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LESSONS OF JOB
(Part 42)
CHRISTMAS AND JOB
December 25, 2009
Today’s readings
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98:1-6
Hebrews 1:1-6
John 1:1-18
Job could not understand
God. He had been blameless and upright (Job 1:1) but he was severely
afflicted.[1] He had been just in his ways but seemed to
suffer injustice. He thus even demanded that God answer him (Job
31:37b).
Elihu conceded that one truly could not understand God, and that God did
not have to explain Himself to anyone. “The Almighty! we cannot
discover him, pre-eminent in power and judgment; his great justice owes
no one an accounting.” (Job 37:23).
Today people still do not understand God. But rather than leading them
into trusting faith, many have gone the other way. Rather than accepting
the mysterious work of a Creator, people accept the big bang theory of
the universe[2] and the theory of evolution of the human
species.[3] Rather than embracing the cross, people disdain
and avoid suffering at all costs.
At some point in the history of humankind, God did reveal Himself more
clearly. Whereas before no one saw or talked with God face to face, now
they did. God revealed Himself through His Son Jesus, as “in these
last days, he spoke to us through a son” (Heb 1:2a). In the mystery of
the Incarnation, God became man. “And the Word became flesh and made
his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14a). Jesus is God, and in him we see the
glory of the Almighty Father (Jn 1:14b). Jesus “is the refulgence of
his glory, the very imprint of his being” (Heb 1:3a).
The glory of Jesus is that of the Creator-God. “All things came to be
through him, and without him nothing came to be.”[4] (Jn
1:3). God created and sustains the universe, and His work is the work of
Jesus, the Son “through whom he created the universe” (Heb 1:2b),
and “who sustains all things by his mighty word” (Heb 1:3b).
Now the tragedy of the world is that even though God has already
revealed Himself in human form through Jesus, the world still does not
know Him and does not accept Him. “He was in the world, and the world
came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what
was his own, but his own people did not accept him.” (Jn 1:10-11). The
Creator-God has come into the world, the Creator has dwelt among His
creatures, God has revealed Himself, but the world has been unmindful of
Him.
The urgency of the task today, as it has always been, is to make God
known. This is done through the work of evangelization, which is
proclaiming the good news of the coming of the Savior Jesus into the
world. This task is so important, is so critical, that Isaiah exulted:
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad
tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and
saying to Zion, ‘Your God is King!’” (Is 52:7).
With the birth of Jesus, the Savior has come into the world. That is
good news! The shepherds who saw the new-born Jesus were “glorifying
and praising God for all they had heard and seen” (Lk 2:20). Those who
await consolation and restoration should rejoice in Jesus. “Hark! Your
watchmen raise a cry, together they shout for joy, for they see
directly, before their eyes, the Lord restoring Zion.” (Is 52:8). The
world that is afflicted in darkness and sin should rejoice. “Break out
together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord comforts his
people, he redeems Jerusalem.” (Is 52:9).
God has already revealed Himself. The Creator-God has dwelt among us.
Jesus has performed his mighty deeds for all to see. “The Lord has
bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations” (Is 52:10a). This
is the good news that we need to proclaim. We must work tirelessly, so
that “all the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our
God.” (Is 52:10b).
Prior to the coming of Jesus, no one had seen God. People could try to
understand God, and they could see, though imperfectly, who God is.
After God revealed Himself to Job, he said, “now my eye has seen
you.” (Job 42:5b).
But to us God has been more intimately revealed. By Jesus. “No one has
ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has
revealed him.” (Jn 1:18). Jesus is God. God the Son has revealed God
the Father. The two are one.
Thus we have not only received revelation about God, but we
actually have seen God! In Jesus. “And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of
the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” (Jn 1:14).
Jesus came into the world to win for us our salvation. This is the
ultimate victory over Satan, sin and darkness. Jesus is the Savior of
the world. Jesus’ “right hand and holy arm have won the victory”
(Ps 98:1b).
What Jesus did for us on the cross is known to all. “The Lord has made
his victory known; has revealed his triumph for the nations to see.”
(Ps 98:2). It remains for the world to appreciate what Jesus has done,
and accept the salvation that he has already won for us. Jesus’
sacrifice is a manifestation of God’s great love for us and His
faithfulness to us (Ps 98:3a), according to His covenant. This is the
good news we need to continue to proclaim, to a world still steeped in
darkness and sin.
The Savior has come into the world. Jesus has already won the victory.
We have been redeemed and restored. “All the ends of the earth have
seen the victory of our God.” (Ps 98:3b). May the whole world truly
experience and live out that victory.
We rejoice in such a God. “Sing a new song to the Lord, who has done
marvelous deeds” (Ps 98:1a). We worship the Almighty God. This is our
proper response and what is pleasing to God.
When Jesus was to be born, God decreed that the proper posture was
worship, and He commanded His angels to do so. “And again, when he
leads the first born into the world, he says: ‘Let all the angels of
God worship him.’” (Heb 1:6). This is exactly what happened at the
birth of Jesus. “And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly
host with the angel, praising God” (Lk 2:13).
The shepherds were “keeping the night watch” (Lk 2:8) when suddenly
“the glory of the Lord shone around them” (Lk 2:9). Jesus the Savior
had been born. Now “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
has not overcome it.” (Jn 1:5).
If only Job had been there to witness the blessed event. We too were not
physically there at that time, but every Christmas we do witness this
blessed event.
Today we celebrate Christmas. Oh what a glorious mystery! O come let us
adore Jesus. And let us rejoice with all the angels and saints in
heaven.[5]
“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth; break into song; sing
praise. Sing praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and
melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy
to the King, the Lord.” (Ps 98:4-6).
[1]
It was commonly held that affliction was punishment for sin.
[2] The theory that the universe came out of some kind of
tremendous explosion of pure energy that happened billions of years ago
and resulted in the creation of the heavenly objects.
[3] The theory that we evolved from lower species, and among
our ancestors are the apes.
[4] If ever the universe was formed out of a big bang, then
that was the work of God.
[5] And with Job too, who would be in heaven, if he was a
real historical character.
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