2000 years ago, the night Jesus Chirst was born, he brought a new hope to all of human race! An angel appeared before some Jewish shepherds the night Jesus was born and said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) A declaration of such gravity gave the shepherds a great hope. They are of the lowest hierarchical status in society and furthermore, are Jews. They belong to a perished nation; they were looked down upon, subjected to harassment and live in darkness. In truth, after Isreal fell, the Jews have been anticipating the Messiah, whom God has arranged for them, in earnest for several centuries. The angel’s declaration thus signifies that the day of hope the shepherds have been anticipating is coming! What a marvelous news! Jesus’ birth highlighted God’s mercy, faithfulness, grace, glory; it also brought to those who were suffering true peace. Just as the angels’ praise to God which says,“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)
How does one infant’s birth have such a tremendous impact? Jesus Christ’s birth is actually God taking on the image of man to enter into our history. The Almighty Creator God humbled Himself to enter the human realm, to live with them; to face the tests they face. Through His own testimony and a logic that caters to man’s limited understanding, He taught humans to acknolwedge God, to live a life that pleases God and He pointed humans in the direction of God. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Later on, Jesus Christ bore all of humans’ transgressions and took the punishment of sin for us, dying on the cross. Jesus Christ resolved the problem of sin for human beings, redeeming our relationship with the holy God and allowing us to experience true peace. We were previously God’s enemies but have now become those He adores. He gladly gives us all kinds of blessings so “let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
Today, we live in a relatively wealthy society, unlike the shepherds previously. However, it does not mean that the modern human has more peace. Countries’ situations are volatile, declining economies adds on to the worries for the next day’s meal, climate change is causing natural disasters to increase in severity and extent, many homes were destroyed. Digitalisation is also accelerating the pace of societal changes, multiplying the life’s stress. This barely allows anyone to catch their breath, which may be related to adults’ susceptibility to suffer from all kinds of diseases, including cancer. In an ageing society, lonely elderly and exhausted nurses increases in number. To continue to list further, you would suddenly realise the future ahead does not seem so bright anymore, what kind of hope would tomorrow carry? Jesus Christ’s birth continues to be the light and hope for today’s grayscaled age. His birth examplified God’s extraordinary mercy. Our Creator God never abandoned us despite our transgressions and sins against Him. Instead, He made the greatest sacrifice by taking on the image of man and dying on the cross to bear the punishment of sin for us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Because of God’s steadfast love, Jesus Christ’s birth is the hope for each and every one of us.