Recapitulation is not just an important part of teaching, but an essential element in all areas of education.
It is necessary to repeat these central basic facts regarding the birth of Jesus, which took place at the beginning of October during the Feast of Tabernacles, because man has tried to adorn the incarnation of the Son of God with much fantasy.
Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, outside of what we would categorize as a one-star hotel, where the animals were staying, nothing emotional or sentimental about that.
Wasn’t he wrapped in lovely and cozy ‘diapers’? Well yes, but Dr. Luke makes it clear that he was wrapped in medical bandages.
There was no doctor or nurse present, 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 they were not trusted to be reliable witnesses in a court of law, yet God announced the birth of His Son to the shepherds, in the same way that we placed an ad in the newspaper today.
Jesus came to save people from their sins. Many people would like God to take care of their difficult situations, serious problems or sickness and pain, or even circumstances around our troubled world first.
Jesus came primarily to deal with sin, and as sin is fully and adequately handled, many of the other pressing matters will gradually disappear, but always remembering that the perplexities that cause unease and distress throughout the world will only be resolved satisfactorily when the resurrected live. Jesus returns.
That is also a fact, which not only needs to be taught, but must 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.
Life is rarely how we thought it was going to be.
The stone that sealed the door of the tomb had been moved and there was no dead Jesus inside. How would you have reacted? While they are puzzled, perplexed and wondering what the hell has happened, two angels appear. What would your answer be now?
They are challenged with: Why do you search among the dead for the one who lives? This is the cemetery. He is not here. It has risen. Don’t you remember that Jesus told you that he would be handed over to sinful men, crucified, and resurrected three days later?
Two of these have already happened. Couldn’t you 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 grave.
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 as they always had been, and God can have a difficult job changing 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 do everything right the first time, as long as we are willing to learn. We all need to be reminded of the words of Jesus, and we may need to be reminded frequently.
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 great relevance to the White House, Downing Street in London and the leadership in the United Nations.
Sandy shaw
