Carter Benjamin Lam

It’s Christmas! The time of waiting in darkness is over. We celebrate once again, as we do every year, that the Light has come into the world. And now that we can see, this new season of illumination brings to us a renewed sense of wonderment and awe.

Of the three Gospels that include some narrative of Christ’s Birth, I think John best captures the wonderment of this season in the opening to his Gospel. The story that Luke and Matthew each spend about two whole chapters explaining, John tells in four words: “the Word became flesh.” Since this is the most poetic telling of Jesus’ Birth, it can lead us to the deepest and most mystical implications. Underlying it all, the wonder of Christmas is that the Word of God, who is eternally God, became flesh—that God himself was conceived and born into this world, in space-time history.

The song I Wonder as I Wander captures this sensation for us. The lyrics thereof lead us to ask certain questions: Why is it that the King would want to live with us? Why is it that God would be born to such low estate? Why is it that the Lord would want to be born under his own Law, and then eventually be put to death to finally satisfy that Law?

A reaction of wonderment to this holy day and to this season is the correct reaction. As finite people, we want to wonder. We can’t help but wonder. We crave wonderment. The Birth of Jesus satisfies this craving. His Birth makes this the most wonderful (that is, wonder-full or wonder-filled) time of the year, and his Birth makes this life a wonderful life indeed. The Christian New Year has only just begun—let’s continue to wonder at the Incarnation and Birth of God.

Have a very merry Christmas!