“Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas!”(Jn.3:11-21)[25/12/24].
Today, we celebrate the birth of the Son of God. We have gone past the polemics of whether he was born on this date or not. The fact is he was born of a woman on a certain date. And if calculations have been made to arrive at this date to be his birth date, we can move on with a choice to celebrate it or not.
While Jesus was alive, not all believed in him; talk-less of subsequent generations. He had to be his own witness to buttress the witness given by John the Baptist. But that still did not impress those who are/were perishing.
The sages think that the first sound a baby makes at birth is a cry because the baby already sees its exit through death. It is in this sense that on the birthday of the Son of God, he himself testifies: “…Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life…”
The lifting up here has a double sense. He was lifted up as when he was nailed on the cross, and he was lifted up as in the Ascension when he went back to heaven from whence he came. Contained in birth is death.Christmas is the commemoration of the life that was given to us through birth, but which has already been given for us on Calvary.
My friend, this act of God was motivated by love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” What great depth of love!
Yes, we are celebrating divine love that came down on Christmas. Love that bore the load of a sacrifice of life.
Let us, therefore, celebrate love by living and letting others live!
John summarises the polarised places of our belongingness on this day onwards:“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
Where do you belong?
Christmas prayer: Holy Spirit, lead my way so that I may come into the light with confident trust in the grace of God. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you! Merry Christmas!
Rev Babila Fochang.