Joy to the World, The Lord Is Come - Part 1

 

As we head into the Christmas season, Michael writes: Jesus came to a world of darkness. It had been four hundred years since the last prophet Malachi. That world was similar to ours. He came to bring the light of the Gospel of the Good News of redemption ... he came to set the prisoner free and to open the eyes of those born spiritually blind. He came not to condemn the world but that the world through 
Him might be saved.

There are great Christmas hymns of the faith that we learned when we were children. In times past, we were taught Christmas carols in our schools and churches. However, today in the United States, we no longer sing Christmas carols in school since it’s not considered “politically correct” in secular society and against the manufactured “establishment clause” for separation of church and state. 

The song “Oh Holy Night” was inspired by a choir director in France to dedicate the new organ in his sanctuary ... O Night Devine, When Christ was born! Surely He taught us to love one another. In His name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of Joy in grateful chorus raise we... Christ is the Lord, Let all forever praise thee ... Noel, Noel.... O Night Devine.!

At the birth of Jesus, the world had long been in error pining, ‘til he appeared and the soul felt his worth. He came not because we were worthy of salvation, not because we were deserving, but because of his grace and mercy. He came not because we deserved love, but because of His divine love wherewith he loved us. We’re living in a world of darkness still. Jesus Christ is the light that God sent to illuminate the darkness. According to Matthew 4:16, the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

We’re all sinners in need of forgiveness. We could not approach a holy God until He reached down, and bent down and bowed down to our level. Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother. According to 2 Timothy 2:26, the devil takes men and women captive at his will. There is no freedom without choice. We were born in trespasses and sins. We had no choice but to sin because our nature was to miss the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

John Sullivan Dwight wrote the English version of “Oh Holy Night”. He wrote that Jesus Christ came to erase the stain of original sin against Almighty God. Therefore bow your heads before your Redeemer. Jesus, the Christ, the son of the living God has broken every bond to reconcile God’s people that we who were dead in trespasses and sin through his sacrifice on our behalf may be made the righteousness of God in him.

Another beloved Christmas hymn is “Silent Night”. This song originated in a German town on the banks of the Rhine river by priests who took up the challenge to write a song that didn’t need accompaniment since their church organ had broken. Today, this song is one of our most cherished and popular Christmas carols: Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, All is bright, Round yon virgin, mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.

Let's continue Michael message in the next post.

In Christ, Brian