on the actual date agreeing only that it was not…December 25! Before Civil War tradition in New England and areas of strong Protestantism did not celebrate Christmas at all. Much of what we celebrate as traditions goes back to Latin and Pagan Europe Festivus and Saturnalia. Roman Soldiers before Christ and pagans in Latvia would recognize much of what is Christmas today….despite that we look into the real historical event celebrated on a date it did not occur. I would love the murderer to hang tight here this is where the fun begins.

The story when you look at has tons of absurd elements that shock and violate the conscience of the Roman World and Hebrew mind. We have a priest called to do the annual sacrifice that for the first time in six hundred years encounters a holy presence in the holy of holies…he can not believe and is therefore rendered mute leaving the announcement of what is to come to be made by his wife who while very old in age became pregnant with John the Baptist the last prophet. The story only gets more wild.

The Old Testament has a book called Lamentations….the fall of divided Kingdoms North and South of Israel was truly a tragic event for the Jewish people. Within this event though are the very seeds planted of a fulfilled covenant the descendants of more numerous then grains of sand at a beach. In this very darkest hour of Israel the prophecy of Messiah was spread….to that one night would hear the birth announcement. Gentiles would worship Messiah in their archives of military plunder they too had been notified. The Unclean people were told of the one born in a stable!

The story continues in its weirdness. The God of Universe becomes human not in a palace not in the high and mighty lap of luxury but rather in a stable and laid in food trough for animals. Cesear was definitely not informed of what was going on in the city near Jerusalem. Herod heard the news second hand. Now after the birth who nearby heard the news. In the Old Testament you see an Angel you were confronted with the Holiness of God something major was going on. Angel’s often meant doom unclean man holy God. The mute priest was followed by the lowest of the low that saw the radical shift between God and man. The news was good Messiah was born. It was great news that only shepherds and Gentiles heard.

What we are left with is stunning moment in Human history the word made flesh enters human history in the lowest most shockingly humble way possible. Those on outside of a society and those on the bottom wrung of society are the first to know and first to respond. God’s might is revealed in a mewling puking baby born to poor nobodies who happen to be descended from a Royal line mixed with Gentile blood. What an awesome reality and what a piece of truly liberating piece of news. So to the murderer of Andrew Gover I shout behold the Lamb who takes away the sin was born in stable. The infant in the food trough beckons me as my knee collapses before him the lamb will be slaughtered and resurrected. The powerful rich and mighty mocked by a baby born in stable. Yes the shocking truth while I cringe the memory of the open casket I want you to behold the Lamb this shockingly wild event happened! So I will celebrate and desire you to know this greatest gift.