Luke 2:6-14 "While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 "Glory to God in the highest heaven,
  and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."



I often wonder what it would be like to be one of those shepherds that night. There they were, just another night on the job, not expecting anything out of the ordinary and then BAM! Could you image the sky lighting up with angels proclaiming the birth of the long awaited Savior of the nation! Talk about having a story to tell the grandkids!


One of my favorite Christmas Hymns is "O Holy Night". I wonder how often we are truly in awe of Christ's birth, a moment unlike any in history other majestically heralded by angels. The chorus says: "Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born!" Do you think the shepherds fell to their knees when they heard the news? Do we fall on our knees at the good news of Christ coming?


Take a moment and read the lyrics


O Holy Night


O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains He shall break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy Name!

Christ is the Lord, then ever ever praise we
His power and glory evermore proclaim.


Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!


O night divine! O night divine!


Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia
Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia


David Crowder Band is giving away a free mp3 of their version of "O Holy Night." Enjoy.


Merry Christmas friends!

Christmas: The Coming of Christ

When you think about what the “Christmas season” means what are some of the images that come to the forefront of your mind? Are they images of Christmas trees covered with decorations, an infant surrounded by farm animals and two young parents, family gettogethers, presents galore? Or maybe all that you can see is red and green everything and can't wait for the season to be done. I am pretty sure that all of those things that we think about are good and wonderful things, but I want you to think about something else with me for just a moment. I want you to think about the cross. The cross where Jesus, that little infant baby now a grown up man, was crucified roughly 33 years after that first “Christmas.” Think about the beaten, bloody crucified Jesus who took all of our suffering and all of our punishment upon himself that day so long ago. Think about it long and good because that is the reason why we celebrate this Christmas season.

Don't get me wrong though. Christmas certainly is a time for celebration and good times with family and friends, but we cannot lose sight of the true meaning behind it. Sometimes I think that we get, I get, so caught up in the “Christmas” spirit that the significance of what we are celebrating gets kind of pushed into the background and not thought about as often as it should be. We sing our little Christmas carols and get the children all dressed up in their donkey and sheep costumes and have them sing about the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. Which is a fantastic and an amazing thing in and of itself, God wrapped up in a poopy diaper mess, but really, what is the significance behind all of that. Is it just a cute time with the young'uns? I don't think so. I think that what it comes down to is that we are a sinful, screwed up people, that desperately needed God to come down to earth to make a way for us to enter back into a relationship with Him.
Please don't think of me as a scrooge. I absolutely love the Christmas season. I love the lights, the music, the get-togethers, and all the rest, but more than anything, especially this year, I love the Christ who came to rescue me from my sin and bring me back to the God who is crazy in love with me. Crazy enough to send a part of the Godhead into His creation as this little guy who couldn't take care of Himself to the point that the creator became dependent upon the created. Baffling huh? Take some time this Christmas season to think about it and thank the God, who became baby, who became man, who became the sacrifice that we all so desperately need.

As I personally think about Christmas this year and all that is  encompassed within it the lyrics from the song "In the Bleak Midwinter" kind of summarize the only good and fitting response that I can think of to give. Here they are:

In the bleak midwinter, frost wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

by Justin Kantonen
originally posted December 2008