The "Chaplain's Corner" offers perspectives to enhance spiritual/religious resiliency in support of Air Force and Army Comprehensive Fitness programs.
Comments regarding specific beliefs, practices, or behaviors are strictly those of the author and do not convey endorsement by the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, the Army, the Air Force, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, or the 673d Air Base Wing.
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So, what's the big deal about Christmas for Christians? What's the big deal about the birth of Jesus? And why is it celebrated every year?
Given the free exercise of religion and the number of Christian and other religious denominations, I can't answer that question for everybody.
But from my religious/theological perspective as an Associate Reformed Presbyterian, it's the most important event in world history - as it sets the stage for Easter morning.
For us, the birth of Jesus is the clearest demonstration of God's desire to be relationally and eternally close to us without compromising his holy perfections.
In short, it is our greatest source of hope.
I say this due to my belief, and the belief of my denomination, that Jesus was born as the central figure of God's rescue mission for world history.
He was born to provide a way for imperfect humans to be 'relationally right' with a holy and perfect God.
What follows is my answer to the above question in the form of a 'Christmas Confession of Faith and Hope' which prepares the Hendrick family each year for Christmas.
I believe there is one God who exists in three persons - as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - which share exactly the same power, glory, character, attributes and essence.
Although difficult to comprehend, I approach this mentally as 1x1x1, versus 1+1+1.
I believe God, the Son, physically entered this world in a human body, without losing his divine nature or power, through the womb of the Virgin Mary.
I believe this conception occurred miraculously without human insemination to affirm his deity and that Mary named him Jesus (Jehovah will save), the Christ (anointed one).
His name speaks to his role as 'God's anointed rescuer.'
I believe Jesus Christ took on human flesh to do two things that make believing humans acceptable to a holy God - he perfectly obeyed God's law for us, and fully received the judgment we deserve for disobeying it (the cross).
I believe God, the Father, planned and accepted Jesus' sacrificial work for believing humans because he exclusively met the representative requirements for us.
He is fully human; he is morally perfect; and he is strong enough to endure God's judgment for every imperfect believer in world history - and survive it.
At Easter we celebrate his resurrection.
I further believe this rescue mission was foretold by the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus' birth.
Isaiah declared, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. ...For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace..."
In Isaiah 53, he further says, "Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
So, why are Christmas and the birth of Jesus a big deal for Christians? Why is it celebrated annually?
From my perspective it's because God is holy and we are not - there is an immeasurable moral distance between us which God doesn't overlook due to his unchanging holy perfection.
I believe God 'bridged this distance' at an indescribable sacrifice to himself by sending Jesus to do for us what we could not do for ourselves - so that we can be relationally right and close with him now and forever.