Finding Christ in Christmas Part 2

Let the video play while you read the blog.

 

A few weeks ago, a good friend surprised me with tickets to see Chris Tomlin’s Christmas tour, Glory in the Highest. This motivated me to buy his Christmas album, and inspired a blog found here. Read that one first.

 

Now another song on this CD that really stuck out to me and helped me find new meaning in Christmas was O Holy Night. Traditionally associated (in my mind at least) with the candlelight Christmas eve service and overly tremulous soprano vibratos, this was an entirely different version. I really listened to the words this time around.

 

At the concert, Louie Giglio gave a short message. He described what that first Christmas was probably actually like. It was probably a little humid (this is Israel in April, after all 😉 ), and the stable was a little dirty. There were animals around and Mary was probably thinking, really, baby, any night but tonight. They were miles away from home, away from their families, and totally on their own. Worst of all, it was TAX day. Can you think of a worse situation for a baby to be born into, let alone God?

 

And yet, as usual, this was exactly where God wanted them to be. This was the grand entrance into the world He had been planning since the beginning of time. And the first people to hear about this birth? Shepherds, the lowest of the low. They are out tending their flocks at night, maybe they were even asleep, when suddenly an angel, shining with all the glory of God, appeared to them.

 

I didn’t know this until last week, but no one had heard from God in over 400 years at this point. There had been no prophets for the people of Israel, and they were probably wondering if their God was still out there and if He still remembered them. Talk about not having much hope. No one was alive who could remember what it was like to hear directly from God. Those who still practiced Judaism were truly walking by faith, trusting that God would eventually fulfill the promises made in the prophecies of the Hebrew scriptures, promises like those found in Isaiah 61:1-2. The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me, because
the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent
me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and
freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD, and the
day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn. (See more promises and prophecies fulfilled). 

 

So back to the shepherds. God chose them to be the first to go and worship Jesus.  They saw Him appear, and the Soul felt its worth, probably for the first time in hundreds of years. God had not forgotten them, but had come down himself, to fulfill his promises. They fell on their knees and heard the angel voices. No wonder it was a holy and divine night.

 

The last verse is powerful stuff. Truly He taught us to love one another–how do any of us know how to love without being given an example? Christ provided the ultimate one, after living a sacrificial life. His law is love and His gospel is peace. He brought love and peace to the world.

 

And here is the line that truly stood out to me for the first time in my life… Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother. We are all equal under God and He loves us all, even those who are enslaved around the world. 27 million people this Christmas–what hope do they have? 

 

But we can trust God to do what he promises-that in his name all oppression shall cease. Therefore, when we go out to the nations this next year, we can know that it is not God’s plan that anyone is oppressed, hurting or enslaved. We know that He longs for them to be free, and that He will equip His followers for what they need to free the captives, and to stand with our brothers and sisters who are slaves.

 

Therefore, it is in a grateful chorus with joy we praise His holy name forever. Christ is the Lord, and we shall praise His power and glory, we will ever more proclaim.

 

Amen.