Christmas

photo by Giara

Originally written December 24, 2007.

Throughout the years my favorite Christmas song has changed as I grew. I remember as a child I loved the chiming of Silver Bells. The imagery the song paints captivated me as I imagined city sidewalks in the snow ladened silvery night. In my teen years The First Noel won my heart as it told the Christmas story in beautiful simplicity invoking the majesty of such a wondrous night.

The last few years a new song has captivated my heart. An unexpected song that wasn’t familiar to me as a child. There’s a deep mystery and beckoning in this hymn. It’s even haunting in its own way as it calls out with its deep chords.

O come, O come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile
Until the Son of God appear

It’s a plea of the people of God: Save us! Rescue us! Deliver us from our misery!

The Son of God has appeared!

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emanuel shall come to thee, O Israel

God is with us, bless the Lord that He has come. He has come as the Lord declared! He has surely come to ransom the faithful ones of Israel. Isn’t it amazing? God was born as a baby. But He wasn’t born so that we may exchange presents and have a lovely vacation. He was born for a purpose–to glorify the Father by living then dying as our ransom. The beautiful Christmas story is a story not only of joy and redemption, but of ransom. A Son being led to the slaughter.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Rejoice! Rejoice! The captives of sin are being ransomed. Praise the Lord for such a precious and selfless gift. Christmas reminds us of the freedom we have received from Satan’s reign of tyranny. Jesus has exalted the Father’s name by gaining victory over the grave and imputing that victory to us. So, good Christian family rejoice! There is so much richness in this hymn. God is with us as our Emmanuel and ransom. He has paid our ransom and given us victory in life and in death through His own death and resurrection.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Emmanuel surely has come. He has come as the desire of nations. How could we not desire One so worthy, glorifying, and self-sacrificing? He has given us, a people so unworthy, everything we need and more. He has surely won our hearts. Bless the Lord that He has chosen us as His people!

O Lord, come! You cease our striving, our divisions. Cast our eyes upon Yourself, as our Light and King of Peace. Lord, You have brought peace to our minds, our hearts, and our souls. And even more You have paid the ransom and brought peace between us and the Father. We worship You and are humbled by You,

Emmanuel.

Tagged as: Advent, Christmas, Christmas Essay, hymns, We Hymn

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Originally written December 24, 2005.

Come! Come all you adoring fans. Come all you who are faithful. Come righteous. Come longing. Come old and young alike. Tonight is the night. Your salvation has come this very night! Proclaim the way, proclaim the day, proclaim Christ our King is born! God’s kingdom has come and His will be done. Make no mistake of that

Oh Holy of Holies, Merciful and Mighty…God of high and low, come as we call upon your name. We want to see You lifted highest. Come, o come Emmanuel. God is with us and goes before us as we proclaim His name and praise him, praise him all you glorious hosts!

We hymn God the Father,

We hymn God the Son,

We hymn God the Holy Spirit.

Holy and undivided, perfect in unity.

O taste and see that the Lord is good all ye faithful. Praise the name of the Most High, glorious in heaven above. Angels sing on high, voices echoing,

“Gloria, in excel sis deo!”

Glory! Glory to God in the highest!

Praise Him the name above all names who took our sins upon his throne and set himself in a lowly manger and then on the cross, a cross meant for the highest sinners, a cross of treachery. The perfect and holy Lamb of God, say that one more time the Perfect and Holy Lamb of God, pure and spotless before the throne of God came in such a way, in such a manner that man did not recognize him. Though earthly kings feared him few took notice until the appointed time. Think of it, Mary sat as a young woman with God himself on her knee. How lowly our Savior had to come to save us. Do we not recognize the power of His life, the power of His death? Do we not recognize that God’s mercy is so great? So great that it’s beyond measure! It’s higher than the mountains and deeper than the deepest valleys.

God is God in the highest. He came to save us when we didn’t even think we needed saving. We, a people so ignorant of our own wrongdoing, were unaware of God’s massive mercy and grace. He came “to save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.” O what tidings of comfort and joy that does bring to us, to those who believe! O children of God, believe, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!

What is the crux of our faith? Do we believe? Do we honestly know without a shadow of a doubt that God came to earth as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. God—yes, God! —was wrapped in the clothes that barn animals were wiped down with! Oh children of God, can we not see it? Have we not heard? He gives strength to those we are weary, to those who put their hope in him? He is our Beloved Savior who has come to ransom us. Yes, yes we were captives—captives of Satan and sin! The most blessed Heavenly Father came to redeem us, to bring us back from exile. Do we know, I mean honestly from our heart with true emotion, that Jesus came to set his people free?

Do we know that this season of Christmas, festival of Christ, is for Christ and because of Christ? We didn’t do anything to deserve a celebration. We have no merit on our own accord. We have done nothing—no thing! So, why? Why do we have some many presents and parties and songs and whatever apart from Christ at this time? Why, why can’t we have just two days reserved for blessing our Heavenly Father and the gift of salvation and life without getting the self involved? Without counting how many presents are under the tree or what people are going to think about what we’re wearing to Christmas dinner or if someone likes what you got them for Christmas? Who cares about those things! This is Christ! This is Christmas! Have we missed it altogether? Has the Body of Christ forgotten to worship him? Has His own Bride so believed the lies of Satan that Christ is all but forgotten in Christmas?

O children of the Most High, I implore you…change your hearts! Love the Lord your King. Make His name be exalted! Take time to bring forth His Word and just praise Him. Praise Him in awe and wonder. O passionate hearts, find truth this Christmas in the only Truth. Christ the Lord is born, he is born and he lives.

O praise Him, praise Him, praise Him!

Tagged as: Advent, Christmas, Christmas Essay, hymns, We Hymn

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