The Armenian Weekly. The Christmas story is the world’s greatest news story. Indeed, the birth of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago is the greatest event of all time.
The Christmas story tells of a loving God who came and dwelt among His creatures in the person of the Babe of Bethlehem, Jesus Christ, “the desire of all nations”; of lowly shepherds and heavenly angels; of a Virgin Mother and her manger-cradled Babe; of a wondrous star and Wise Men who followed it.
The Christmas story is the story of a loving God, who is concerned for, and involved in, this world. The meaning of the birth of Christ lies in its demonstration of the presence of God in human life. God declared His love for His creation, humankind, in a strange and unlikely manner: sending His Son into the world in the form of a newborn baby! This newborn baby is Emmanuel, “God with us.” The God we find in Christmas has revealed His true nature in Jesus Christ. Jesus declared this love of the Father God for His children in word, deed and life. Apostle Paul testified: “God demonstrated His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
God, the greatest lover of all, expects of His children that they love Him and love one another. “Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5). “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 13:18). St. Paul admonishes the Christians of the first century, “Owe no debt to anyone except that which binds us to love one another.”
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The Christmas story is the story of lowly shepherds sharing their experience with others. The shepherds, keeping watch by night over their flocks in the fields around Bethlehem, were told by an angel of God that, on that day, a Savior was born in Bethlehem for humankind. First, the herald angel revealed to the shepherds the sign of the manger by which they would find and know the newborn Savior. The shepherds hastened across the fields of Bethlehem. There, in a stable, they found Joseph, Mary and the Babe lying in a manger. They knelt in adoration before Him. “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20). They went forth from the hallowed manger scene to share their experience with others.
The shepherds of Bethlehem were the first to receive the angelic tidings of the Savior’s birth. They were also the first witnesses of the Christmas Gospel, the first Spirit-filled messengers! From that day on, those who are witnesses of the good news feel motivated to share their experiences with others.
The Christmas story is the story of God’s gift of peace to people “in whom He is well pleased.” The Christmas story is the story of the angel herald and the choir of the heavenly host who announced the good news concerning the birth of the Savior of mankind. This was the message for which the sin-filled world had been waiting for two thousand years; this is still the message our sinful world needs to hear most.
The good news of the angel herald is a personal message. “There is born to you this day a Savior” (Luke 2:11). The good news is always personal news.
The heavenly choir of angels, in their song of glory and peace, revealed the effects and results of Christmas in heaven and on earth. That song was primarily a song of praise to God. “Glory to God in the highest” was the dominant note. It was also a song of peace on earth and good will. Christmas is a message of peace to all people of good will — an experience of peace among those in whom God is well pleased. Those whose lives and works displease God cannot know His perfect peace. The Christ of Bethlehem is still the Prince of Peace to all who love and serve Him.
The Christmas story is the story of divine and human gifts. The Christmas story is the story of the Magi, the Wise Men, who saw the Christmas Star and came to pay homage and give their gifts to the newborn King of the Jews. These were men of wisdom who thought clearly and acted wisely. They were studying the stars and some strange phenomenon in the sky brought them to Judea in search of a newborn king.
After their curious meeting with King Herod in search of the newborn, the Wise Men left the palace and started out for Bethlehem. Guided by the Star, they went into the house and found the Christ Child with his mother. They fell down and worshipped him. Opening their treasures, they gave Jesus gold and rare perfumes called frankincense and myrrh.
The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of giving. The one example in the Christmas story of the giving of material gifts is that of the Wise Men who offered gifts to the Christ Child. In a larger sense, Christmas stands for God’s gift of love to mankind. Christmas began with the gift of the Christ Child. God gave us the greatest Christmas present anyone could ever conceive. He gave us Himself, so that we might have abundant life. Because God gave us Christmas, we give gifts to loved ones and friends to express our appreciation to them.
This is just one dimension. There is, however, another important aspect of Christmas: our concern for the less fortunate, the poor, the aged and the disabled. This may mean making a financial contribution to a group or for a specific cause. It may involve an act of kindness, an expression of caring or brightening someone’s day.
We humans are put on this Earth to love and serve our Maker and His creatures, our fellow humans. We should strive to be productive, constructive and caring participants in our daily lives.
