Few people disagree that Christmas is a great story.
If God really created the universe, then He created time and space. That is, He lives in a dimension where time and space don’t exist. Everything we understand as place or hour was created out of the Big Bang. If God really is the creator of everything, and He chose to enter time and space for us… wow… that’s an incredible story.
On the other hand, almost everyone agrees the planning was terrible. Why be born in an era with no mass communication channels? Why limit yourself to being just a man, for just thirty-something years? Why be limited to one place and one time?
This opens the door to a very common question: if Jesus is the only way to God, what happens to the people in India? (I don’t know why, but there’s a huge concern about the salvation of people in India). Of course, that question assumes we are at the center of God’s plan, as if Jesus had been born yesterday and right around here, and so it’s a shame that all the other humans are very far from God and His plan.
But this question is important, because it defines the character of “God’s plan.” If He came for one, He came for all. But if He didn’t come for all, then He didn’t come for any. So we can ask ourselves: is there a distance that is too great for God?
The Christmas story, as told by Matthew, begins with “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod”… Matthew makes a point of contextualizing the story with time and space. The reason several texts in the New Testament cite eyewitnesses by name, dates, and locations is that the New Testament authors wanted to make clear that this event is more than a myth, more than a fable — it really is history.
The text continues, saying “Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’”
You’ve certainly seen Christmas decorations with a nativity scene. Any of us can easily list the actors in that scene. A manger with a baby. Mary and Joseph. Some sheep. The shepherds. If you saw the updated 2.0 version, there were probably some angels in there. A horse and a cow too… and over there in the corner, three… Wise Men!?!? Kings!?!? No! Three MAGI.
That’s right. Forget everything you were told about there being three of them (that comes from the fact they brought three gifts, no other reference says there were three of them); or about them being kings. No! They were magi. Magicians! There, in the original Christmas scene, were Mary, Jesus, Joseph, some shepherds, some animals and Harry Potter!
These Magi were followers of Zoroaster. Totally esoteric. Some of them were alchemists! ALCHEMISTS!!! And alchemists are known for taking common elements and turning them into noble elements. Hmmmmm… Noble elements like: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh!!! BOOOOM!
They weren’t Hebrews. They didn’t believe in the same God of the Jews. They hadn’t read Moses’ scriptures or the book of the prophet Isaiah. So how did they reach Jesus, again? That’s right! By following the stars. They were ASTROLOGERS! They were studying the Zodiac when they saw that “the king of the Jews has been born.” Notice they don’t call Jesus “King of the Jews” to say “He’s not our king.” No. They simply know that’s not their religion, so they’re not sure they’ll be accepted by Him; that’s why they say: Where is the king of the Jews so that we may worship him. In that Persian religion, there was a prophecy about a deliverer born of a virgin.
In the middle of that religion, in what is today Iran. With no sacred scriptures. Without Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Without the prophets of the Old Testament. God releases His truth so that those who are really seeking can find Him.
When we ask: And what about the Indians? — what we’re really trying to ask is about ourselves: What if I had been born Hindu? Buddhist? What if I had grown up in a home or country that was mostly agnostic or atheist? What if I were so far away that God couldn’t find me?
The God who became man, who chose to enter time and space, is not limited to a book, a religion, a country, or a time period. The only distance that really matters is the one you put in your own heart.
Many people ask: If God really existed; if He really cared about me, He would speak to me.
But the scriptures say the entire universe declares His glory. Everything that was created is shouting at us: Don’t you see? Every sunset, every wave in the sea, every little bird. The Universe points to Him.
There are those who say: Ah, but that’s too obscure, I’d want something more specific. Well, for those we have the scriptures. And their answer is: No… now you’re being too specific and limiting people’s reach.
What we learn from these magi is that God can speak clearly through a star if you’re really looking for Him.
That’s why Jesus entered time and space. Not to limit, or to exclude, but to make the invitation of grace, forgiveness, and love unlimited.
A month ago I was talking to a friend, arguing several answers to the questions he was asking about God’s existence, the Bible’s reliability, Christianity, etc.…
In that moment, he was being confronted with the message of Christ in Santa Monica, on the California coast. I was the communicator, someone who came from a very poor family, son of fishermen, born in a small city on the coast of Paraná, no schooling, no money, but raised in a Baptist home and for the last 3 years deeply involved with apologetics and the reasons for faith.
He’s also not from here, traveled from very far, deals with difficulties with his stay here, doesn’t know how long he’ll be here.
It was a very improbable meeting. The actors, the place, the time when it all happened — too many coincidences at once.
When he looked at me, and after arguing several times against the supernatural with rational, empirical, and evolutionary arguments, said: If God really wanted me to know He exists, if He really were interested in me, He would do something supernatural to communicate with me.
I smiled and answered: And this encounter — you think it’s totally by chance?
He returned the smile, and denied any probability of God being involved in it in any way.
There is no means of communication enough for God to communicate with you if you don’t want to hear what He has to say.
But if you really want to find Him, there’s no distance between you and God that wasn’t already covered when Jesus walked here on earth, was crucified, died, and rose again.