Today (well almost every day), I find myself in awe of God. I am in awe of who He is, what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. When I pause and observe my surroundings, I become aware of Him. When God, our Creator, created everything, He had in mind everything that we would need to function in this life. Even what man has created and “creates” comes from or is inspired by all that God created from the very beginning. You name it: technology, art, medicine, medical procedures, education, industry, government, cooking, light sources, power sources, ... This amazes me to no end. (Caution: I may use a lot of words repeatedly that are related to ‘awe.’) I could go off on this tangent, but I won’t right now. I am in awe that God made us, mankind, male and female, in His image. This gives us value like nothing or no one else on earth could.
Now, this is where my adoration is at its highest, at its peak: Despite our rebellion against God, our sinfulness against God, He loved us enough or rather soooooooo... much that He sent His one and only begotten Son to save us from our sins. The times that we celebrate this good news are Christmas and Easter.
Well, it’s Christmas time! And I am bubbling over with praise and joy and thankfulness. I absolutely love this time we set aside to recognize God’s love for us expressed fully in His Son, Jesus Christ. No matter how the world tries to redefine this time with fiction, I believe that the grand celebrations and the bright lights and the fellowship accompanied by gifts of love are a festival for Jesus.
I know some might disagree. But think about it for a moment; Christmas is celebrated all over the world in some fashion or another. Based on a google search, there are approximately about 195 recognized countries or so in the world. Of these countries, there are about thirty-six countries that don’t celebrate Christmas at all.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observance_of_Christmas_by_country
Still Christmas is celebrated on every continent. Why? I believe it’s because of Jesus. To me, the lights go up everywhere because they somehow symbolize that He is the light of the world. Then the holiday is called CHRISTmas! At this time, the good news about Jesus is spread deliberately and inadvertently.
This year, it seemed as though people couldn’t wait to decorate. Lights seemed to go up so fast. It just brings my heart joy, and even more so this year, because of a study of Hidden Christmas by Timothy Keller. This book has heightened my awareness of the fulfillment of Good News, the Gospel, that began with the birth or incarnation of Jesus Christ. Keller said that if we understand Christmas, we understand the gospel. More specifically, Keller said, “To understand Christmas is to understand basic Christianity, the Gospel (Hidden Christmas, p3).” So, I am celebrating God’s love for us all. I love that He loved us enough to send us Jesus. And the lights at our house are up too! We all have hope because He came!
Now enjoy the lyrics of these famous Christmas songs:
Joy to the World
Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/joy-to-the-world-hymn-carol-lyrics-composer/
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With th’angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ by highest heav'n adored,
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/lyrics-hark-the-herald-angels-sing/
Challenge:
Look up the lyrics to other Christmas songs that testify about who Jesus is and rejoice!
Away in a Manger
The First Noel
Silent Night
O Holy Night
and so on ...
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