Duality of the Unknown
Who is Jesus Christ? We often present the answer to this question in the representation of a baby born in a stable, lying in a manger. We present depictions of Jesus in every form. We see Christ represented at Christmas time on ornaments and cards. Stores, buildings and houses decked with ribbons, wreaths, and tassels of all colors, shapes and sizes. Many of us shop during the Christmas holiday season until we drop. We spend money we do not have and are still paying back. Close to 23 billion dollars was spent on black Friday and cyber Monday Christmas season. Billions more in stores. We spent all this money and did much more all in the name of Jesus! We do all sorts of things in the name of Jesus. What is it all about? These things range from the profound to the absurd, from the sacred to the profane, but will any of this behavior answer the question of who Jesus Christ is? Was He man or God? Was He the Son of God or the Son of Man?
Down through the ages, the question keeps coming up. Who is Jesus Christ? Many of us think we know the answer. But do we really know who Jesus Christ is? Is He really a true force in our lives? Do we see ourselves in Him and He in us? Is He simply someone we have come to believe in apart from ourselves?
Why is there a duality between what we believe about Jesus and what we know about God? I believe the answer is in the Bible. First we must come to understand there is no duality between God coming in Jesus (Son of Man) and His reign as Christ (Son of God). The Bible says, “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding.” Here is our clue that Jesus the man is the Son of God. Who is the “We” that know Jesus has come? That “we” is those of us who believe! That “we” is those of us who truly accept Jesus as our Savior, not just at Christmas or Easter, but all the time! It is that acceptance that gives us understanding. And it is this understanding that allows us to set-aside the commercial hoopla surrounding celebrations around Jesus and remain focused on the real reason Jesus came into the world. Second, when we understand the duality of the unknown we know that God in Christ Jesus is represented by everyday events of nature, our world and the universe. We also realize God’s presence in Christ year around.
We believe that Jesus (Son of Man) and Christ (Son of God) was one and the same. He was human and divine and He is our salvation. When we accept Jesus we accept Christ and are able to become one with Him. The celebration of Christmas, Easter and everyday becomes the celebration of the liberation of humanity from the finality of death to eternal life.
