The birth of Jesus and the hope of salvation of humankind
- Part 2 -

Khelsoril Wanbe *

Christmas Celebration at Sandang Senba Maring Village under Keirao Assembly Constituency on 25 Dec 2014 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

This is the unfathomable mystery of God's love and almost impossible to accept without solid faith that too by His grace and which many people, intellectuals, philosophers, and scientists adamantly refuse to accept.

He was the God who was willing and ready to die for the redemption and salvation of his creatures in case they fell into sin, for He was going to create them in such a way that they would be able to disobey Him: they would be equally capable of choosing to do or not to do His instructions, commandments or law. If they disobeyed His law or commandment; that would mean sin: "Sin is the transgression of the law" 1 John 3:4 and "The wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23. Why did the all-knowing, all-powerful God create fallible human beings who would be vulnerable to sin?

Why did He not create human beings who would not be capable of committing sin? With His all-knowing power, did God not know His creatures would fall into sin? Did God know that if human beings were to fall into sin, it would involve the need for Him to be born as a human being and be eventually crucified on the cross — the instrument of torture and death meant for the worst criminals?

Many questions do arise whose answers, we may not be able to find presently; but the Bible seems to provide answers to some of the basic questions that human beings have been asking and which could be understood without much difficulty if the heart and mind is opened. The Bible isn't that easy; it probably was not meant for mere reading but rather for serious – as serious as life and death — study and be digested through very serious effort that would involve the whole heart, soul and mind.

The Bible and biblical literatures strongly indicate that God being all-knowing knew everything that was going to happen over the coming thousands of years after the creation of human beings. But, despite knowing fully well all that His creation of human was going to entail, He created human beings. Despite knowing that their fall into sin would require Him to be born as a little baby, grow into adulthood and ultimately die on the cross, God, out of His unfathomable and incomprehen- sible love (agape love), created Adam and Eve and blessed them to multiply and dominate the whole world. Why God Himself, not an angel or a good man, had to die for the sin of man?

The answer is not very simple but; God being the lone creator who did not take the help of any other created being was the only responsible Being who would Himself held solely accountable for the entry of sin into the world. Who could hold God accountable for the mistakes committed by His creatures except He Himself. This, of course, is one which is found to be too inscrutable, too hard to accept by many hardened atheists; for without true faith and belief, it is impossible to accept the mysterious love of the creator of the universe who was willing to die as a sacrificial lamb for the redemption and salvation of man.

From the human way of understanding matters, it would be sheer stupidity on God's part to do what He did for the sake of the insignificant creatures called human beings who inhabit a tiny planet in this limitless universe that He had created.

Well, who was Jesus? John 1: 1-3 reveals some basic truths about Jesus, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. If we read John 1:14, it becomes clear what the above verses are referring to: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus indeed was the embodiment of God's grace."

Jesus said to Philip: "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? John 14:9. God is only one; The "Trinity" is to be understood in the context of God's plan of Salvation and Redemption of humankind.

Colossians 2: 9 also talks about the divine nature of Jesus, "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;" 1 Timothy 3: 16 says, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory."

The loving God is also equally a righteous and just God who strictly requires obedience of his commands/laws. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep My commandments." Jesus was the embodiment of grace and it is only by His grace that we are going to be saved, but in order to be his own, we need to obey His commandments. He again says, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is He who loves Me, And He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." John 14: 21.

"He that saith, I know Him, "and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4. What I'm trying to demonstrate here is that obedience to the commandments of Jesus is unavoidable if we want to be true Christians. "His commandments" can be anything which God desires us to obey, no matter how small or insignificant it may appear to us. God telling Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of Eden garden was seemingly a minor insignificant test but which actually had far-reaching eternal consequences and repercussions. We can't expect to enter His kingdom if we do not repent and receive His forgiveness.

By indulging in sin, we cannot enter the kingdom of God. The loving and gracious God gives us a period of time to repent and accept His grace beyond which it will not be possible to save us. It is only through His grace that we can overcome sin and obey Him. And again, if we do not accept his invitation and if we do not believe in His saving power, we will not be saved. He will one day eradicate sin and death; He will punish the sinners and the wicked. Like in the days of Noah, the time will come again when the world will have to be purified by fire and be recreated.

The Bible does not mention the exact date of the birth of Jesus and the celebration of Christmas is not based on Biblical instruction; nevertheless, Christmas celebration, today, has become almost an inalienable part of Christian tradition. We do not know why God concealed the date of the birth of Jesus, our Saviour. Could it be because He wants us to celebrate every day of our life? Could it be because God wants us to renew our faith in Jesus more often than once in a year?

Notwithstanding everything, Christmas time should be a time of great joy and celebration in remembrance of the birth, sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We also need to renew our hope in His Second Coming as promised in the Bible: "I will come again" John 14:3. "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in the like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" Acts 1:11. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him" Revelation 1:7.

Concluded