Why the Birth of Jesus Matters

There is a particular verse in the second letter of St. Peter where he reminds us that the salvific message of Christ fulfilled through his death and resurrection has granted us the opportunity to escape the corruption of the world, fueled by misplaced human passions, by becoming partakers of the divine nature.[1] The significance of this last statement underscores an important point about the birth of Christ: Jesus came so we could be in full communion with the Father through Him. The Catechism expands on this important reality as follows,

For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.” “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.”⁸⁰ “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.^[2]

The significance of becoming a partaker in the divine nature of Christ means that our participation in Christ’s passion requires us to die to sin and seek Jesus’ gift of grace through the sacramental life, beginning with baptism. In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul reiterates the importance of the coming of Christ to redeem us from the law of man and to be adopted as sons of God.[3] The entire Incarnational discourse that is the birth of Christ reveals the depths of God’s love for us that he would offer His only-begotten Son as a ransom for our pitiable moral state. The fact that the Son of God offered himself as the Lamb of God who came to take the sins of the world should matter to you and me.

Why should the birth of Christ matter to you and me? Because it is the distinctive sign and reality of our Catholic faith. It reveals both the mercy and love God has for us through His Son, Jesus Christ, who literally came to die for our sins. The author of the letter to the Hebrews reiterates this point, where he proclaims,

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,’ as it is written of me in the roll of the book.”[4]

Again, to understand the why behind the birth of Christ, it is essential to address the truth behind this act of love, as to how you and I are no longer under the control of sin and death. The significance of the Nativity of our Lord is that it allows us to see who God truly is: a loving Father whose desire is for us to be with Him for all eternity in heaven. The human drama that surrounds the birth of Christ, from Herod’s maniacal attempt to kill the Christ-child even at the cost of so many Holy Innocents, to the flight of Joseph and Mary to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath are overshadowed by the joy of Jesus’ birth.

Born under the gift of poverty and humility, the birth of Christ represents how we should embrace His birth with humility and a poverty of the spirit. It also means that we are called to docility to the will of God, willing to serve with grace and charity in the proclamation of Christ as Lord, Savior, and King. We see the same response from the Shepherds who encountered the Angel sent by God and then received a salvific proclamation about the Son of God.

And in that region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes 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, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.[5]

Upon journeying to Bethlehem and encountering Joseph, Mary, and the infant Jesus, they were overwhelmed with joy and left praising and glorifying God. The birth of Christ matters because it reveals God’s love for man through His Son, Jesus Christ, and that we are no longer slaves to sin. May the joy of the shepherds resonate in our hearts, compelling us receive the birth of Christ with joy, humility, and a docility of heart to Him.

Merry Christmas!