The Nature of Jesus’s Life and the Christmas Season
The Christmas season is upon us and we find ourselves surrounded by symbols of light, love, and joy. Colored and twinkling lights illuminate our homes, hang from our roofs, and adorn our trees. And, in that light, we gather with our communities and our loved ones. While this is, in many ways, the essence of the season, at the heart of this Christmas is the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
For many, Christmas is a time to reflect on Jesus’s arrival in Bethlehem, heralded by angels and celebrated by shepherds and wise men. Yet, this moment is just the beginning of a far greater journey. According to New Church teachings, Jesus’s life on earth was not merely the story of a remarkable teacher or a healer of the sick. It was the unfolding of God’s love in human form, a divine plan to restore spiritual balance and make salvation possible for all.
The Meaning of Christmas: God’s Descent to Earth
At the heart of Christmas lies the Incarnation: God taking on human form as Jesus Christ. While on its surface it’s the story of a child born in a humble stable, when we dig deeper, and look closely, we can see so many acts of love throughout the story itself. And then, in understanding who Jesus is, we also see the nature of God and his ultimate act of love. Through the Incarnation, God stepped into the human experience—not as a distant observer, but as one who lived among us, sharing in our joys and sorrows.
In the Gospel of John we read, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus’s birth was the beginning of a divine mission to reconnect humanity with the Divine. He came not as a conquering king, but as a vulnerable infant, reflecting the gentleness and humility of God’s approach to healing the human heart.
New Church Perspective on the Incarnation
Swedenborg’s writings reveal Jesus’s birth as a pivotal moment in the spiritual history of the universe. At the time of His arrival, humanity was losing its connection to heaven, and the balance between good and evil was tipping dangerously.
Jesus entered the world to restore that balance. By facing and overcoming temptations, He subdued the powers of hell and reestablished the link between heaven and humankind. Swedenborg describes this act as God bringing Himself closer to us in a way we could understand and accept. The Incarnation wasn’t just about God becoming human; it was about God making Himself accessible, tangible, and present in every moment of our lives.
Christmas as Renewal
In many ways, it becomes easy to see all of the connections between light and love and connection and the arrival of Jesus and the Christmas season. We can, hopefully, see beyond the catchy sloganeering of “The reason for the season.”
With luck, each Christmas, we are reminded that God is love and that love is unending. Renewal is always possible and just as light broke into the darkness of that first Christmas night, Jesus’s life on earth shines as a beacon of hope, inviting us to embrace a spiritual rebirth.
For our congregation, Christmas is more than a celebration of Jesus’s birth; it is an opportunity to reflect on the ways His presence transforms our lives. The season calls us to open our hearts to God’s love, to seek renewal, and to walk the path of spiritual growth Jesus modeled for us.
The Nature of Jesus’s Life on Earth
According to Swedenborg, Jesus came to not only teach but also to demonstrate God's love in ways we could see and feel. All of his actions—healing the sick, comforting those with grief or sorrow, and extending forgiveness—are expressions of divine love in action. It is why acts of service can be so essential on one’s spiritual journey, as we try to emulate Jesus and embody God’s love.
When we talk about divine love, we often see it paired with wisdom. In addition to the acts of love, Jesus also provided lessons about living in harmony with God's commandments and seeking spiritual growth. Through Jesus, God was able to make his love and wisdom accessible and relatable.
The Role of Free Will
One of the central themes in Swedenborg’s teachings is the importance of free will in spiritual growth. Jesus’s life serves as an example of how to live in alignment with God’s will while respecting human freedom. Jesus, in choosing to follow the path of divine love and wisdom, showed humanity how to exercise free will in ways that foster spiritual regeneration.
His life serves as a model, showing us that, through conscious choices, we can align ourselves with the divine, overcome selfish desires, and contribute to the greater good.
This Christmas season, as we reflect on the life of Jesus, we are reminded of his purpose: to show us a God who loves unconditionally, to conquer the powers of darkness, and to inspire us to use our freedom to walk in the light of divine truth.
And, during this Christmas season, we can choose to take steps in our own spiritual journey. From the lights we hang to remind us to flush out darkness to time with family, we can see the symbols of the lessons we can and should focus on. While Christmas isn’t the only time for acts of service, commitment to community and family, to choose light over dark, the celebration stands as a great reminder why we celebrate Jesus’s birth.
Jesus’s Life on Earth as a Personal Gift
One of the biggest traditions at Christmas is gift giving. If we think of stories like the Gift of the Magi, a seasonal favorite, then we begin to understand how gift giving is more about love, understanding, and connection than consumerism.
The Gift of His Humanity
One of the most profound aspects of Jesus’s life on Earth is His complete humanity. He experienced the full range of human emotions and challenges—joy, sorrow, love, pain, and even the struggle against temptation. Swedenborg’s writings highlight that Jesus’s humanity was essential to His mission, as it made the infinite love of God tangible and accessible to all.
Living as one of us means Jesus was able to provide deeply relatable examples of divine love in action. That, in turn, offers us a powerful message: God understands and walks with us in our struggles.
Swedenborg’s Teachings on Divine and Human Unity
According to Swedenborg, Jesus's journey was not merely a human life but a transformative process of uniting His divine essence with His human form. This profound act of unification—what Swedenborg calls the glorification of Jesus—made salvation possible for humanity. In uniting the divine and human within Himself, Jesus established a pathway for all people to connect with God on a deeply personal level. This pathway encourages each of us to seek a similar unity by aligning our lives with divine principles of love and wisdom.
Christmas and Spiritual Growth
The Christmas season symbolizes the beginning of this transformative journey. Just as Jesus's birth brought light into the world, His life and teachings illuminate a path for our own spiritual growth. His example calls us to live lives filled with love, wisdom, and service, emphasizing that spiritual growth is a journey of becoming more aligned with God’s will. Jesus's story reminds us that we have the capacity to bring hope, kindness, and renewal into the lives of others—a true celebration of His gift to humanity.
As we gather to celebrate Christmas, I hope we can see it as more than a commemoration of Jesus’s birth. It is a personal invitation to embark on our spiritual journeys, inspired by His life. Jesus’s humanity, His unification of the divine and human, and His teachings encourage us to grow into the best versions of ourselves, living in love, wisdom, and service to others.
Christmas as an Invitation to Follow Jesus’s Path
Christmas offers an invaluable moment, especially in our harried world, to pause and reflect on the gift of Jesus’s life. His journey on Earth was more than a historical event; it was an invitation to start, reignite, or reset on our own spiritual journeys.
This season invites us to consider how Jesus’s example of love, wisdom, and perseverance against challenges can inspire our lives. If we take time amidst the holiday busyness, slow down, and meditate on His teachings, they can guide us in our spiritual growth and help us connect more deeply with God and the people around us.
Leading a Life According to Jesus’s Teachings
Swedenborg emphasizes that spiritual life is not an abstract idea but a call to live with love and purpose. During this Christmas season, embrace opportunities to live Jesus’s teachings in practical ways.
Show love by supporting a friend in need, serve your community through acts of kindness, and seek spiritual truth by aligning your actions with divine principles. As Swedenborg teaches, each small act of love and wisdom brings us closer to the divine and contributes to the greater good.
Celebrating the Divine Gift
Christmas traditions—exchanging gifts, decorating with lights, and gathering with loved ones—are rich with spiritual meaning. Gifts symbolize the blessings and truths we receive from God and the joy of giving to others.
The lights remind us of Jesus, the Light of the World, who illuminates the path to spiritual awakening. Togetherness reflects the unity and love we are called to embody as a reflection of God’s kingdom. This season, let these traditions deepen your appreciation of the divine gift of Jesus’s life and His ongoing presence in your journey.
Embracing Christmas as an invitation to follow Jesus’s path can help us transform the season into more than a celebration—it becomes a renewal of our commitment to love, serve, and grow spiritually.
The timing is also exceptional in that it comes just before the start of the new year. Christmas allows us to learn, reflect, and celebrate and then we can carry all of the blessings and lessons into the coming year.
As you spend your holidays with family and friends, we hope you’ll consider where you are in your spiritual journey and how you can contribute to a loving community this season and beyond.
We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and we’re looking forward to connecting with you in the coming year as we all strive to live the lessons of Jesus’s life.