Insights to the First Noel V2

I recall I wrote about this many years ago but I can't seem to get used to it that I thought I should make this as a personal tradition to pause and dedicate this space to the Person who, paradoxically, is only best remembered at this time of the year not for the person that He is but for the person that He is not. It is easy to think Christmas, and it is easy to believe Christmas, but it is hard to act Christmas, so goes old wisdom.  

The circumstances to which God arranged Jesus' birth resemble that of the time of the Nazis where malice can fall down unto anyone easily even to the last naivete of a child without compunction. From the very beginning, the Giver of Life was already fated to forfeit his life the moment he received his first breath of air.

His birth was received sans the ostentatious or material comfort nor was He honored by the eloquence of the elect. And yet He chose to appear before people estranged by society for their privation and sheer ignorance. In other words, Jesus came in the midst of the most lows for a person who is the Most High. Undoubtedly, the First Noel, the most remarkable event in history, was the worst and the first unsolicited Christmas that was celebrated in fear, poverty and silence.

This is not to say that we should celebrate Christmas like the way it was first celebrated. I believe that Christmas can be best celebrated by looking at the very essence of its beginnings. The First Noel begins with an insight of Jesus' selflessness and sacrifice. The child that He once was, Jesus started His mission the hard way. God must have wanted that to happen to Jesus so we may know that it only takes the courage of a child to begin our work for others. 

The First Noel also marks the beginning of Jesus' service. According to the Bible, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." 

When I was just a little kid, I used to wonder what's with the shepherds around the belen. And my uncle rejoined, "Jesus wanted to grow up to become a shepherd. That's why." But Philip Yancey's book "The Jesus I Never Knew" explains that shepherds were generally outcasts or slaves and that the choice to appear before them was a gesture of God's care for those who have been despised by society. Yancey was right about the shepherds and my uncle was also right. Jesus had to first know what it's like to be a shepherd to become a great shepherd someday.

The First Noel designates Jesus his future career – to serve as a shepherd. Much of today's confusion stems from our clear lack of purpose in life. But when we choose to be of service to others, our purpose becomes clear.

Christmas therefore, seeks to remind us that we do not just celebrate Christmas because it's Jesus' birthday but it's a celebration of that choice that Jesus made for us. And for this reason, we must also begin to make similar choices that we are here to serve by the different careers we choose and make the most of out of it for the benefit of others.        

Let the work of Christmas begin, and let it begin with you.

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

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