Isaiah 62:10-12
“Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway! Take out the stones, lift up a banner for the peoples! Indeed the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.’ ” And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, a City Not Forsaken.”
Luke 2:1-20 Christ Born of Mary
“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Glory in the Highest
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”
John 1:1-14 The Eternal Word
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (Other versions say, “The darkness did not overcome it.”
John’s Witness: The True Light
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
At the end of John’s Gospel, he says, “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.” (John 21:25)
John’s observation was eminently correct, for ever since the birth of Jesus, people have written, sung, painted, danced, and played music depicting his life and honoring him. Throughout the Scriptures, there are so many names for Jesus because of the infinite scope of his ministries. If you gather several older believers together and get them going on “Jesus stories,” they will talk all day and still have stories left over.
I love the Christmas story, for I grew up on a farm and I know the peace and holy hush that comes on animals settled for a night’s rest. It’s likely that the place might have smelled of sheep, but that odor is not too bad. Consider what all those unwashed bodies would have smelled like at the inn. It was likely a great deal quieter and more peaceful in the stable than in the inn, for the innkeeper was probably packing as many people into a room as he could, both to accommodate travelers and also to make more money.
My heritage is Swedish, and somehow the hymn “The Holy City” has found its way into Christmas celebrations by many Swedes. Although this hymn is actually more of an Easter number, it’s quite appropriate for Christmas as well, for Jesus was born to grow to manhood and to walk the streets of Jerusalem, to be sent to Calvary to die, and to rise victoriously to eternal life. We can celebrate Christmas because, as the verse from “Good Christian Men Rejoice” tells us, “He has opened heaven’s door and man shall live forevermore.” HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, You have given us eternal life through Jesus Christ if we only will receive him as Savior and Lord. Help us to bow our heads, to worship, to adore, and to obey. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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