Author and pastor Max Lucado thinks there’s profound “uniqueness” at the center of the Christmas story that sets it apart from any other theological paradigm. Lucado recently told CBN Digital, “The uniqueness of the Christian faith is that we believe in a God who came to us before we went to Him. Every other theology, philosophy, every other approach to God says, ‘Do this, and maybe God will notice or accept you.’ It’s a relationship based on performance.”
However, when it comes to the Christmas story and Jesus, the preacher said we’re very literally celebrating a God who chose to come to us before “we even knew we needed Him.” The ever-reflective Lucado was preparing for the release of “Max Lucado’s Because of Bethlehem,” a special event that hit theaters nationwide Dec. 5-7.
The live concert promised to bring families “the magic and wonder of Christmastime” as the preacher shares his own holiday memories, a Christmas message, and music from artists like Evan Craft, Matt Maher, Matthew West, Anne Wilson, and others. It’s an event Lucado believed would deeply inspire people to think more resonantly about the true meaning of Christmas, telling CBN Digital he sees the Lord’s mode of arrival as especially pertinent.
He said, “He was here not in the form of a volcano, lightning bolt, or angry prophet, but He was here in the form of a baby, He was here in the form of an embryo, He was here in the form of a seed. And He could not have condescended more, He could have not have gone further, and not only that, He was born in humility, not born in a castle in Rome, or some villa in Greece, but He condescended himself to the home of a simple carpenter.”
Aside from that, Lucado noted Jesus’ decision to live in “obscurity and anonymity” for the first 30 years of His life, pointing to Jesus’ humility and grace as other powerful differentiators of the Christian faith. Lucado said, “He is the picture of grace, God entering our world, finding us, seeking us out,” he said. “And so I just never get tired of that story. I love telling it. I love hearing it. I love looking for new ways to share it.”
The “Because of Bethlehem” theatrical experience is just one new way to tell that age-old story — one he believes comes at a time when the world desperately needs truth. Lucado said, calling the state of the world “fragile,” “Given what the world is going through right now, don’t we need a reminder of a God … who comes looking for us? I think the world is hungry.”