Christmas and Why God Became Man

By Engr. Carlos Cornejo

The most joyous feast in Christianity is when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.  It is analogous to the D-Day landing in Normandy, France during World War II which was the start of the liberation of the Allied nations from Nazi’s reign.  With Christ’s birth, it is the start of humanity’s liberation from the reign of Satan who had total dominion on men through sin and death.

The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity who is also called the Word of God took on human flesh or became man in the Person of Jesus Christ.  God the Son did not lose His Divinity but became Man while remaining being God.  This is what we say in the prayer of the Angelus taken from the Gospel of St. John, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”  (John 1:14) This is the doctrine of the Incarnation (from the Latin word “incarno” which means to be made flesh).  “The Word” in theological terms means Jesus Christ or the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity is the concept or idea of God.  In human terms, when we have an idea in our mind, we assign a word to it to describe it to others.   In God, His idea of Himself is so powerful and perfect that it becomes another Person and thus God the Father begets God the Son from all eternity.  If this is too fuzzy, don’t worry we are talking here of a mystery which can’t be fully fathomed.  A mystery means it is a concept that can be fundamentally understood but cannot be totally comprehended.

God became Man for four reasons according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 457-460).  First, to save us from our sins. (“But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.” 1 John 3:5) Second, to show us God’s love. (“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16) Third, to become a model for us in holiness. (“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” John 14:6) And fourth, to make us partakers of the divine nature. (“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature.” 2 Peter 1:4)

If we want to summarize what Christianity is all about, it is to have a share in God’s divine nature.  Christ came to save and take away our sins so that we can become holy and be like God and eventually acquire a share of His divine life.  In other words, God is not just giving us a material gift because He already did that through the creation of the universe but He is further offering us to receive the gift of Himself, which is to live His very life.  It is the highest form of gift, the gift of self, which is replicated in marriage, when husband and wife make a vow of self-giving for each other and thus become one flesh.  Matrimony is a model for our relationship with God which explains why Christ is the bridegroom and the Church (Christians) is His bride (Ephesians 5:22-33).  While on earth we are in a courtship period with God but once we reach heaven the full consummation of our relationship takes place through our marriage (full communion) with Him.  This is the main message of Christmas as St. Athanasius would sum it up, “The Son of God became man so that we might become god.”

If we feel spiritually empty amidst the Christmas celebrations of eating and gift-giving, perhaps we are focusing too much on the material celebration, and have forgotten that Christmas is a spiritual event. As one spiritual writer would say, we have to highlight Christ in the word “Christmas”.  That is why the Church gave us four weeks of preparation for Christ’s coming in the liturgical season called Advent so that when Christ finally comes on Christmas Day, we will welcome His birth in our soul with a deeper and lasting joy because of our spirit of prayer, reception of the sacraments (especially Confession and the Eucharist) and sacrifices in the preceding Advent weeks.