Hodie, Christus Natus Est! - What Christmas is About

Today, the incarnated Christ, in the human flesh of Jesus, is born of Mary the Blessed Virgin, attended by her husband, Joseph. Today, shepherds paid homage to the newborn King, called by the angel of the Lord (Luke 2:7-17). Today, we find and encounter the newborn Christ fully incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus and receive him in our pure hearts, “new manger in Bethlehem”.

He is the Christ (Messiah), the anointed one, for our salvation and redemption (Luke 4:18-19; cf. Isaiah 61:1-9; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:30; Colossians 1:13-14,19-23; Galatians 3:13). He is the everlasting Davidic King (2 Samuel 7:11b-16; Luke 1:30-33), the eternal High Priest of the Melchizedek’s order (Hebrews 7:17; cf. Psalm 110:4). He is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14) to guide us to his verdant pasture (Psalm 23:1-2), which is where we enjoy the abundance of God’s providence in the house of the Lord (Psalm 23:5-6; cf. Isaiah 25:6; 60:5-6; cf. Revelation 21:5-22:5). He is the light (John 8:12; cf. Isaiah 9:1), the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6).

Christ is the greatest gift that the Father in heaven gives us out of His love for us (John 3:16). He is a revelation of His love incarnated in Jesus (1 John 4:9).  He is the ultimate קרבן פסח, (Korban Pesach), sacrificial Paschal Lamb (Exodus 12:5-14), whose blood takes away our sins (John 1:29,36; cf. Revelation 7:14), so that the scripture (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) is fulfilled.  Not only he is the sacrificial Lamb of God, but it is his high-priestly sacrifice once for all (Hebrews 10:8-18), as the ultimate Yom Kippur sin offering sacrifice (Leviticus 16:6-16).

When he was born, he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger, which is a feeding trough for animals (Luke 2:7) because he comes from heaven to feed us with the living bread of life (John 6:51), which is his living flesh (σάρξ/sarx)(John 6:51,56). In fact, it was no coincidence that he was born in Bethlehem because בית לחם (Bethlehem) literally means a “house of bread”, and he is the living bread of life to give us eternal life (John 6:54, 58) and enables us to be in him and he in us (John 6:56; cf. 14:20; 17:23), so that we are fruitful (John15:4-8).

And the incarnated Christ, who is born today, is the resurrection and life (John 11:25).

Christ has come to us, as incarnated in Mary’s body and was born of her, because he is Immanuel (God with us) (Matthew 1:23; cf. Isaiah 7:14; cf. Matthew 28:20), and to dwell among us (John 1:14) until the end of the age (Revelation 21:3).

Our pure hearts are the newborn incarnated Christ’s manger. From today on, we are bearers of Christ, marking the beginning of new life, a life in which Christ lives (Galatians 2:20). Our love, in return to God’s love for us, swaddles our newborn King (i.e. 1 John 4:11-13; cf. Matthew 22:37-40).

Now we shall go and bring Christ in us to all the ends of the earth so that his victorious saving power will be seen (Psalm 98:3).

This is what we reflect, whenever we say, Merry Christmas.