Why the Queen has 3 Birthdays

The Queen is 90 years old on April 21st this year. Apparently there is going to be an almighty street party on the Mall, lots of pomp and ceremony and a special lunch with President Obama. Then, in case any one forgets to send her a card, she has an official birthday on the 11th June. It’s apparently so that she can have a party that has a high probability of good weather.

It’s a bit like me being a bit rubbish and not quite getting around to doing my childrens’ birthday parties on the actual day because I can’t quite organise myself properly. Mind you, I’d probably be equally as rubbish if they had two birthdays – or would that be doubly as rubbish?

The speed my question popped up on Google shows it’s a question that’s been asked a lot. I simply typed ‘Why does the Queen…’ and the first option was ‘Have two birthdays?’

Nearly 2000 years ago a chap called Nicodemus asked a very similar question of Jesus. The conversation went something like this. (I’m going to paraphrase wildly here!)

N – You’re amazing Jesus, you must have come from God!
J – You can only see God’s Kingdom if you’ve been born again.
N – Huh!? I’m an old geezer, I can’t fit back inside my mum!
J – Don’t worry! That’s not what I mean. It’s your spirit that gets born again not your body.

At this my poor saggy belly breathes a sigh of relief – there is no way I could accommodate my 14 year old twins in there!

Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment that we deserve – if we accept this fact, this gift, it’s as if we died with him, and as he rose again 3 days later, so did we. We are new creations, unburdened by our old misdemeanours, viewed as clean and perfect by God. A clean start, just like the day we were born the first time, only this time it’s better, we know God. We then grow spiritually too; Paul describes it as being weaned; going from milk to solid food as we learn more and get to know God better.

At Grace Church Wanstead that is our main aim – to get to know God better and to tell others how they too can receive this new start. Please join us on a Sunday or at one of our midweek Bible studies to find out more.

… and if the Queen is a Christian, she has been born again through the Spirit, and that means she has a third birthday – I’m not buying her 3 presents! (You can buy me two though if you wish).