The third stanza of the favorite Christmas hymn "Silent Night" repeats the line, "Jesus Lord, at thy birth."
[Verse 3]
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
The phrase, "Jesus Lord, at thy birth," comes from the angelic good-news proclamation to shepherds on the night of Jesus' birth:
"for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11 (NASB)
While it is certainly true that Jesus was Lord at his birth, that is not the whole truth!
When Mary had her angelic encounter, the angel told her a rather curious fact - that her cousin, Elizabeth, who was barren, was in her 6th month with a child - John the Baptist, the herald of Jesus.
Perhaps the mention of this fact was to assure Mary of the power of God to do the impossible. Regardless, when Mary soon found herself pregnant as the angel had said, she went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. Pick up the story in Luke 1:39-45
39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.
45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” (NASB)
Note in verse 43 that Elizabeth does not say "the mother-to-be of my Lord" but acknowledges that Mary already is the mother of her Lord. If John the Baptist is still unborn and is 6 months older than Jesus, then Mary is probably only in her first trimester ... and the unborn Jesus is already Lord!
Also, the unborn John the Baptist leapt at the sound of Mary's voice! Here is an acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord even from another unborn child!
So, the whole truth of "Jesus Lord, at thy birth" really is: "Jesus Lord, BEFORE thy birth."
Here's a good Christmas party question: Who, besides Mary and Joseph, was the first human to recognize Jesus as Lord? Perhaps the case could be made for Elizabeth as the answer, but give extra credit to the one who says it's the unborn John the Baptist.
Some say the unborn are not persons. I think the Bible clearly shows otherwise.
p.s. Of course Christians believe Jesus existed before creation as part of the Holy Trinity unity of God. "Jesus" in this song refers to the incarnate (100% God and 100% man) Jesus.
"If angels filled the skies tonight, would I hear them sing?
Would tomorrow find me saying it was all a dream?
Would I leave my bed and go outside to hear their song?
Would I go on sleeping until the morning dawned?
Would I miss the miracle? Would I see the King, or would my life be so consumed with ordinary things?
Would I miss the wonder, the hope that Christmas brings?
Would I miss the miracle? would I see the King?
If a stranger knocked upon my door tonight in deepest need, in my life would there be room for anyone but me?
Would I hear the voice of God within a Baby's cry?
Would I open up my heart and welcome Him inside?
Would I miss the miracle, would I see the King?
Would I miss the wonder, the hope that Christmas brings?
Would I miss the miracle, would I see the King?"
Would I Miss the Miracle?
God and I have this thing at Christmas. He almost always surprises me with a gift. He knows how much I love music - especially Christmas music - so little wonder most of those gifts have been centered around a song.
All the more remarkable that this year I didn't even think to start listening to Christmas music on the radio until sometime around the 8th of December. There have been a lot of distractions late this year.
Driving to work this past Friday, as I turned onto Industrial Drive, a beautiful soaring duet came on the radio - a soft piano opening, the female lead's pure solo, the confident male accompaniment delicately blending and balanced so perfectly. Gave me chills. Sometimes in beautiful music you can hear Heavenly reverb. That's what I heard.
The song was the first in a set, followed by 2 others. I waited for the radio announcer to name the song and the artists, and ... guess what? He mentioned the last song, but not the others. This has happened before, and like the other times, I was not a happy camper. I have actually called radio stations to find out what song played on a certain date and time!
So here I was given a wonderful and beautiful blessing, and I'm upset because I can't listen again and share the song with my family.
Sunday morning I'm at my computer trying to find my way to the name of the song and the artists. I found many beautiful Christmas songs ... but not that one. Later as I started the car for the drive to church, there was a Christmas song playing on the radio. Then, as I neared Highway 167, the next one began - a soft piano opening, a soaring female voice ...
This time the announcer named the artist, and with a few words of the song, I was able to look it up! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
All is Well
Yes, God gave me a gift, and, as most of us with longer associations with Him know, the gift is almost always Himself - whether wrapped in a song, a deeper glimpse into His Word, or a peek at a baby in a manger on a cold night.
(Part 1 is here)
Besides hearing the song, A Shepherd's Prayer, on the radio each year, God's other Christmas gift to me is a new perspective on the Christmas story. About six weeks ago, God grabbed me with this year's insight as I was reading my Bible. Have you ever noticed how many times "Fear not!" appears in the Christmas story - it jumped off the page at me.
Over the last six week period, I have probably done devotionals on "Fear not!" four or five times to different groups, but the longer I think on it, the deeper it gets.
There are three words/phrases that frame this - fear not, truth, and great joy.
As he was ministering in the Holy of Holies for the annual sacrifice, Zacharias was visited by an angel. I'm sure his first thought at the angel's appearance was, "Uh, oh! I'm dead! I've done something wrong." The angel's greeting, "Fear not!" addressed his immediate fear, but the angel's promise that Zacharias' barren wife Elizabeth would bear him a son seemed too unbelievable to be true. This was not possible in Zacharias' mind. The angel said this son would be the Elijah to prepare the way for the Messiah. This was too much for poor Zacharias, and, for his unbelief, the angel left him speechless until his son's birth.
I think Zacharias' unbelief was a problem of failing to see God's promise as Truth. Already distracted with the deep disappointment of childlessness, he chose his own understanding over the supernatural promise of God when, with an angel standing before him, the most believable and reasonable thing was to believe the angel. The question is, "What is true?" or, really, "WHO is truth?"
Here, Isaiah 8 12b-14a, comes to the fore: "And you will not fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary." (NASB)
Today's science says "No" to the supernatural. God says, "I AM." Who is telling the truth? Whom do you trust?
Gabriel appeared to Mary. "Fear not!" Mary believed the angel's words though she did not fully understand. When there was a very real truth growing inside her, she trusted through the whispers and rumors.
As Joseph pondered the unbelievable story of his pregnant betrothed, Mary, an angel appeared with, "Fear not!" Joseph chose to trust the truth of the angel's message in spite of the scornful eyes and wagging tongues of the neighbors.
The angel hosts suddenly appeared in the sky to some shepherds in their Bethlehem fields. The former quiet and silent night became anything but for them. "Fear not! Great news! A Savior is born! Go see! Go tell!" And the angel hosts sang, "Glory to God in the highest!"
The shepherds believed the angel's story. They went to town and found the baby just as the angels had told them. They told everyone the truth of the great glad tidings. "And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them." Luke 2:20 (NASB)
Fear the God who can; fear not the world that cannot.
That's the Truth!
Glory to God!
Joy to the World!
A confession - I look forward to each Christmas season for the gifts that I get, but not the pretty wrapped ones on Christmas morning like when I was a child. Time spent with family, good food, vacation days, good food - these are all things I look forward to, and as much as I love and treasure those things, they are not the gifts I most anticipate.
I love hearing Christmas music everywhere - Christ-centered Christmas music. I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas is OK, but it doesn't hold a candle to the traditional carols and some of the more recent Christian Christmas standards. Besides, 5 winters of snow shoveling in Cleveland, OH, kind of tarnishes the White Christmas image for me.
My most favorite Christmas song has to be Move Me Closer (A Shepherd's Hymn) recorded in 1987 by Evie. It tells the story of a mantle-manger-set shepherd asking to be moved closer to the Child. It wraps the spirit of Christmas up for me.
Each Christmas for several years now, as I'm driving down the road and listening to the radio, there it is! Move Me Closer begins to play. Sometimes I just turn the radio on and the song begins to play as if it was just waiting for me to get in and start the car. Usually, I'll only hear it once each season. What a precious gift!
The album Move Me Closer is on has long been out of print and has become a collector's item - with a collector's item price. I once bid on a copy on eBay but dropped out after the price went above $50. Just today, I finally purchased a used copy of the CD. I have a habit of copying my favorite songs onto a few CDs so I don't have to carry a CD library in my car, but I don't think I'm going to do that with this song.
Even though I will have the CD and could play the song any time I want, I want to continue to anticipate and be surprised anew each Christmas season as God gives the gift of this special song and its message to me.
Move me closer to the Child ...
(part 2 is here)
