Putting Christ back in Christmas

The other day I was reading a review on 'The Nativity Story' by Dr. Ted Baehr. "With the release of 'The Nativity Story,' Hollywood is finally putting Jesus Christ back into Christmas," commented Dr. Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission.

This movie poignantly narrates the story of the birth of Jesus Christ in a dramatic, authentic manner and brings alive the Gospel in a compelling, captivating, entertaining, and inspirational manner that exceeds all expectations.

"The Nativity Story" is the most talked about faith–based film in Hollywood since Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" three years ago.

Indeed, in an age of consumerism, Dr. Baehr's comments made me contemplate, "How is Christmas relevant to me?"

To find the answer, I had to look into the scriptures and especially go through the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Only the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, out of the four Synoptic Gospels, have recorded the birth of Christ – which Nativity and Christmas is all about – in details.

Christmas is a story of two very ordinary people from Nazareth – Mary and Joseph – whose lives were touched by God. Christmas is a story of how God worked in the lives of two ordinary and common people in extraordinary and uncommon way.

Christmas is a story about the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Birth of the Son of God who came to this world, born in a manger, in appearance as a man, lowering himself, so that we, sinners, by His love and mercy, could be healed and redeemed and come alive, though we were dead in transgressions.

In essence, Christmas is all about how Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary in a Bethlehem stable, after she and her husband, Joseph, were turned away at the inn. How a miraculous star shining brightly over the humble scene announced the birth of the Son of God to shepherds and the three wise men who came bearing gifts.

Over centuries, scholars have debated on how much of the story is historically true. Indeed, what do we really know about the birth of Jesus? Was Mary a virgin? Was Jesus born in Bethlehem, and who were the first witnesses to his birth?

In this article I will not enter into this debate as my focus is not on applying today's factual and scientific standards to verify whether the events surrounding the birth of Jesus are historically true. You see, if we do that, we may miss the whole point of the story – the message of God loving the humble and the poor especially, and working for the redemption of humanity, the elements that truthfully are at the origins of Christianity.

So how is Christmas relevant in my life? To answer this question, we first have to understand the meaning of Christmas and Jesus Christ well.

Unlike any other baby, the one born that night in Bethlehem was unique in all of history. Jesus was not created by a human father and mother. He had a heavenly pre–existence (John 1:1–3, 14). He is God, the Son – Creator of the Universe (Philippians 2:5–11). This is why Christmas is called the incarnation, a word which means "in the flesh." In the birth of Jesus, the eternal, all–powerful and all–knowing Creator came to earth in the flesh.

Now, why would God do such a thing? Why would He come as a baby, instead of appearing in power and majesty? Why make Himself a true man and live among us, when he knew full well how terribly he would be treated? Is this not illogical? Unreasonable? Indeed. For, through the birth of Jesus, God showed His love for us all, love that is illogical, unreasonable. And, it was necessary so that we could be saved.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of controversy and confusion in people's minds over Christmas and its meaning both in our personal lives and in the world. Some people feel it is an exclusively Christian holiday, holding no special meaning for them. Others believe it is nothing more than a feeding frenzy for the free market and an excuse to get people to open their wallets at every turn. Others take the viewpoint that it is a holy day that is cheapened and diminished by all the garish festivities. Yet few, if any, when really pressed, are willing to give up the Christmas holiday, in spite of their ambivalent feelings.

Yet even knowing the true meaning of the Christmas season is not enough to convince some people of its importance. So how do we celebrate Christmas to experience the deep joy of this special season? In other words, why should Christmas matter?

Christmas matters because it is a story of victory of good over evil. Jesus did not become a Messiah. He was born a Messiah, born to deliver the sinners from condemnation, born to become the bridge between the privileged and the downtrodden, the Jews and the Gentiles, the men and the women, the master and the servant. The birth of Jesus heralds a new era. A new beginning.

Christmas is about faith. Faith in God. God reveals Himself to those who have faith in Him. Those who do not have faith in God will fail to recognize Him even if God reveals His presence to them. Pascal once said that there are only three kinds of people: those who have sought God and found Him (these are reasonable and happy), those who are seeking God and have not yet found Him (these are reasonable and unhappy), and those who neither see God nor find Him (these are unreasonable and unhappy). Everyone in the second class makes it into the first. In other words, all seekers find God. But only seekers. Those who have faith in God, those who are earnestly seeking for God will find and see God.

Christmas is about hope. It is about a helpless infant that has nothing of its own by which to survive; but an infant that, because he is Immanuel 'God with us,' will forever change the world and all humanity.

But Christmas is not just hope, as if it were wishful thinking that things will get better when they cannot. It is hope incarnated into flesh, a hope that can be held in a mother's arms, a hope that expresses a reality that will live beyond endings and death itself. It is the hope, the possibility that springs from impossible and insignificant beginnings, infused with the power of God through the Holy Spirit, that will bring light to all the nations, light to all our lives.

In other words, Christmas is about Jesus, the Living God who walked with us and healed those who were sick, comforted those who were sad and forgave those who had sinned. And, it is this same God who has promised to be with us, with his people, with the church and with us individually, as we live as his people in the world.

It is this possibility, this Living God Who we celebrate at Christmas. And we do so with a confidence born, not of our own desire for it to be so, but from the birth of a child over 2,000 years ago, a child who was the Son of God!

Christmas is about peace. Jesus came to this world to bring true peace into our lives. In Christ, we are neither black nor white, neither rich nor poor, neither strong nor weak. Jesus did not come to make a new religion. He came to fulfill all religions. Jesus is for everyone and through his birth – the divides and differences created by man – color, caste, race or creed – were overcome.

Christmas is about life. God gave us life. But when we forfeited our lives by the sins we committed, He gave His life in substitution through His Son, Jesus. Our fundamental response to God must be like His to us: the gift of self.

Christmas is about love. The hidden meaning of Christmas is the festival of the human heart. It is a festival of love, of giving out love. God Himself showed us what is love and how to love. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Christmas is a time of year when the whole universe conspires to raise the vibratory level of consciousness on earth to one of peace and love toward ourselves and one another. This season resonates to the sweet, childlike innocence that resides in all of us. A time when the heavenly forces inspire us to shift our focus away from fear and toward one of love, joy, and healing.

Indeed, to understand Christmas, we have to understand Jesus. And to understand Jesus, we have to understand his life. And, to understand his life, we have to carry the Cross together with Him and walk the same path He walked. In other words, we can experience the full richness of the season of Christmas when each one of us transforms ourselves into being a personal messenger of faith, hope, peace and love.

Remember, Christmas is more than just Santa Claus or spending money on buying gifts. Christmas is more than just eating, drinking or partying. Christmas is about faith, hope, peace and love. Just as the birth of Jesus brought love, peace and hope to this world, to our lives, we should share this love, peace and hope with others.

Remember, Christmas is about touching lives and spreading love. Just as God touched our lives, we should celebrate this joyous season by touching the lives of others.

Remember, nothing transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary more directly than the intention to do what ever you are doing with the desire to serve Higher Power.

When we celebrate the season with such an intention and desire, we not only experience Christmas but we actually become Christmas: an agent of rebirth of the soul and the bringer of faith, hope, peace and love.

Merry Christmas to everyone. May God bless you all.