Knowing the Christ of Christmas

My kids enjoy watching the movie Superbook! Superbook is a children’s movie with many episodes produced by CBN. In each episode this magic book takes characters like Chris and Joy together with their robotic friend (Gizmo) back in time to the biblical times. For instance, if it is the story of David & Goliath they will be taken back to the battlefield and explore the whole event before they are brought back to now for some application. Awesome series even for some of us adults!

The reason I talk about Superbook is because I want to take us back in time and explore an event that happened over 2000 years ago. Imagine coming with me and explore Bethlehem on the day baby Jesus was born. It was quiet a dramatic day and many things have happened but we have to limit our attention to a single reflection on Luke chapter 2.

There we find a ‘one day old’ child wrapped in cloths and placed in a manger (Luke 2:6). For many of us who read the rest of this Child’s story know that he grew up, delivered divine messages, performed many attesting miracles and even died on the cross to show God’s love. But what was the response of the majority of people who saw those miracles? “Oh forget him, he is just an ordinary man; the son of Joseph and Mary!” Well, except for few exceptions that claimed, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!” the rest of the world was in darkness.

But come with me now to the manger where he stayed as a “little one”. Can you imagine meeting a group of shepherds that rushed to the manger praising God and spreading the news that “he is the messiah”?

Or meet with me an older man named Simeon who met baby Jesus on the 8th day. He took this baby, looked him in the eyes and said, “You are a light and glory to all people and I thank God for you!” How can you take an eight-day-old baby and make those claims while others who seem to see ‘better’ miracles could not?

Let’s wrap-up our visit by meeting one final old prophetess named Anna before we leave the temple courts. Likewise, she looked at that little baby and praised God openly saying that he is our redemption. What a revelation!

Well, it is time to fly back to the present and reflect just a thought before we go and celebrate his birth. 

What made those people to uniquely know Christ in a special way? As we read in Luke it has to do with the work of the Holy Spirit. What they had in common was that they all had some kind of “divine guidance and revelation.” The shepherds met a messenger and his companions from God who gave them the revelation. For Simeon and Anna (of course she is a prophetess!) it was revealed to them by the Holy Spirit. That is why they saw the physically ‘unlikely’ child and concluded a divine truth that continues to change the lives of many even after them!

You see, knowing the true nature of Christ starts with a divine revelation. Our human nature is ‘blinded’ and cannot see the glory of God unless through God’s intervention (2Cor 4:4). Revelation is the only hope we have in order to come to a saving knowledge with Christ. It is one thing to know about him through the natural mind but personally experiencing his salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Why not pray for our friends and family to come to such a divine experience this Christmas season. Obviously the majority of the world celebrates a Christ-less Christmas and it demands the Holy Spirit to come and reveal Christ to us.

May this Christmas be a season that all of us meet Christ in a fresh spiritual way that transcends the mind and transforms our lives!

Have a blessed Christmas!

(A reflection on Luke 2)