The word became meat

John does not begin his Gospel like the other evangelists. He says nothing about how Jesus was born, but he recounts: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (Joh 1,1-2).

Perhaps you are wondering what “the Word” means, which in Greek is called “Logos”? John gives you the answer: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Joh 1,14).

The Word is a person, a Jewish man named Jesus, who existed with God in the beginning and was God. He is not a created being, but the eternally living God who created all of creation: "All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that has been made." (Joh 1,3).

Why does John explain this background? Why do we need to know that Jesus was originally a person who not only lived with God but is also God? With this we can understand the consequences Jesus took when he humbled himself for us. When Jesus came to earth, he had given up his all-outshining glory that made him the Son of God for us to be like us as a human being. The core of this glory is love.

The boundless God, who entered into the limitations of time and human mortality. Through the birth of Jesus, the almighty God revealed himself in Bethlehem in the weakness of a newborn child. Jesus relinquished his glory and lived in humble circumstances: “Although he was God, he did not insist on his divine rights. He renounced everything; he took the lowly position of a servant and was born as a man and was recognized as such.” (Phil 2,6-7).

Jesus is always willing to put aside his own fame and glory to save us. Fame is not about power and prestige. True greatness does not lie in strength or money. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: although he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2. Kor 8,9)God's greatness is revealed in his unconditional love and his willingness to serve, as demonstrated by the event of Jesus' birth.

Cumbersome birth

Consider the circumstances of Jesus' birth. He did not come when the Jewish people were a powerful nation, but when they were despised and ruled by the Roman Empire. He did not come to the major city; he grew up in the region of Galilee. Jesus was born under embarrassing circumstances. It would have been just as easy for the Holy Spirit to create a baby in a married woman as in an unmarried one. Even before Jesus was born, he was in a difficult situation. Luke tells us that Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem to be counted in the census: "So Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was pregnant." (Lk 2,4-5).

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, but the world did not want him. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (Joh 1,10)His people knew God only as a God of sovereign power and invisible glory. They had disregarded the God who walked in the Garden of Eden and called to his wayward children. They had not trusted the voice of God, which spoke to them gently yet firmly. The world did not want to accept God as he revealed himself to them. But God loved us so much, even though we were godless sinners: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Röm 5,8)The birth of Jesus and his great humility should remind us of this.

A touch of honor

The angels represented a touch of honor, glory, and fame in the Nativity story. Here were the bright lights, the heavenly choir, singing God's praises: "Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'" (Lk 2,13-14).

God sent his angels to shepherds, not priests and kings. Why did the angel bring the news of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds of all people? He wants to remind us of the beginning with his chosen people when he writes history again. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all shepherds, nomads and sedentary people who lived outside and wandered about with their large flocks. According to Jewish tradition, the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem had a special job of tending the sheep and lambs that were used in the temple for sacrifices.

The shepherds came quickly to Bethlehem and found the newborn, spotless child of whom John said: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Joh 1,29).

Shepherds were considered uncivilized people who could not be trusted. Men who stank of dung, earth, animals and sweat. People on the fringes of society. It was precisely these people that the angel of God chose.

Escape to Egypt

The angel warned Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt and stay there for a time. “So Joseph got up and took the child and his mother with him by night and fled to Egypt.” (Mt 2,5-6).

The Christ Child was brought into Egypt and became a refugee in the land the Israelites had left, the land of slavery and outcasts. That was Jesus' fate to be poor, persecuted, and rejected by the people he came to save. Whoever wants to be great, said Jesus, should become a servant. That is true greatness because that is the essence of God.

The love of god

The birth of Jesus shows us what love is and how God's essence is. God allows us humans to hate and beat Jesus because he knows that the best way to come to our senses is to see what selfishness leads to. He knows that the best way to overcome evil is not through force, but through persistent love and kindness. His mind is not hurt by our blows. If we reject him, he won't get depressed. He doesn't get vengeful when we harm him. He can be a helpless baby, he can take the place of a crucified criminal, he can sink so low because he loves us.

The riches of Jesus Christ

When Christ gave his life for us, it was not only his death; he gave himself up for us so that we, the poor, might become rich. “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, since we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Römer 8,16-17).

Jesus not only took care of our poverty, he also gave us his wealth. Christ made us co-heirs through his death so that we can invisibly inherit everything that he has. Everything he has he has bequeathed to us. Are we aware of this scope?

Lesson for us

The birth of Jesus holds an important message for us about how we should treat one another and how we should behave. God wants us to be like him, like Jesus was. Not in appearance, not in power, but in love, humility, and relationship. Jesus said that a servant is not greater than the master. If he, our Lord and Teacher, served us, then we should also serve one another. “It shall not be so among you. But whoever would become great among you must be your servant.” (Mt 20,26-28).

Dear Reader, use your time and resources to help and serve other people. Follow the example of Jesus and let Jesus live in you and show his love and mercy to your neighbors so that they can get to know him.

by Joseph Tkach