The First Noel

Noel comes from French and ultimately from Latin natalis which means either birthday or of or relating to birth. Jesus Christ’s birth was the first Noel, or the first birth, in the sense that it was the first - and only - birth of a physical child of God. But thanks to the First Noel, we all have a chance at a second Noel, or a second birth. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). We celebrate the birth of Christ because it is through Christ and His Atonement that all of us have the chance to be born again. There is something so whole and complete and hopeful about a newborn child. They have the potential to do anything, and have not yet been weighed down by the cares of the world. Thanks to Jesus Christ we can recapture for ourselves that feeling of lightness and freedom and limitless potential by being born again. Every time we renew our covenants we can be born again. I am so grateful for that First Noel so that we can all be born again.