Christmas - 25 Dec 1963

The Christian faith is founded on Christmas. What does Christmas mean to us? What is the event that we celebrate at Christmas? Christmas means that God came to the world and stays in the world. At Christmas we celebrate the event of Christ coming into the world in human form in order to make himself known to the world and to be in the world. “The word was made flesh and dwelt among us.’

Christmas is a historical event , but it was not unexpected. It is true that the prophets had spoken of the coming of a Messiah, a Saviour of the race and even the Saviour of mankind. But they never said that God would come in person. When God did come into the world and appeared as a man, every one found it difficult to understand it. The Virgin Mary was puzzled at the wonderful promise of the angel and could only answer, “Be it unto me according to Thy word.” Joseph too was puzzled, and the angel told him in his dream not to be afraid. The disciples were very slow to see more in Jesus than a friend and teacher. Here was no king in royal stable, but God in his working clothes, the light shining in darkness and it seemed too good to be true.

We have to keep in mind the fact that at Christmas we celebrate a historical event – something which happened at a certain period in history about 2000 years ago, and in a certain place in the world. Bethlehem is a little country town that is still there. The market square is still there, and there is no mistaking the site of the inn where Mary and Joseph spent the night in the stable.

When we say that God came into the world we don’t mean that God had not been present in His world before. God, as creator of the world, has always been present in the world He has created. As the artist puts into his work something of his own personality, so God had always been present in the immensity of space, in the order and beauty of nature, and in the minds and hearts of men. But our minds cannot fully understand the meaning of the Creator of the universe. If you try to explain God as a supreme Being or a First Cause our minds cannot fully grasp the meaning of what you are saying But if you point to a human life and say, “Look! There is God”, that is something that we can recognise and understand. St. Paul says that God in Jesus emptied Himself, i.e. left behind all the majesty of Godhead and came to earth in the form of a servant. He came as a man to minister to men. His was a human life to show what human life could be – a human life so perfect that it shone out in the darkness as the light of God Himself.

People had always asked what God was like. We can never understand the full answer in this life. But when Phillip said to Jesus, “Lord show us the Father,” Jesus could say, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” What a privilege it is that the Christian disciple can see the very likeness of God in the face of Jesus Christ. So God came as a human being in order that we might be able to recognise God, and we call that event the Incarnation i.e. God being born in human flesh.

“The word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Do you believe that God was born in human flesh to dwell among us? That is the joy of the Christian. It was no wonder that the Angel told the shepherds, “I bring you good tidings of great joy.” No wonder that the multitude of the heavenly hosts sang, “Glory to God in the highest.” No wonder that all history is dated B.C or A.D by the years before or after our Lord’s birth. This is the beginning of the Gospel and the Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. The good news is that God has come into the world, and to stay in the world. We wish each other ‘Happy Christmas’ because Jesus Christ has come to stay with us. When God was born on the first Christmas morning it did not mean a short visit of 30 years. At this morning worship we are rejoicing not in a happy memory, but in the active presence of Jesus and in celebrating His birthday with Him.

There are times in our lives when the question arises in our minds as to whether God is really present in the world, whether He is controlling and directing the affairs of men. When we see the international situation in the world, when we hear of the nations of the world preparing to plunge the world into a world war, when we see the unrest and strife in our own national life, we sometimes despair of God’s activity in the world. Sometimes we lose sight of the presence of God when we have to face difficulties and disappointments in our own lives. At such moments let us remind ourselves of the Christmas message, that God has come into the world to dwell with us, and that He is actually working in the world. As we realise His presence with us at this time of worship, let us pray that we may never lose sight of His presence. The light of the world is born.