Editor's Note: Be inspired by this tribute to Jesus and links to songs by Christian Ray Flores.
If you haven't yet, you need to meet Jesus. He is indisputably the most famous person in history. Even those who don’t believe in him are recognizing the importance of his existence by simply writing the date on an email.
Human history is universally separated into two eras: Before Christ or B.C. and Year Of Our Lord, or A.D. (Anno Domini or Year of Our Lord). Secular cultures and historians that use the terms B.C.E (for Before the Common Era) and C.E. (for Common Era) still can’t help but point to what happened on year one as to make it year one. What happened was this: Jesus Christ stepped into human history and changed everything.
There is only one Jesus and many opinions, interpretations, and oh so often, caricatures of him. Thinkers and theologians, artists and poets, historians and film makers have discussed, disagreed, dissected the person of Jesus for millennia. More buildings have been built, music composed, books written, tacky bumper stickers created, bizarre jewelry worn in honor of Jesus than any other person in history. The lying lips of evildoers and nut jobs have used the holy name of Jesus to incite wars, shed blood, glorify all kinds of crimes, backwardness and prejudice.
One of the early interpretations of Jesus in modern pop culture was the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” complete with a black Judas who wore bellbottoms. Singer Madonna on her 2006 Confessions Tour appeared on stage on a disco-like cross wearing a crown of thorns. Rappers and singers like 50 cent and Chris Brown wear diamond encrusted crosses on thick gold chains. Rap superstar '1/4 Pounder'' arrived to the 2005 HYPE award show sporting a custom made 5000-carat diamond encrusted crucifix. In his own words "None of this would be possible without the Lord. This crucifix proves that of all rappers, I am closest to God." Rapper Kanye West designed a pendant depicting Jesus as a black man and encrusted with diamonds. Mel Gibson’s the Passion Of Christ film was considered by most in Hollywood an insane project. Shot in two dead languages with subtitles and financed entirely by Mel Gibson and his company Icon Productions it cost $45 million to film and market. During the filming the assistant director Jan Michelini was struck by lightning twice. The film grossed $611 million worldwide becoming the highest grossing R rated movie of all time in the US and second highest worldwide. Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code capitalized on the interest in the story of Jesus and controversies in church history to create an inaccurate yet fascinating novel where Robert Langdon, a professor of Religious Symbology at Harvard University (there is no such field at Harvard) uncovers conspiracies of secret societies like the Priory of Sion and the Catholic organization Opus Dei to hide the meaning of the Holy Grail and the marriage of Jesus to Mary Magdalene. The book sold 80 million copies worldwide. Jesus is as big today as he ever was, 2 billion people claim to be his followers now, more than in all of human history put together. John Lennon was wrong when he said of the Beatles “We’re more popular than Jesus”, he probably got a little carried away with the Beatlemania sweeping the world at the time.
The interest and fascination with Jesus is there, the question is, do you know him? You might have bad memories associated with the name of Jesus and the church, but if and when you meet Jesus your skepticism will inevitably be replaced by awe. In the words of a young skeptical young man Nathaniel after meeting Jesus you will also say. “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”Jn 1:49 (TNIV)
Something extraordinary happened In a small rural town called Nazareth two thousand years ago. Nazareth was the kind of town you would stop on a road trip so you can put some gas in your car ,get a slurpie and get out. The kind of town where the population is less than five hundred people, there isn’t a stop light or a McDonald’s and everyone knows each other since they were kids. In this middle of nowhere town, a poor teenage girl engaged to a carpenter got a visit from an angel of God who told her she would give birth to a king called Jesus whose reign will last forever. Mary was understandingly startled being aware that virgins don’t usually have babies yet her humble response in obedience and faith was simple and powerful.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me according to your word.” Lk 1:38 (TNIV)
Mary also knew that her fiancee would probably not believe a word she says about the father of the child being God himself (He didn’t. It took an angelic visit to persuade Joseph not to divorce her). She also knew what the small and conservative Bethlehem community would think of her and didn’t show even a hint of resentment or mistrust. What faith.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a manger surrounded by farm animals, visited by shepherds, worshipped by angels and wise men from the East. When the boy was presented in the temple by his parents they could not afford a lamb to be sacrificed on such a joyous occasion as a male firstborn, instead they sacrificed a pair of doves, an option reserved according to the law for the very poor.
To meet Jesus is to meet God. In his own words “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” That was and is one of the most profound mysteries, Jesus is fully man and fully God.
The God of the universe entered human history in the humblest of places, the humblest of families and changed everything. Today he is as relevant as ever. Happy birthday Jesus.
Here are three songs from a Christmas album I released some time ago, enjoy :).
Silent Night (English/Spanish)
Christian Ray Flores serves as evangelist in the Turning Point Church in LA. Check out Christian's blog at www.ChristianRayFlores.com or the Turning Point website at www.TurningPointLA.com