Luke 2:13-14 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!”
Hail the heaven born prince of peace! / Hail the Son
of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings / Risen with healing
in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by / Born that man no more may
die
Born to raise the sons of earth / Born to give them
second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing / "Glory to the
newborn King!"
Continuing Pastor D. James
Kennedy message from the great Christmas hymn: “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”,
he points out that in the third stanza, Wesley says that Christ was “born that
men no more may die.” Think of that little baby born in a manger, and that baby
will take each one of us out of our coffin. In John 11:25, the Lord
Jesus said to Martha, “I am the
resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die,
he shall live. In John 14:19 Jesus
said to His disciples, “Because I live,
you [who trust in Me] will live also.” Christ was born that men and women
no more may die. He was born to raise the sons of earth. Prior to that there
was no hope of resurrection. When Jesus Christ walked out of a tomb on that
glorious Easter morn, He was alive again from the dead and brought hope and
life and immortality to light. The risen Lord Jesus said in Revelation
1:18 “I am He who
lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I
have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
Furthermore, we read in the
third stanza that Christ was born to give them “second birth”. Jesus Christ,
the King of the kingdom of Heaven, the One to whom all judgment id committed,
the great Lord of lords and King of kings solemnly declares, in John 3:7, “You must be born again.” Except a man be born again of the Spirit,
he can in no wise enter the kingdom of God. The fact is that you come from a
ministry family, that you have been baptized, that you have been confirmed,
that you’ve been a Sunday School teacher, an Elder, a Deacon or a minister,
will not help.
Christ was born to give “second
birth”. Has He given you a second birth? Jesus said in John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” –
it corrupts, crumbles and decays – “That
which is born of the Spirit is spirit” and lives forever. Dear friend, have
you experienced the second birth? If yes, then rejoice in the birth of the
Savior of the world and your redemption unto salvation. If not, then I invite
you to come to Him right now. Come and invite Him into your life. In Revelation
3:20, Jesus said, “Behold, I
stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I
will come in to him.” Open the door of your heart to Jesus. Come and ask
Him to forgive you, cleanse you and transform you, and you will come to know
that which the Angels spoke and the shepherds rejoiced. Ah, dear friend, don’t
miss Christmas.
Hail the heaven born prince of peace! / Hail the Son
of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings / Risen with healing
in His wings
Hark! The herald angels sing / "Glory to the
newborn King!"
Merry Christmas!
In Christ, Brian
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