O Holy Night: Christmas Series Part 2
“O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.” By Placide Cappeau, 1847
God had a plan from way back, before the foundations of the earth. He created the species of man to fellowship with Him and to populate the planet. In His great wisdom and foresight—before we ever arrived on the scene—He saw that we would go our own way, fall into sin, and descend into the agony of spiritual darkness.
He gave the first hint of His plan to pull humanity out of the abyss of their own making early in man’s history. After the man and woman He created fell into deception and disobedience (see Genesis 3:1-7), God told the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15).
And so it came to pass. Jesus came to earth through the seed of woman; the virgin birth enabled the Savior to be both a Man—through Mary, His mother—and to be God, through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:35). And as history rolled on through time, God gave more hints about His plan to deliver men and women from their sinful nature through an astonishing sacrificial act. And according to Galatians 4:4, “…when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.”
In due season. For millennia the world, steeped in sin, pined away in error, and tooled along on an evil course. So dark and oppressed was the race of man. The Jews, likewise subject to the permeating stain of sin, nonetheless held promise through their holy Scriptures of hope and help from Heaven that the Messiah—the stem of Jesse, the Promised One—would someday appear and set up His Kingdom.
At the right time. “…when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.” Jesus, the Son of Man and the Son of God, was born at the right time into the history of the human race. Angels proclaimed His birth. Wise men from the east calculated—by the stars and Hebrew prophecy—the exact timing and location of the birth of this new King.
And the world?
“The thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”
The shackles of sin would soon be broken by the voluntary sacrifice of the Man who now lay as a baby in a manger. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17).
Yet for so many, the chains of sin remain, two thousand years later. Darkness still seems to permeate the planet. How could that be? Again, let’s look at Scripture. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
You see, Jesus voluntarily gave His life as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind; likewise, receiving deliverance from those sins is also on a voluntary basis for every individual man, woman, and child. “Whoever believes in Him…” is a voluntary act; the one true God never coerces or intimidates anyone into submission; He states His case, He reasons with facts, He displays signs and wonders, and He woos. When religion is imposed with threats or violence, God is not in it.
Many throughout the past two millennia have attempted to force their brand of “whoever believes in Him” upon others through coercion, threats, tyrannical laws, and wars. But wise souls have always known that such enforcement was never the plan of God. God’s plan—then, now, and forever—was this: for His Son to bear the sin, sorrow, and error of our race, thus canceling out our debt of sin, and to simply receive anyone and everyone who believed in Him from the heart as sons and daughters.
This is the reason for the “thrill of hope”. This is why the “weary world rejoices”. And this is why each soul can now feel its worth—because whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. The God of all things places great worth on each human soul; He sees worth in you.
We sing, we pray, we celebrate because of who that little baby was—the Sacrificial Lamb, the Son of God and the Son of Man. In the fullness of time, that little child of Bethlehem laid down His life for you and for me—voluntarily—because He valued us.
What can we do in response to such a great and selfless act? Listen to the carol:
“Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born
O night divine
O night, o night divine.”
Take time this season to fall on your knees and affirm your faith in the baby of Bethlehem; worship Him—the Christ—the Son of God and the Son of Man.
Dorothy
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
Read MoreThe most wonderful time of the year; Christmas Series Part 1
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you ‘Be of good cheer’
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
By Edward Pola and George Wyle, © 1963.
Nothing captures the mood of the season quite like this song made famous by Andy Williams. There’s just something about the wonder and anticipation of Christmas that hangs in the atmosphere, draped across homes, offices, schools, and stores like garlands bedecked with twinkling lights. Even though several poor souls have attempted to Grinch the season away from the rest of us with a twisted form of righteous indignation and lawsuits, nevertheless, this is still the most wonderful time of the year. And the majority of us know it—the child within each one of us can’t help but hope for snow as we gaze out at the red and green, silver and gold fantasy of ornaments and lights, trees and glitter, sparkling on every corner of every street.
Many hearts open a bit wider at this time of year. Many—even those who don’t know the Lord intimately—hope for the promised cheer of the season to wrap them like a blanket and transport their heavy hearts to a brighter, kinder, more welcoming place. They’ve been disappointed so many times before; maybe this year will be different. Maybe this year they’ll be able to capture the joy and the essence of peace on earth, good will toward men. Maybe, just maybe…
My prayer is that you and I will be empowered by the One who is the reason for the season, not only to enjoy His presence and peace ourselves this season, but to be carriers of the message of His warm kindness and life-changing cheer to others as well. Despite the attacks against Christmas, I believe that the majority of those who do not know Jesus as Lord recognize that there’s something very special about this Man who was born to a virgin, wrapped in swaddling clothes, placed in a manger, and visited by shepherds and wise men.
I believe most people long for the Christmas story to be true; you need not be intimidated by the fact that you know it is true. Agree with me that both you and I will be directed by the Spirit of God throughout the season as we go about our daily lives. Pray that each of us have divine appointments ornamenting our days as we carry the message of the cheer of Christ in our hearts, eyes, smiles, and words.
And as you carry His presence with you like a light shining in a dark place, He will most certainly direct your steps.
Be of good cheer during this most wonderful time of the year!
Dorothy
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. Isaiah 9:2
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
Read MoreThankfulness: A Gift for the King
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28
Many years ago around this time of year, I noticed that I had drifted into negativity again. With Christmas around the corner, I decided that I would guard my mouth, mind, and attitude throughout the days and weeks before Christmas as a birthday present to Jesus. He was worthy of my praise and honor—I knew that; I also knew that He deserved all the thanks I could give Him; I just didn’t realize just how profoundly my attitude-adjustment would affect me. The dull gloom of negativity started to evaporate; genuine joy, peace, and a sense of purpose flooded my heart once again.
Throughout December, take note of the flow of your heart, your mind, and your mouth. And despite the circumstances, the stress, the conflict, the disappointment, or any general sense of heaviness or oppression you may encounter, I challenge you to make it your cause to give thanks to God. Give thanks for all that is good in your life—make it your daily holiday habit—and give thanks in spite of all the “stuff” that may be piling up and weighing you down. Give thanks for the good; give thanks despite the bad.
As a former eighth grade teacher, I taught the scientific method to science-fair weary students. As I instructed them, I myself learned the value of testing hypotheses against variables. And I discovered that just as the natural world can be investigated using this method, so can the principles of the Bible.
And since I am a teacher, I will give you some homework. Here is your two-fold assignment from now until the New Year:
- Perform a scientific experiment. Enforce the flow of your mind and your mouth. When pressure or bad news arises, bring your mind and your mouth back to the good report, i.e., what does the Bible say? Where is the miracle in this madness? God will provide it, and I will give Him thanks before I see it—now—even though I don’t feel like it. Remember, you won’t be able to control the circumstances that come your way, but you can control the thermostat of your mind and heart with gratefulness—and you can curb what you say. Stick with it throughout the holidays, and then, on New Year’s Eve or Day, look at the outcome. You will find that the scientific method and the Bible go hand in hand.
- Give thanks consistently to the Lord as your birthday present to Jesus. Not only will you be performing a scientific investigation of meritorious value, but you will also be delighting the heart of your Savior. Honor Him with your thoughts and words this holiday season; make it your ambition and daily aim to please Him with your hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute inner and outward conversation. I believe He will show you just how much it thrills His heart when you minister to Him this way!
Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas season—and may it be more than you can ask or imagine!
Dorothy
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17
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