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When December comes, Christmas shopping promotion pops up everywhere. Christmas music loops in all shopping malls. Colourful Christmas lights are displayed on both sides of the Victoria Harbour. However, how can there be a real Christmas celebration without Jesus Christ?
Advent is a season in traditional churches as a time of waiting and preparing for the celebration of Nativity. It also marks the beginning of the Western liturgical year while the first Sunday can be regarded as the church's New Year. Christ was born into the world, in the image of a servant king, proclaimed the truth, and finally died on the cross. While His resurrection defeated death and sin, it brings eternal hope to the world.
The author of the Gospel of Matthew recorded the birth of Christ by quoting the prophecy of the Old Testament Isaiah: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14). The promise, which was proclaimed by the prophet, was finally fulfilled. This Jesus from the Holy Spirit, "they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us"). (Matt 1:22-23)
The greatest significance of the birth of Christ is that no matter how dark the world is, how ridiculous the world is and how miserable the suffering is, the eternal God is still determined to be with us. Once in Man’s history, the Son of the living God became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Today, the Lord of Resurrection still lives in our hearts, and our hopes are not lost.
While the Holy conception of Mary is not easily understood, "God with us" stands out as the main theme in the Gospel of Matthew. "God with us" is at the beginning and also at the end of the Gospel of Matthew: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:20) This last echo reminds readers that human history must be interpreted from the promise of "God with us".
In December last year, my close friend, a devoted Christian, died in a traffic accident overseas. Her husband experienced an immense loss and trauma. Our church members were also deeply affected in mourning. After a whole year, we gradually recover as the "Emmanuel God" walks with us and we find hope again. Life still has to move on and "God with us always" becomes our greatest comfort and strength.
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