Christmas Message for 2012

Pr Kungsong Wanbe *

Christmas at at Tamenglong on 25 December 2011 :: Pix - Daniel Kameih

Contrary to the universal saying, the Japanese say that the day of a child's birth is the day of mourning and the day of one's death is the day of joy. But according to nations of the world, the day of a child's birth is the day of joy and the day of death is the day of mourning. The question is why the day of a child's birth is the day of joy and the day of one's death is the day of mourning? The answer is that because a child is sent by God to achieve something on this earth, but the day of one's death is the end of life.

It is certain and true that when a child is born to a family, the whole family members and particularly, the father and the mother are joyful for the baby. Forget about the joy of the father and the mother, even the angels of heaven rejoiced and sang when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Please read Luke 2: 10-15.

As mentioned above anybody who is born on earth is sent by God to fulfil something. Actually for Jesus, his birth on this earth was not to gain his personal benefit, but to save humankind from sin.

Please read Matthew 1: 21. Jesus was God who incarnated in the form of man. He is the visible God. For more detail, let us see the following briefly. It says, "The light of the knowledge of the glory of God is seen in the face of Jesus Christ".

From the days of eternity, Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; he was the image of God, the image of his greatness and majesty, the outshining of his glory. It was to manifest this glory that he came to our world. To this sin-darkened earth he came to reveal the light of God's love to be "God with us; therefore it was prophesied of him that his name shall be called Immanuel". Please read Matthew 1: 23 and Isaiah 7: 14.

By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men and to the angels. Jesus was the word of God made audible. In his prayer for his disciples, Jesus says, "I have declared to them thy (your) name merciful, gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth that the love wherewith thou (you) has loved me may be in them, and I in them. Please read John 14: 16; Luke 6: 12; John 16: 26-28.

Actually the birth of Jesus on this earth was not only a lesson for our little world but his birth was the lesson book for the universe. God's wonderful purpose of grace, the mystery of redeeming love is the theme of which the angels were joyful when Jesus was born.

All the human beings of this world will receive salvation because of his birth, his death, and his resurrection. When Jesus comes for the second time to receive his chosen people, all the people whether righteous or sinner, all the eyes shall see his coming. Please read Revelation 1: 7; Daniel 12:2.

Lastly but not the least, Jesus, being God incarnated as a human being, is the visible God. As a matter of fact, when he was talking to some of his followers, a disciple known as Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father and we shall be satisfied. Jesus said to Philip, "I have been with you so long and yet you do not know me? He who has seen me has seen the Father". Please read John 14: 8, 9.

May God bless all the Kangleichas (Manipuris) regardless of Christians and non-Christians as we celebrate Christmas, 2012!

We have been given the greatest gift of all that is, Emmanuel- God with us.