After a few days of travel, I wanted to return to some of my Advent musings. As I traveled I kept "musing" on the announcement of the angels to the Shepherds on that glorious night when Christ was born that the child is Christ the Lord, our Savior. In the account of Luke the angels declare who Christ is:
Luke 2:7 - 11
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. And in the same 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 great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is
born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
In the newest version of Catechisms, the New City Catechism, Who is the (which I highly recommend reading) asks the question: Who is the redeemer?
The answer: The only redeemer is the lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, in whom God became man and bore the penalty for sin himself.
1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
John Chrysostom was a 4th to 5th-century Christian church leader - a Bishop in the city of Constantinople - at that time a leading city in the Christian church. He has been referred to as "the golden mouth" for his ability to articulate so beautifully and clearly the glories of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As I read some of his writings over the last 40 years, I've been struck by the depth of his theological reflections that became practical in their application. On the coming of Christ at his birth and what it means for us that Christ was born as a redeemer, John Chrysostom wrote:
"The Only Begotten, Who is before all ages, Who cannot be touched or be perceived, Who is simple, without body, has now put on my body, that is visible and liable to corruption. For what reason? That coming amongst us he may teach us, and teaching, lead us by the hand to the things that men cannot see. For since men believe that the eyes are more trustworthy than the ears, they doubt of that which they do not see, and so He has deigned to show Himself in bodily presence, that He may remove all doubt. . . . The Ancient of days has become an infant.
He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal (meaning not visible in form), now lies subject to the hands of men. He Who has broken the bonds of sinners is now bound by an infant’s bands. But He has decreed that ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and total humiliation the measure of His Goodness.
For this He assumed my body, that I may become capable of His Word; taking my flesh, He gives me His spirit, and so He bestowing and I receiving, He prepares for me the treasure of Life. He takes my flesh, to sanctify me; He gives me His Spirit, that He may save me. (From Christmas Morning in Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers, vol 1, Preservation Press)
Here is what I want us to remember. Our redeemer was born to the Virgin Mary to be both God and man. The eternal son of God, is the word became flesh. Yet, not as Adam who was created as a fully grown man, but rather as a baby who suckled at his mother's breast and kicked little legs as he was cleaned and changed. Who began to walk and learned to eat on his own.
Jesus is called "the redeemer" because he "re-deems" us. I remember as a child my Mother saved stamps from grocery shopping, and after having a full book of stamps she took them to the story to "redeem" them. We gave the full stamp book to the owner and in exchange my mother got something of value in return.
Jesus came to give himself in exchange for our life. He is our Redeemer. He took away Adam's curse and "deemed" our value as God's creation a second time. Without his life and death, our value would have remained as "sinners" alienated from God; but, Christ Jesus took our place.
The infant born to the virgin Mary, and Joseph, that night in Bethlehem, 2000+ years ago, is "our Savior, which is Christ the Lord". We need to let that sink in... "Unto US, a child is born". It is not just that Christ came into the world, but he came for US, for you, for all who would put their trust in him as their Savior. The announcement the angels made that night was not to a King, or a ruler, or a wealthy land-owner, but to peasant shepherds who drew night duty watching over their sheep. There are no insignificant people - you are not insignificant. To US a child is born, to US, a Son is given.
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