Christmas is the feast of light. Without light, we cannot see. We need light to see the light. At the same time, in order to appreciate light, we also need darkness. Without darkness, there is no light. So the prophet Isaiah proclaims, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” If we bring out our darkness today, it would be fine because our sinfulness and unworthiness would help the true light to be more highlighted.
The gospel proclaims, “Behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you. And there will be a sign for you.” The good news is FOR you, not for anonymous others. Particularly you are invited here to receive a gift from God. Don’t think a gift is just for children; we are always children in the eyes of God. To be honest, we all always want to receive a gift because it reveals the love of a giver. And on Christmas we are each given a gift and its names are given: Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, and Prince of Peace.
These names show what kind of gift we receive and who God is all about because name is not a just combination of letters but an identity or character of someone named. Among the names, I like Wonder-Counselor because it shows Jesus’ mission as a mediator between God and human. The counselor Jesus helps us experience wonder and awe in the relationship with God. And Jesus is not a human hero such as celebrities, powerful leader or genius but God-Hero who always glorifies the greatness of God first and inspires us to follow the true hero. And Father-Forever is rooted in Jesus’ compassion for his children because we want to find peace and happiness in the relationship with the savior who is always a merciful father to us. And finally Jesus is Prince of Peace because he didn’t come to compete with other powers. Rather, he emptied himself to be suffered, died and eaten for his children like the Lamb of God for expiation. So I like to call the gift we receive today: Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever and Prince of Peace.