The Gift of Brokenness: Finding Hope in the Messiah's Arrival

As the holiday season approaches, many of us find ourselves caught in a whirlwind of emotions. The American Psychological Association reports that 90% of Americans experience stress, anxiety, or depression during the Christmas season. While we're bombarded with messages of joy and merriment, the reality is that many of us are struggling beneath the surface.

This dichotomy between outward appearances and inner turmoil brings to mind a scene from the classic movie "Christmas Vacation." Aunt Bethany presents a beautifully wrapped gift that, upon closer inspection, is leaking lime jello. It's a perfect metaphor for how we often present ourselves to the world – polished on the outside, but messy and broken within.

The story of the shepherds in Luke 2 offers a profound perspective on this human condition. These men were considered the lowest of the low in their society – outcasts, sinners, dirty, and dishonest. They were hiding in the darkness, both literally and figuratively. Yet, it was to these broken individuals that the angels appeared, proclaiming the birth of the Messiah.

This announcement defies our worldly logic. Why would a royal declaration be made to such unworthy recipients? The shepherds' terror at the heavenly visitation makes sense, but the angel's first words are perplexing: "Do not be afraid." These men had every reason to be afraid, given their status and character. Even more astonishing is that they were invited to stand in the presence of the newborn King.

The shepherds' immediate response – hurrying to see the child – further challenges our understanding. These unkempt, unworthy men ran to put themselves in the presence of royalty. It's a beautiful story that makes little sense from a worldly perspective.
But perhaps that's exactly the point.

The incarnation – God becoming man in the person of Jesus Christ – turns our expectations upside down. As the apostle Paul writes in Philippians 2, Jesus, "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."

The prophet Isaiah further describes the Messiah in startling terms: "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain, like one from whom people hide their faces."

This description of Jesus challenges our perception of divinity and royalty. It suggests that God specifically came for the broken, the outcast, and the sinner. Jesus himself said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17).

The invitation to broken people to stand in the presence of the King only makes sense if God welcomes the broken because He Himself was broken for us. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 states, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

This profound truth is easy to forget, especially when we find ourselves caught in cycles of sin and shame. We often respond like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, hiding ourselves away when we become aware of our brokenness. But the message of Christmas is that we no longer need to hide. Our brokenness no longer defines us.

The Gospels are filled with accounts of broken people bringing themselves to Jesus for healing. In Matthew 8, we see a leper, a centurion, and many who were demon-possessed coming to Jesus for help. In each case, Jesus responds with compassion and healing. Even more powerfully, when Peter's mother-in-law was too sick to come to Jesus, He went to her.

This is the God we serve – One who heals us when we come to Him and who comes to us when we're too broken to move. Our brokenness is not a barrier to His love; it's an invitation to experience His healing touch.

As we navigate the holiday season, with all its expectations and potential disappointments, let's remember the true message of Christmas. It's not about presenting a perfect exterior or achieving some idealized version of celebration. Instead, it's about recognizing our brokenness and bringing it to the One who was broken for us.

The invitation is clear: Do not let your brokenness stand between you and God, because Jesus has already been broken for you. Whether you're dealing with addiction, past mistakes, broken relationships, or the loss of a loved one, you are invited to bring your brokenness to the manger.

In doing so, you'll discover that your brokenness no longer defines you. Like those shepherds on that first Christmas night, you're invited to stand in the presence of the King – not because you're worthy, but because He is worthy and has made a way for you.
This Christmas, as we celebrate the arrival of the Messiah, let's also celebrate the gift of His brokenness. For in His brokenness, we find our healing. In His lowliness, we find our exaltation. In His rejection, we find our acceptance.

May we have the courage to step out of the darkness, to stop hiding our brokenness, and to run into the presence of the One who came for us. And as we experience His healing touch, may we become bearers of this good news to others who are still hiding in the fields, unaware that a Savior has come for them too.

This is the true joy of Christmas – not a superficial merriment, but a deep, abiding hope that our brokenness has been overcome by the broken body of our Savior. In this realization, we find not just temporary happiness, but eternal peace.