Is Christmas just about a baby?

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January 11, 2026 | 8:00am

Today is the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. The Filipino mind can easily make sense of this: We celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25, and three Sundays after that, he is baptized. But as we read in our Gospel today (Matthew 3:13-17), the one who is baptized is no longer an infant but a grown man. May bigote na ang binibinyagan! Ang bilis naman!

Today, according to our liturgy, the Christmas season ends. In this liturgical norm is a message: Christmas is not only about a baby. Scripture scholar Raymond Brown explains that the infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke present Jesus’ whole story in miniature, already pointing to the life he will later live. The title of the book where Brown makes this case summarizes his point succinctly: An Adult Christ at Christmas. As Jesus was as a baby, so he will be as an adult.

In last Sunday’s Gospel, we heard how the news of Jesus’ coming was received. A king named Herod was “greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3). King Herod wanted to kill the child Jesus, and consulted with the chief priests and scribes. When Jesus enters Jerusalem on the day we call Palm Sunday, the authorities will once again be troubled. The chief priests, scribes, and another Herod will persecute the Christ. As Jesus was opposed as a child, so he will be opposed as a man.

In the Gospel of Luke, the angels tell the shepherds: “Today in the city of David, a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: You will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” What is the sign that they have found the Messiah? He will be in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes.

The usual image conjured in our heads when we hear the word manger is a wooden box. But consider this: A manger is basically a feeding trough for the food and water of animals. What will happen if you put food and water in a wooden box? The water will leak out. The wood will rot. A wooden manger will not last.

Archaeology in the Holy Land has unearthed mangers similar to those used during Jesus’ time. Guess what they are made of: Stone. A manger is not a wooden box. A manger is a hollowed-out rock. Consider a stone manger: It will be able to hold water. It will not rot.

But now, expand your imagination. Picture a hollowed-out rock with a human placed inside it. What does that remind you of? Pause for a bit before scrolling down for the answer…

A hollowed-out rock is basically a tomb! You will know your Messiah when he dies for you. And if the hollowed-out rock is not enough of a sign, remember that the angel also talked about the swaddling clothes. In Luke 23:53, the burial of Jesus is described in this way: “After [Joseph of Arimathea] had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb….” You have all the elements the angel talked about. As he was wrapped in swaddling clothes, so he will be wrapped in burial cloths. As he lay in a manger of stone, so he will lie in a tomb of stone.

We celebrate Jesus’ birth, and less than three weeks later, we end the Christmas season with him baptized as an adult. This is not just about chronology; it is theology. The message for me is that our Christmas will not be complete if we just end our celebration with the baby. Christmas is not merely about glitter and receiving gifts. When God became a human being, God was opening himself to darkness and receiving persecution. The birth of Jesus cannot be separated from his death.

Your prayer assignment for this week:

Ask yourself: Is your faith still just a baby or is it growing up? A song to accompany you as you reflect on this (and this will betray my age and generation): “Growing Up,” from the movie Bagets. But instead of Gary Valenciano’s version, check out the cover of Odette Quesada, the composer of the song: 

Let the lyrics help you come to grips with what it means to grow up. It means “fighting our way from illusion to reality” – from the twinkling lights on the tree to the light dimming but still struggling to break through on the cross. Growing up means “getting down,” and “putting my both feet on the ground.” It means accepting that the sun “doesn’t shine all the time.” But when life smacks you in the face, how can you still say, “Thank God, reality came around”?

We take a clue from the end of our Gospel today. Jesus descends into the waters, but when he rises, the heavens open and a voice declares, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Neck-deep or even underwater, drowning in the challenges of the everyday, imagine yourself being lifted up. Trust that what awaits is not just a rude awakening. It will be the gentle voice of the Father assuring you, “You are my son. You are my daughter. And I love you.”

Fr. Francis teaches Theology, Education and Scripture at both the Ateneo de Manila University and Loyola School of Theology. As a classroom teacher, he is first and foremost a student. As a professor, he sees himself primarily as a pastor.