O Holy Night
“And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. […] When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” (Luke 2:6-7, 15-19)
“O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth.”
What a holy night it was! The Savior of the world had been born! Immanuel, God with us! Of all the Christmas songs I’ll hear this season, of all the songs in this series, “O Holy Night” is the most moving to me. I’m moved every time the call to “fall on your knees” is sung. This Christmas carol was composed by Adolphe Adma in 1847 to a French poem written by Placide Cappeau titled, “Minuit, chretiens” which means “Midnight, Christians.” It is one of those rare Christmas carols that not only tells of Christ’s birth but the gospel story as well. Christmas isn’t just a celebration of Christ’s birth—it’s a celebration of what Him coming to earth means, His glorious and divine purpose to save us all from sin and death.
“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.” (Psalm 139:13-15)
“‘What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.’” (Luke 12:6-7)
“‘For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.’” (John 3:16)
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.”
This line so perfectly sums up what Jesus coming means for our worth. Many people struggle with self worth, but discovering what we are worth is easy when we look to the one who created us. God sent His only Son, leaving paradise to come to this broken world where there was no room for him, to die the worst death imaginable as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, to reconcile us to God. When Jesus came, our souls could finally feel their worth. God shows us that our worth is the life of His son. You are fearfully and wonderfully made and God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to die in your place so that you could spend eternity in Heaven. So what is our response to this?
“Fall on your knees!”
“Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,” (Psalm 95:6)
“‘For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.’” (John 4:24)
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” (Romans 12:1)
What else could our response be but to fall on our knees and worship our King?
“Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.”
“‘So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.’” (John 13:34-35)
“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” (Galatians 5:1)
“‘There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’” (John 15:13)
“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
God sent Jesus to save us from our sins. He did not come as a mighty King, born in a palace with a silver spoon. He was born in a stable and laid in a feeding trough. As Christmas comes next week, turn your focus from presents under the tree to the presence of Christ in your life. Focus on the true reason for the season, worship God and Christ for coming to save us, remember what your worth is to God, and fall to your knees as you worship our King.
This will be the last post for the year. We will be back on January 3, 2020 with a post titled 20/20, exploring how we can use the accounts in the Bible as foresight in our own lives. Have a very Merry Christmas and happy New Year! May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
—Redeemed
