2 Corinthians 5:17 (NRSVCE)
17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
If we ponder this Christmas in the Spiritual way, we can easily get what it means to be a New You. Prior to our verse for today, St. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:16, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way.”
However, if we dissipated this Christmas as we not should, then no worries, it’s not late! We always can ponder anytime the true meaning of Christmas in our lives anytime in the right way. Because until we conceive it, we cannot become a New You, a new creation. The pity is on us if we are still living in our old selves thinking the list of thousands of ‘New Year Resolutions’ that are the same we had last year and surely the same next year.
Think again. If we had celebrated Christmas the same way in a human point of view every year, thinking only of decorations, gifts, parties, foods, gathering of family and friends, then no internal changes will be expected from us. If there’s no mentioning how blessed we are that a Savior is born to us, and no thanksgiving and praising being uttered by our lips to glorify GOD how grateful we are, that HE sent His begotten Son to redeem us and make us a new creation, then those banners of ‘Love, Peace, Hope, and Joy’ that you see everywhere around us, even the Christmas cards we sent, are still void at all.
The birth of our Savior Lord Jesus Christ should be celebrated according to the purpose of GOD in the Scripture. Let’s refresh a part of the story of ‘The Birth of Jesus’ to let us help in our pondering.
Luke 2:8-20 narrates;
“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”
The story tells about how GOD sent the angel bringing the Good News of great joy for all people. The celebration of the multitude of heavenly host was done by praising and glorifying GOD. We should take note of Mary pondering the Good News in her heart as this was happening. At the end, again, glorifying and praising continued through the shepherds who found the Good News to be true.
Pondering with the Good News does not come late and will not even come to an end. This is the purpose of Christmas celebration. Jesus Christ was born more than two thousand years ago in Bethlehem in a manger but every Christmas, we got the chance to reconcile with the Gift of GOD to us by pondering on it, praising and glorifying GOD that HE sent Jesus to live in us so that we will be a new creation with Him in us. Human as we are, we tend to forget that we are the recipient of the Good News of Salvation. Thanks be to GOD, we have Christmas every year that we are offered by GOD the never-ending chance of reconciling with HIM through Jesus Christ. Through that chance of reconciliation, GOD would recreate us again in His image allowing us to have that fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)
There are two ways of celebrating Christmas: by the flesh or by the Spirit. If we celebrated it with the flesh which means those human and commercialized traditions, then we are in our old self. If by the Spirit like Virgin Mary and the shepherds, then we have our New Beings. Romans 8:9-11 says, “But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.”
So brothers and sisters, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Let’s do everything in Christ for the glory of GOD, enjoying our ‘New You’ recreated by GOD not only for the new year to come but in the hope of Eternal life. AMEN
Comments