The Festival of the Nativity

The theme for worship this Christmas season comes from the most popular Christmas carol in the world, Silent Night. The tune and text are simple, yet the lyrics are profound: “Christ the Savior is born.” The eternal Son of God would become truly human. Today we explore how profound the incarnation actually is. St. John describes it this way: “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14).

When Scripture refers to Jesus Christ as “the Word” it is teaching that he is how you come to know God. Just by looking at a stranger, you can tell some things about him: his build, age, style, etc. But you would not say you really know that person, just by looking at him. To really know him, you would need to converse with him. You would need to use words. Likewise, to really know God, we need to listen to the Word made flesh—the perfect expression of our Heavenly Father’s mind and heart.