For our Christmas service I preached on, yes, you guessed it, Christ, and more specifically on 'Who is this child, why, and so what?' In other words, what is so special about this child? Others would say 'Who is Jesus?', 'What is the identity of this baby?'. No matter! The question is the same, fundamental to human existence, and the answer each person gives will have eternal consequences for them. At least that is what both Jesus and His disciples dared to affirm; no one could ignore it then and no one can ignore it today either. Everyone should be encouraged to explore this question.
Often when we talk about Jesus, people mix everything up. They start talking about the church, its shortcomings and its many failings over the centuries, some will talk about the Pope, others celebrate the humanity of Jesus while denying His divinity, and still others remind you of the multiplicity of religious affirmations and the diversity of prophets and stories of divinity. But if there are so many proposals, it isperhaps precisely because there is a true proposition that men have since tried to grasp by all means, without this giving all these ways equal validity.
In fact, what I am saying is that this child was so wonderfully celebrated by a heavenly army so excited by what had just happened that they could not limit their expression of joy to heaven but came to earth for a spectacular praise session witnessed by the astonished shepherds, this child, now grown, declared himself to be the Messiah so long awaited by Israel, positioned himself as God manifested in the form of a man; and His disciples, who at first had difficulty in grasping it, ended up arriving at the same conclusion and preaching this truth even at the risk of their lives. This therefore deserves the attention of every thoughtful person.
'And the Word was made flesh',
'And the Word became flesh' is a short sentence whose content has changed the history of humanity. The Incarnation is the central element of the Christian faith, without which it would be meaningless. A non-incarnate, exclusively human Christ could not be Savior and Lord, could not be the second Person of the Trinity. Isaiah, hundreds of years before the Incarnation, announced the birth of a child who would be, among other things, 'the mighty God'. Many prophecies find their fulfillment in this child born in Bethlehem (foretold by Micah).
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Thus, for Christians, this Christmas season calls for meditation and a renewed appreciation of the miracle of the Incarnation, the defining event in human history. And for everyone, it calls for reflection on the most fundamental question of all. Did Jesus really exist? Yes. Was he an upright man? Yes, a good teacher? Yes. But we must go further, unless we find Jehovah's Witnesses on the subject. Instead, let us find John, Paul, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, the martyrs and believers of all centuries who attest to the divinity of the Son.
And to those who might be tempted to sneer, Peter replies, 'We did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.' And everyone agrees that each person's response to this child will have eternal consequences. Questions of such importance and depth should hardly be smothered in a flurry of activities, shopping, meals, gifts, etc. The greatest gift of all time is before you, do you want to receive it?
Published for Christmas 2010
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