Glory to Thee, Who hast shown us the Great Light!
Beloved fathers, brothers, and sisters in the Christ Who is born, God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets (Heb. 1:1), proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, the Deliverer from the ancestral sin. This proclamation was gradual. Already in Paradise, when God spoke to the fallen Adam and Eve, He foretold the Redeemer Who would be born of the seed of the woman: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall be on guard for His heel” (Gen. 3:15).
The preparation of Israel for the coming of Christ was carried out in many ways, but of particular importance was the role of the holy prophets in the spiritual upbringing of the people. The prophets proclaimed and vividly depicted the image of the Messiah centuries before His Incarnation, Nativity, and public ministry—so vividly that one is filled with awe before God and His servants, the prophets of the Old Covenant.
The Nativity of Christ, and the wondrous mystery of the One born in the cave of Bethlehem, was foretold in a heart-stirring way by the Prophet Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). Yet we often forget the Great Light—the Son of God—Whom the same prophet describes at the beginning of chapter 9: “The people who walked in darkness saw a great light; those who dwell in the land and shadow of death, a light will shine upon them” (Isa. 9:2).
Light is a divine attribute. In Holy Scripture, God Himself is called the true Light: “The Lord is my light and my savior; whom shall I fear?” (Ps. 26:1). And again, “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:5). This Light desires that people partake of it, receive it, and follow it. Thus God saves His people not only from foreign invaders, but also His new people—the Orthodox Christians—from the darkness of sin and of Hades.
The time of the manifestation of the Light has been fulfilled, and God proclaims a time of joy — joy that comes from Him. The great and true joy is brought about by the birth of the Child-King in royal courts. A King Who brings the long-awaited deliverance from sin and death. This King is the Incarnate Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who for our salvation became like us in all things except sin (Rom. 8:3).
His reign is eternal, and although He humbled Himself and took the form of a servant at His Birth (Phil. 2:7–8), He in no way lost His divine dignity and majesty. The names given to this Child reveal His qualities: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder. His name shall be called the Angel of Great Counsel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).
Peace is not merely the absence of war, but a divine gift—the reconciliation of sinful humanity with God through the sacrifice of Christ on Golgotha. For this reason His peace shall have no end, and His reign is everlasting. The Child is the true Anointed One, possessing in fullness the gifts of the Holy Spirit: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord anointed Me; He sent Me to preach good tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind…” (Isa. 61:1–2). Unlike priests, kings, and prophets of the Old Covenant, who were anointed to serve as mediators between God and man, Christ Himself is the Divine Person, the true Mediator.
As Prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ proclaims the acceptable year of the Lord—the New Covenant (Isa. 61:2). As High Priest, He offered Himself as a pure and spotless sacrifice for our sins. As true King, He is the Head of His Church and will reign forever in His Kingdom. His reign must begin here on earth in our hearts, that we may share with Him in His eternal Kingdom.
Christ reigns with justice and righteousness. He alone is righteous and will render judgment on the Last Day: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him…” (Matt. 25:31–32). The work of redemption is accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom it is written: “The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this” (Isa. 9:7).
In the Old Testament, God is often described as a jealous God: “…For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Ex. 20:5). He zealously guards His people when they fall away from the true worship of the one God and begin to serve idols: “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands” (Ps. 134:15). God’s zeal is closely bound with His divine might, by which He is revealed as the Almighty, the Victor. For us, the greatest of His victories is that of the Cross—victory over sin and death—a victory to which we must also become partakers with God’s help in our earthly lives.
The people of the Old Covenant awaited with trembling the manifestation of the wondrous Divine Light—that Light of which the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian writes: “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:5). The manifestation of this uncreated Light, which existed before the foundation of the world, was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah. This Light is the Wonderful Counselor, the Child-King, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia likewise awaits with reverence the Day of Christ’s Nativity. In these forefeast days we prepare ourselves so that our hearts may become Bethlehem caves, wherein Christ may be born, to illumine us with His unwaning and transfiguring Light, and to make us like unto Him.
A Blessed Nativity of Christ and a Joyful New Year 2026!
+JOSEPH
Metropolitan of the USA, Canada, and Australia