A Different Point of View

 There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
 and there are different ministries and the same Lord;
 and there are different activities but the same God
 who produces all of them in everyone.
                                     (1 Corinthians 12:4-6 CEB)

Isn’t it interesting that members of the same family oftentimes are wildly different from one another? One sibling is reserved, another is outspoken, and yet another is undoubtedly the peacemaker. Two boisterous parents have a quiet child who prefers to be alone. One sister is extremely frugal, while the other loves a good shopping spree. But all are family, and all share an unbreakable lineage.

The Gospel writers of the New Testament are a bit like a family of brothers, each with his own approach to life, so to speak. The Gospels of Mark and John, for example, do not say one word about the birth of Jesus. Instead, Mark focuses on Jesus’ ministry and John on his theology. Both Matthew and Luke tell the story of the Nativity, but each tells it his own way. Matthew’s account is more precise and factual, detailing Jesus’ royal Jewish heritage and the events surrounding his birth, while Luke’s retelling is more like a story, emphasizing how Jesus came as Savior to both Jews and Gentiles. The differences in their deliveries make sense when you consider that Matthew was part of the Jewish establishment and Luke was a Gentile doctor–and therefore an outsider to the Jews.

Though they were very different men with very different perspectives, Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts of the Christmas story have the same goals in mind–to tell the world of God’s master plan to bring the Savior into the world, and to share the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth.

Each of us brings our own unique perspective to the story of Jesus’ birth–as well as the story of Jesus in our own lives. Either through birth, choice, or circumstance, we come to Jesus with different points of view that affect our stories: Parent. Child. Insider. Outcast. Damaged. Proud. Rich. Poor.

Though our point of view affects the way in which we come to Jesus, it does not affect the outcome. Jesus says,

“My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life.
They will never die, and no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given
them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them from my Father’s hand.
I and the Father are one”
(John 10:27-30 CEB)

Like Matthew and Luke, our stories are different, but they all point to the same Jesus who came to save us from ourselves. May you boldly use your story to point to him, proclaiming his love and faithfulness over every aspect of your life; and may all who witness your story see Jesus!

Prayer Focus:
What is your point of view regarding Jesus–your view of him? How have you allowed that point of view to unite you with other believers, or separate you from them? What does Jesus want to do with your point of view?