The Nativity of the Lord [December 25, 2017] John 1:1-18

 “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. (Joh 1:14)”

Christmas is one of the most joyous events in the Church and the world. But, what makes us happy this Christmas? Is it only about partying? Is it all about buying gifts? Is it about family gathering? Is it about fulfilling our obligation of going to the Church? Is there something more than these? Immersed in many celebrations, merriment, spending, and holidays, we often forget the main reason behind Christmas. We all know Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ, but what is the meaning and significance of this birth for us? Let us stop for a while and reflect on the Gospel of John.

John describes the birth of Jesus in just one line, “and the Word was made flesh and dwell among us.” It is a short yet powerful line, but demands an explanation. “…was made flesh” means that the Word becomes a totally human being. He breathes the air we breathe, feels what we feel, and works for a living just many of us. He is human like us in all respect except sin (see Heb 4:15).

Yet, this man is also fundamentally different from us, because he is the Word. Who is this Word?  At the beginning of his Gospel, John the evangelist gives us an extremely brief but potent description of the Word. He was with God since the beginning, and the Word was God. With boldness, John the evangelist proclaims that this Word is God the Son, the second divine person of the Holy Trinity. He has existed with the God the Father in eternity, and only through Him, all creations come to existence. In the Annunciation, this all-powerful Word became man, and in Christmas day, He was born in Bethlehem.

It is true that Christmas accounts of Luke and Matthew are more vivid and details as compare to John. Matthew has the three Magi, and Luke has the angels and shepherds. Yet, despite its brevity, only John connects Christmas to the divine Word. Christmas reaches its deepest meaning when we are able to appreciate the Word, the God the Son, decides to be born as man. Then why does God choose to be a man, fragile, prone to pain and suffering, and mortal like us?

The only answer is love. God is love (1 Jn 4:8) and God so loves us, that He gives only Son for us. God is madly in love with us, to the point that He becomes one of us, and by becoming a man, we may feel His love in a most radical manner. We can discuss various theories of love at length, but unless we put into actions, love is meaningless. So thus, the love of God is manifested in the most concrete manner as He becomes man. We might do not understand why this kind of love, but God is like a mother who is so in love with her newly born baby, will do anything to ensure his wellbeing even to the point of sacrificing her own life. Christmas is indeed one of the happiest events because here we are able to feel and appreciate the love of God in a most radical way. It is the gift of love, and only true love that can make us truly happy.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP