Reconciliation

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Lk. 2:13-14). Today is Christmas day. Christmas is full of miracle messages. One of the miracles associated with Christmas is the above declaration of the angels in heaven: the outreach of reconciliation from God to man by the child who had been born, Jesus. This miracle of reconciliation is so great, that a multitude of angels cried out aloud from heaven in praises because of it. We are separated from our God in the first place because of our sin. The word of the LORD to the prophet Isaiah said, "Behold the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lipe have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity." (Isa. 59:1-3). The same sin also separates and divides us from one another. Our nations are divided with hostility, our communities are divided, our families are divided. However, the child born on Christmas is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29, 34), and reconciles the world to God. The blood of the Lamb also reconciles us with each other, if we will allow it to do so. This is the ministry that was given to Christ, and to us - the reconciliation of man to God: "Now all things are of God who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God." (2 Cor. 5:18-20). As we know, the world is in desperate need of being reconciled to God. Everywhere we look, there are divisions and estrangements, even within the household of faith. We have this powerful ministry of reconciliation, created for us by the Father through Christ Himself. This is the perfect time of year to revive ourselves in the meaning and timely importance of this ministry of reconciliation. The Sabbath readings this week also carry the same message. They are from Gen. 45 and Ezek. 37. This group of readings is called Va'yigash, meaning "And he drew near". That title has a wealth of meaning to us, especially at this time of year. In Gen. 45, Joseph is miraculously reunited with his brothers, and afterwards, with his father, Jacob. These same brothers plotted to kill Joseph because they resented him and the prophetic dreams he had. They ended up selling him into slavery instead. They lied to their father, Jacob, and told him that Joseph had been killed. Joseph ends up as a slave in Egypt, but by the favor of God (the meaning of reconciliation includes "restoration to favor"), he was elevated into the second highest position in Egypt. Only Pharaoh was of higher rank. Rather than being offended, angry and bitter during the unexpected reconciliation with his brothers, Joseph was overcome with emotion at the reunion. In order to comfort them, Joseph told his brothers that all had worked out for him according to God's purpose. The reconciliation work of God causes us to be able to see His purpose, even through painful trials and rejection. Because of this reconciliation of Joseph with his family, the seed of Jacob would have provision and safety throughout the famine. The second miraculous reconciliation is found in this Sabbath's haftarah reading found in Ezek. 37. It is the reconciliation prophesied to the divided nation of Israel. The reconciliation taking place in this chapter takes place on several different levels. Israel had been divided into two separate kingdoms. God prophesies through Ezekiel that they would be joined together again. On another level of reconciliation, God promises that Israel would be one nation with one King, one Shepherd, even David, for ever. Here in this level of reconciliation, God is promising Israel the Kingdom of Messiah. On the third level of reconciliation, the Jews and the half-Gentile tribes, represented by Ephraim (Joseph's son by his Egyptian wife), would be joined together like two sticks or branches becoming one in God's hand. This same promise is given to the Church in the new covenant through Christ's ministry of reconciliation: "For if their (Israel) being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?...blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins." (Rom. 11:11-21, excerpt). From Ephesians we read, "...that at that time you (once Gentiles in the flesh) were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and wiithout God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation..." (Eph. 2:12-14). The miraculous work of reconciliation, announced on that long ago night in Bethlehem at the birth of Christ, is still working miracle reconciliations as promised by our Father. May we walk faithfully in that ministry in the image of Christ, Who reconciled the world to His Father, because our Father has given us the ministry and word of reconciliation. If you would like to draw nearer to Jesus as He reaches out to draw near to you, you can begin with this prayer: "Lord Jesus, You have reconciled me to the Father in heaven by cleansing me of my sins. I believe you died for me, and that You rose again from the dead. Fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I may minister this same reconciliation to others in Your name. Amen."