Art of Faith
- Sara Joseph
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
Art of faith, while usually broad in scope, narrows in focus as I eagerly anticipate Christmas.
Over millennia the unparalleled narrative of this season has survived many attempts to diminish its power. Despite vicious persecution, burning Bibles and banning nativities, Christmas survived.
However, it isn't brutal attacks that diminish the miracle we celebrate, but the proliferation of mundane, unconnected icons, installed as soon as Halloween is over. These multiply each year, dampening the wonder of God entering our broken world. It's not a few creative expressions of this season to which I object, but their sheer volume, which effectively crowd out the simple beauty of the birth of Jesus.
Towering inflated Santas, grazing wicker reindeer, fabric snowmen blowing in the wind, lighted polar bears and wooden nutcrackers, dot the lawns in my neighborhood. They are visual sabotage of the season. I only find mild humor when some lie deflated on the damp grass in the early mornings.— an apt display of them being all air with no substance.
And then, there is JESUS!!!
"For us a child is born, unto us a son is given
: and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 AMP
His birth is the continuation of a narrative that is unmatched in any religious faith in the world! No other philosophy or religion addresses sin and fallen humanity. None comprehend our separation from a holy God by a chasm so vast that it cannot be bridged—until Jesus!
He entered human flesh in the form of a vulnerable baby and grew to adulthood to accomplish the greatest victory known to man! And He did it so that we could replicate that victory in the trials of our own lives by simply believing Him.
The Christmas story is familiar, but not fully appreciated, until some aspect of His victory is experienced in the rawness of our lives. When a trial overwhelms and no answer offers comfort, we face a choice. Dare we believe the promises of Jesus as our Messiah and Deliverer?
He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross
[willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice],
so that we might die to sin
[becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin]
and live for righteousness;
for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 AMP
As one who believes, I've experienced His healing many times. Yet this year, I witnessed His power in greater magnitude than anything I've ever experienced before! Never have I confronted darkness so thick and won. Neither has there been a time when I've known so thoroughly the power of His written word to unfold exactly as written!
A serious medical crisis took our family by surprise. Suddenly we were plunged into the oppression of a sickness that offered no hope and threatened life itself. Greater than the physical symptoms was the confusion that came with it, rocking our faith.
Why was this happening? Had we brought this about? Where was God in this, what comes next...? Would His promises still hold true, when every expert declared that there was no hope?
We fervently sought Him for answers, which did not come as, or even when, we expected. Somehow sustained day after day by His promises, we pressed on, confused, but determined to keep believing. He graciously wrapped us in a strange bubble of peace, while outside raged the fires of hell itself.
The more we treasured His promises, the worse the circumstances appeared to become! Restoration of the smallest measure of wholeness seemed remote, yet God's promises were not far from our lips. The prayers and encouragement of many kept us trusting. In a small measure, we learned how to walk by faith and not by sight.
Jesus came into the world not only as a helpless little baby, but also as the promised Messiah, with power to deliver us from the oppression of satan. We felt that oppression in the core of our being, suffocating and overwhelming!
Yet I testify that it was no match for His power.
His promises became our reality, at first only as words. We lived and breathed them, repeating them countless times under our breath as we faced the astronomical odds stacked against us.
And in the span of just a single month, our crisis was turned around entirely!
It was a stunning reversal that takes my breath away! Death and darkness were replaced with life and joy. Medical records said "Impossible," but Jesus said, "IT IS FINISHED. Fear not, only believe!" And by doing so, His power was released in a manner that has confounded medical experts—power that removed pain, reversed irreversible conditions, and manifested Zoe—LIFE!
If I never receive even a single gift this Christmas, my heart would still rejoice because I KNOW the One, who came for me thousands of years ago! He is the greatest gift—and all His words are true.
He honored His promised to me—just one promise among so many—one I desperately needed Him to fulfill. As I write this, I rejoice with a joy I could not have imagined in the depths of my trial,
Jesus is who He says He is—King of Kings, Omnipotent, Mighty God, and powerful beyond comprehension. While He did come wrapped in swaddling clothes as a vulnerable little baby, I'm so grateful that He did not remain helpless. Instead, became my mighty Savior and Lord.
May this account give you hope for your trial, and may the art remind you of the beauty of the birth of Jesus. That is my hope and prayer.
Merry Christmas!