Why was the coming of John the Baptist so important? Why is the coming of Jesus at Christmas so important? What exactly does the coming of Jesus at Christmas mean? We always talk about it being the good news, a message of hope, but what exactly does that mean in practical terms?
Most of us have been taught that as we grow up we should try to live the right way, following God’s Commandments and hopefully when we die, if we are good enough, we will be allowed get into heaven. We even have all those jokes about meeting St. Peter at the gates and having to answer questions to see if we are good enough, if we pass the test. Would you agree with that? The second part of that statement is not correct. The part that says, ‘If we are good enough we will get into heaven.’ You might be surprised to know that that is not the message of Christianity at all.
The truth is that we can never be good enough, or holy enough, to come into God’s presence by our own strength. The reason we call it good news is that it is Jesus who makes it possible. The Lord knows that no matter how hard we try we cannot be good enough for God by our own strength and so God comes among us in the person of Jesus to make it possible. Through Jesus’ self-sacrifice on the cross, our going to heaven was made possible. We can get to heaven because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is Jesus who makes it possible.
It says in Romans 3:23, ‘Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are redeemed by his grace… as a gift… to be received by faith.’
All fall short of the glory of God, but his grace makes it possible for us and this is offered to us as a gift and the way we receive that gift is through faith. We say, ‘Yes, I believe this and I accept it.’
Think of it this way. The holiness of the holiest people on earth, the Mother Theresas and others like that, might bring them 80% of the way to being good enough for God, but no one could ever be completely holy enough by themselves. How could any human be holy enough to be in God’s presence?
Think of what Jesus said about John the Baptist: ‘No one greater than John the Baptist has ever been born.’ That’s a pretty extraordinary thing to say about someone. But Jesus goes on to say, ‘Yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he is.’ John the Baptist is less than the least of those in heaven? So how are the rest of us supposed to get to heaven? The answer is, because of what God has done for us through Jesus. The death and resurrection of Jesus means that God has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. God has made us holy enough to be in his presence if we accept it. Why do I say ‘if’? God shows us the path that we must follow, living according to his Commandments as best we can, but we have to choose to do that. We can choose not to and sadly some do. We will never be perfect by our own strength no matter how hard we try, but that doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we do try and when we fall we come back and ask forgiveness and Jesus assures us of his forgiveness and mercy for anyone who asks. Jesus does for us what we cannot do for ourselves by his death and resurrection.
In one of the Gospels a rich man comes to Jesus asking him what he must do to get to heaven and Jesus tells him to live the Commandments. But the rich man presses him saying, ‘I do that already, what else to I need to do?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, sell what you own and come after me’ (Matt 19:21). It says that the rich man went away sad because he knew he wouldn’t be able to do that. Jesus knew he wouldn’t be able to do that too. Remember he said to him ‘If you wish to be perfect’. None of us are perfect. Then Jesus pointed out to his disciples how hard it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. The disciples were shocked and said: ‘Then who can be saved?’ And Jesus’ answer is both shocking and wonderful. He said, ‘For people it is impossible, but not for God. Everything is possible for God.’ What we cannot do for ourselves, God does for us. That is why we need never be afraid of not being good enough for God when we die, so long as we keep trying.
It is easy to become discouraged by our own sinfulness and especially when we feel are not overcoming our weaknesses. And people ask, ‘How will I be able to go to heaven when I keep falling into sin? How could I be pleasing to God?’ Again, the answer is, by the grace of God. What is important is that we keep trying. The path to God is about getting up again, and again and again, each time we fall.
Does that mean that we can just relax and do whatever we want? No. St. Paul writes, ‘Go on working out your salvation in fear and trembling’ (Phil 2:2). It would be equally foolish to think that I can live any way I want, since God forgives everything. We must never be presumptuous about God’s grace, but if we are sincere, we have nothing to be afraid of. This also gives us a great freedom. It means there is nothing to be afraid of in regards to God, so long as we try. God does everything else.
Think also of when we are about to receive Holy Communion. We are unworthy to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, but it is God who makes this possible too. That is why we say this wonderful prayer: ‘Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof… but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.’ ‘Only say the word!’ You can make it possible Lord!
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That is why the coming of Christ among us is so important. That is why Christmas and Easter are such great feasts, because they are not just about Jesus, but they are also about us. God has won heaven for us. That is why it is called good news, because it gives us the greatest hope there is: the hope that heaven is there for us if we choose it.
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