The Meaning of Christmas

The scepter shall never depart from Judah,

or the mace from between his legs

~ Genesis 49: 10

Summary: The true and triple meaning of Christmas are that, first and foremost God kept his promise to mankind, secondly it is a family feast and last but not the least Christmas is the manifestation of God adopting the entire mankind into one Jewish tribe under “Judah.”

God Fulfilled His Promise

In the book of Genesis, God promised that Judah will be the custodian of the scepter forever and the mace will never depart from him! This prophecy was fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ, who was sent to the world by God to be the prince of peace and the messiah.

Christmas is therefore the feast in which we acknowledge the faithfulness of our God to keep to his promises and as a result by faith, we can continue to rely on his steadfastness in our lives.

Family feast: Genealogy of Jesus Christ

The people of Israel waited about 42 generations before the Christ Jesus was born in Bethlehem!

According to St. Matthew, there was a total number of fourteen generations each from Abraham to David, David to the Babylonian exile or deportation and finally from the Babylonian exile or deportation to the Christ. Beginning from Abraham, the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ is a long list of some unfamiliar names and yet, God in his infinite wisdom and divine mercy allowed some of the imperfections in the family to become the instrument of perfection. There are many messages we can abide with from this development, namely, no human family is perfect and God can use anyone who is willing to serve him in truth and in spirit. Furthermore, this long list has what is obvious in life; the beginning and the end. The evangelist Luke traces his own genealogy of Jesus Christ to Adam and Eve, therefore transforming the human race to what God intended it to be; ONE BIG AND INDIVISIBLE FAMILY UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF JESUS CHRIST, WHO IS THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF THE LIVING GOD.

God’s Adopted Family

Christmas is a family feast in which the almighty God adopted the entire human race under the umbrella of the tribe of Judah. The implications are obvious when we consider how we relate to one another! Nobody is therefore a foreigner in the house of God, as we are all called upon to share in the same table, the throne of the grace of our God through the birth of the infant Jesus Christ.

According to the psalmist, “In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.

REFLECTIONS:

Christmas is an opportunity for us to think about God’s faithfulness and loving plans for mankind! The Almighty promised us that he will come and save humanity, and behold he did it by sending his Only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ to come to us through the Blessed Virgin Mary as an infant baby born in Bethlehem and from the lineage of King David through his adopted father Joseph the son of Jacob.

Christmas is also a time for us to reflect and appreciate the human family! No family is perfect in terms of virtues and charity; nevertheless, we are being challenged to focus on the love and faithfulness of God to weather the storms of life such as discrimination, racism and hatred.

It took about 42 generations from the time of Abraham to the birth of Jesus Christ! We must learn patience, perseverance and endurance no matter what we may be going through because, when God is involved in a situation, the Almighty always keep his promises. The Israelite waited for the messiah in spites of the ups and downs of life and their faithfulness is rewarded beyond human imagination.

In the house of God, we are one and nobody is a foreigner or alien, but we are all citizens!

This then is the meaning of Christmas to me!

God bless you. Amen.

@peternhelenodeh

References: Genesis 49: 2, 8-10 Psalm 72 and Matthew 1: 1-17