Jesus Is…
25 December 2017
In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory,
the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Today we celebrate the moment that heaven entered humanity.
You see, Christmas is about a gift. Not those under the tree, but the gift of the Emmanuel: God with us. The birth of Jesus Christ marks the tangible moment that God, the Creator of the cosmos, out of pure love, stepped out of heaven and into this broken, sinful world.
Christmas is the foundation of the Christian faith, for on today we celebrate the belief that Jesus Christ – fully human and fully divine – is God. This understanding of incarnation will shape our lives, our relationships and our understanding of the world, for through Christ we are able to walk alongside God who is constantly inviting us into deeper relationship with Him.
To encounter the person of Jesus Christ is to go on a journey of discovering God. In Him, we experience the perfect articulation of two previously separate realities: the human and the divine. To look to Him is to gaze into the eyes of God; to follow Him is to live our life to it’s fullest. This mystery is how the Gospel of John begins, stunning us with this description of Christ. I urge you to read John 1:1-5, 9-14 and sit in awe as you uncover who Jesus Is…
Jesus is Eternal… in the beginning echoes the words in Genesis 1:1 that indicate that the Word was already in existence before even the heavens were created. Today’s Gospel takes away all doubt, all opportunity to question ‘Does God exist?’ but lays your belief on the foundations that the Word has always existed. In other words, He has, and always will, be with you.
Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity… Not only is the Word eternal, but He existed with the Father. The Word is a Person, distinguishable from the Father, but a part of the God of the Trinity. The scripture closes with the ‘glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.’ It is through the Person of Christ that we are able to experience pure grace, the presence of God, and absolute truth.
Jesus is God… John does not say that Jesus is just ‘holy’ or ‘divine’ but rather affirms that He is God! That means that God is not some lofty idea or distant deity, but has experienced this world through our eyes. Do you find it hard to believe that Jesus is truly God?
Jesus is the Word… ‘and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ The Word is translated from logos, which means the divine reason and truth. Jesus is in essence, the embodiment of the rational mind that provides order to the universe. Jesus therefore reveals what God is like and guides us to live a life in communion with God.
Jesus is the Author of Life… St Augustine said ‘our hearts are restless until they find rest in Him.’ The reason why is that in Christ, we find the life that we were created for; a life that unlocks peace amidst the chaos that surrounds us. Did you know that John uses ‘life’ 36 times in his Gospel? Why? Because Jesus came to earth to bring spiritual life to those who live in sin and spiritual light to those who live in darkness. Through his life, we have been given salvation.
Jesus is Light… the world is full of darkness, chaos that seems hard to overcome. But in Christ, we have the source of Light that shines through all situations. Jesus, born as a refugee, can become your refuge if you open your eyes to His light.
Jesus is Love… Humanity, created in the image and likeness of God, has been created out of love and for love. The most tangible expression of this love of God is in person of Jesus Christ. Jesus and the Father are One, and He is therefore the perfect articulation of all that is God. (John10:30)
Now it is your turn to finish the sentence: Jesus is…