The Nativity of the Lord, Christmas, is the most joyous and amazing miracle, a celebration of the Incarnation of God’s Son. The celebration shows both the continuity and novelty that Christ brings to the history of salvation written in the Old Testament – writes in his commentary Director of the Abraham Joshua Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations at the Catholic University of Lublin, a Bible scholar Fr. Prof. Marcin Kowalski.

In the famous prologue of the Gospel according to John read on the feast of the Nativity of the Lord there are many references to the Old Testament. The very first verse, “in the beginning was the Word” (en arche en ho logos, Jn 1:1), is a clear referent to the first verse of the Book of Genesis and the entire Bible: “In the beginning God created” (bereshit bara Elohim, Gen 1:1). “The Word that John refers to has existed from the beginning, which means here an absolute beginning, the origin and principle of all things” – explains Fr. Marcin Kowalski and adds that “Similarly, God’s Wisdom in the Book of Proverbs speaks of herself as set up at the first, before the beginning of the earth”.

The Word described by John is a very important term in Jewish tradition, an expression of God’s creative power, often cited by the prophets. The Divine Word conveys a light that dispels the darkness of the world. “The Word in John enters as light into the world full of darkness, which again is a reference to the creation account (Gen 1:4-5) and to the Old Testament texts, which often feature an opposition between light, which stands for God and his Word, and darkness, which stands for evil and misfortune” – stresses Director of the Heschel Centre.

Fr. Kowalski notes that “The Word according to John is rejected by his own people, which also echoes the drama of the prophetic Word being rejected by Israel”. Nevertheless, the Word has dwelt among us, or rather “pitched his tent among us” (Greek skenoo). “In a similar way, the Book of Exodus describes God accompanying Israel in the Tent of Meeting as they wandered through the desert, and Ben Sirah speaks of Wisdom pitching her tent in Israel” (Sir 24:8).

The Word, which is the Son, not only continues God’s work of creation, but marks the beginning of what Paul calls a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17), bringing our human world out of the night of evil and sin. Most importantly, “The Word described by John is not simply an extension of God’s work or an embodiment of God’s Wisdom. It is God incarnate in man” – observes Fr. Kowalski. “This truth of faith, so crucial for Christians, is at the same time very difficult to accept for our Jewish brothers and sisters of their high, pure notion of the divine transcendence” – adds the commentator.

God incarnate in Christ is the absolute novelty of the history of salvation, the acme of God’s desire to be close to human beings. “God becomes one of us, to share to the end the misery, the drama, but also the beauty and joy of human life, to redeem it. The Son comes as similar to us, and at the same time so different from us. At the same time, He does not jealously guard his sonship and does not keep it only for himself. In Him, we all become daughters and sons of God, adopted children of God and heirs to His glory” – sums up Fr. Marcin Kowalski.

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The full text of the commentary follows:

Christmas is the most joyous and extraordinary miracle in which we celebrate the Incarnation of the Son of God. In this celebration we can see both the continuity and novelty that Christ brings to the history of salvation recorded in the Old Testament. This is illustrated in the Gospel of John, which we read in our churches on Christmas Day.

Let’s begin with the Old Testament references that are hidden in John's description of the birth of the Son of God. John begins his story with the well-known phrase: “in the beginning was the Word” (Greek en arche en ho logos) (John 1:1). It is a reference to Genesis, bereshit bara Elohim – “in the beginning God created” (Gen 1:1). The “Word” of which John speaks exists from the beginning, which means the absolute beginning, the origin and principle of all things. Similarly, God’s Wisdom in the Book of Proverbs speaks of herself as set up at the first, before the beginning of the earth (Proverbs 8:23).

John goes on, writing about the “Word”, gr. logos, and introducing a term very dear to Jewish tradition. In Genesis, it is God’s Word that brings our world into existence. The prophets, like Isaiah, will speak of God’s Word, which shapes, creates the history of Israel and all mankind (Isa 45:7; 55:11; 65:17). The Word in John enters as light into the world full of darkness, which again is a reference to the creation account (Gen 1:4-5) and to the Old Testament texts, which often feature an opposition between light, which stands for God and his Word, and darkness, which stands for evil and misfortune (Job 17:12; Ps 112:4; Qoh 2:13; Wis 18:4; Isa 5:20.30; 58:10). In the Gospel of John, darkness wages war against the incoming divine Word, but it does not manage to “absorb” or “overcome” it (Greek katalambano) (John 1:5), which also finds a confirmation in the dramatic history of divine Word comprised in in the Old Testament.

The Word according to John is rejected by his own people, which also echoes the drama of the prophetic Word being rejected by Israel: “He came to his own home, and his own people did not accept Him” (John 1:11). Finally, John writes about the Word who dwelt among us, or rather “pitched his tent among us” (Greek skenoo). In a similar way, the Book of Exodus describes God accompanying Israel in the Tent of Meeting as they wandered through the desert, and Ben Sirah speaks of Wisdom pitching her tent in Israel (Sir 24:8).

The story of the Word that John describes is undoubtedly a continuation of the history of salvation recorded in the Old Testament. At the same time, it brings an unexpected and extraordinary novelty to that history. The Word, which is the Son, not only continues God’s work of creation, but marks the beginning of what Paul calls a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17), bringing our human world out of the night of evil and sin. The Word described by John is not simply an extension of God’s work or an embodiment of God’s Wisdom. It is God incarnate in man: “The Word became flesh (Greek sarx) and pitched his tent among us” (John 1:14).

This truth of faith, so crucial for Christians, is at the same time very difficult to accept for our Jewish brothers and sisters because of “high, pure notion of the divine transcendence” (“Guidelines and Suggestions for Implementing the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate, No. 4”). God incarnate in Christ is the absolute novelty of salvation history. He transcends the barrier between deity and humanity; the Creator comes to his creation and does so out of love. However, we can read this love and intensification of God’s longing for man in the Old Testament (from the story of creation, through the establishment of the temple to the cry of the prophets): this is the story of God seeking the closeness of man. In Christ, this story reaches its climax.

God becomes one of us, to share to the end the misery, the drama, but also the beauty and joy of human life, to redeem it. The Son comes as similar to us, and at the same time so different from us. This is the true God, as John says, the one who was with God, or rather, as we read in John’s Gospel, was turned all the way to God (Greek pros ton theon) (Jn 1:1), gazed upon his face, was one with Him, rested on his heart (John 1:18), and therefore tells us the truth about the Father. He is the “only begotten” (Greek monogenes) (John 1:18), the only Son of God, who shares the divine nature with the Father. At the same time, He does not jealously guard his sonship and does not keep it only for himself. In Him, we all become daughters and sons of God, adopted children of God and heirs to His glory.

This is the continuation and surprising newness of God’s story that we find in Christ. A joyous Christmas to us all!

About the Author:

Marcin Kowalski, professor of the Catholic University of Lublin – doctor of biblical sciences, Director of the Abraham Joshua Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations at the Catholic University of Lublin, member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, defended his doctorate at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, lecturer of Holy Scripture at the Major Seminary in Kielce and Lublin, assistant professor at the Department of Biblical Theology and Proforistics at the Institute of Biblical Studies of the Catholic University of Lublin,  editor-in-chief of the Bible quarterly The Biblical Annals, secretary of the Association of Polish Bible Scholars for the third term. His scientific and pastoral passion is the Bible, especially the letters of St. Paul.

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