But, did you ever reflect on the fact that there would be no Christmas without the Resurrection?
The name “Jesus Christ” should have been lost among the many phenoms who proclaimed themselves messiahs during the Jewish nation’s long subjegation to the empires which controlled the destiny of the Chosen People.
Each of these messiahs sprang up like Spring flowers and just as fast their movements withered and faded. Something different happened with Jesus, called the Christ.
He died, but faith in Him did not. It wasn’t so much that faith created an enduring movement in the world. No, it was the sight of Him, the experience of Him as alive which lifted the hearts of his early followers and created our Faith. This is just the opposite of what most non-believers think.
Unlike the eyewitnesses, these days we walk by Faith and not by sight. We believe because the rich tradition of those eyewitnesses was handed down to us. Because of this belief in the Risen Messiah we celebrate his birth
It is easy to see in a baby the hope presented by John: “God so loved the world that he sent His only-begotten Son into the world so that those who believe in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
So, “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Easter.” These feast days both celebrate the same miracle of God’s abiding love, something, I think, we should all be merry about.