CURATE’S COMMENT
‘NEW YEAR; NEW BEGINNINGS’
written by Assistant Curate, Revd. Matt Hornby
Jesus is greater than Abraham, than
Moses, than David, than any
prophet. Yet what Jesus does is in
continuity with Abraham, Moses,
David and the prophets. Jesus does
not nullify the Old Testament; he
fulfils it. Christianity, then, is about
new beginnings. Jesus offers new
life and a fresh start. Yet it is also
about God's one big story that
started before the creation of the
world and will last until the end of
First, the Christmas story is new.
time. Christianity is about newness,
The birth of Jesus marks the
beginning of a new era. Jesus brings and about the fulfilment of the old.
peace, goodwill and forgiveness of
So as Christians, we are called to
sins in a way that was not possible
make a new beginning. Yet we are
before. He, and only he, is God's
also called to treasure the old. We
Word made flesh. Yet Christmas is
must do both. It is dangerous to do
also the fulfilment of an old story.
Notice how the gospel writers keep one and not the other. We are not
called to preserve tradition merely
referring to the Old Testament to
for its own sake. But neither should
explain the significance of Jesus'
we embrace newness merely
birth. Matthew quotes from the
because it is new.
prophets Isaiah, Micah and
Jeremiah, and Luke from Malachi.
As a church family, we are starting
Matthew draws parallels between
several new things. Yet we hope
Jesus and Moses, the rescuer of
that they will fulfil everything that is
God's people. Both Matthew and
good about our old traditions. Our
Luke refer to Abraham and David,
the human founder of God's people Mission Action Plan commits us to a
diversity of worship styles. This isn't
and their greatest king. John
about getting rid of old hymns and
begins his account of Jesus' birth
bringing in all new songs. It's about
with the words “in the beginning.”
This presents Jesus' birth as part of expressing the timeless truths of
the Christian faith in a variety of
a story that goes back to the
ways. This variety will include all
beginning of Genesis, to the
that is best about the old ways of
beginning of creation.
worship. And it involves new ways,
which appeal to those who do not
So with the birth of Jesus,
something decisively new happens. currently come to traditional
A double December/January
magazine is a good time to think
about new beginnings. Advent is the
new liturgical year, and January sees
the new calendar year. Christmas
also marks new birth, a new era of
God's plan and good news for all.
Two things are striking in the way
the Gospels tell the Christmas story.
It's new, but it's also old.