Sympathetic Resonance

Luke is extremely careful to give us the facts and not the exaggerations when it comes to the most important story in the Bible.  He chooses his words carefully, and they tell the events in simple fashion.  His words provide us with the meaning of Christmas which is summed up in the doctrine of the incarnation. That is a big word that simply means that Jesus became a man while retaining his divinity. Although he voluntarily laid aside the use of his divine attributes, he was both God and man. He didn’t just appear to be a man; he really was a human being. He had a real body in which he experienced real human emotions—even our human weaknesses, and all this he did without ever sinning. Since Jesus was a real baby, he had to learn to crawl, to walk, and to talk. He had to learn how to be a carpenter as a man and all that we have to learn as we grow into adulthood.

The writer of the book of Hebrews says that since Jesus became a man he has the ability to sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). Two perfectly in-tune pianos that are in the same room have a sympathetic resonance with each other. When one note is struck on one, the same note will respond on the other piano without being touched by anyone. Since Christ came in the same body we all share, he is capable of feeling our pain, sorrow and disappointment with life. Whatever sadness that originates in our hearts will be felt in the savior’s heart.

Celebrating Christmas biblically means that we embrace the belief that Jesus, who was God throughout eternity, took on the human body which he now continues to retain—all for us. He did this to feel our pain and to share our human experience. He did this to save us from our sins and to give us hope in a hopeless world.