Joy to the World

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to 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, who was with child.  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7 ESV).

 

Isaac Watts is credited with writing over 750 hymns, but this has to be one of his best works. Watts lived in England, but his father did not accept the Anglican church. Still, the family was quite religious. Watts believed that the Psalms were too difficult to sing in their English translation. He adapted the Psalms for use in worship by an English audience. “Joy to the World” is based on scriptures found in Psalm 96 and 98. It’s thought that George Frederick Handel provided the music for this beautiful song, but some hymnals credit the music to another musician, Lowell Mason. Mason composed over 1,600 hymns, many of which are still sung today.

 

Oh, the wonder of it! The Holy Spirit overshadows the virgin Mary so that a holy child is conceived in her womb. For nine months the child develops in watery darkness to the soundtrack of Mary’s heartbeat and muffled voice. At last the time comes. The child emerges, takes urgent breaths, and cries aloud amid faces beaming with hospitality and love. Welcome to the world! Spend a moment and think on this. This newborn baby, bright eyes gazing around, coos erupting after long months of silence. Arms and legs stretching out in new freedom. Think too of the helplessness and vulnerability of the sweet child. Then imagine that this little one is our great God. The Word has no vocabulary, the Almighty has no strength, the Wise One has no knowledge. The Lord of all is completely dependent on the comforting arms and nourishing care of his mother, Mary.

 

It’s a wonder that God would become helpless to help us. But it’s not that merely an infant is helpless while we who are grown up have things in hand. In the big, wide world around us, we are helpless too. And all our hope depends on the help of the helpless baby, whose birth we celebrate today. There is the Joy to the World!

 

  

Silent Night, Holy Night

 

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to 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, who was with child.  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7 ESV).

 

"Silent Night" is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. Many singers from every music genre have performed this hymn. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the third best-selling single of all time. The hymn was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818 at St Nicholas church in Oberndorf, a village in the Austrian Empire on the Salzach river in present-day Austria. A youthful priest, Father Joseph Mohr, had arrived in Oberndorf the year earlier. The melody was arranged by Franz Xaver Gruber, schoolmaster and organist in the nearby village of Arnsdorf. Before Christmas Eve, Mohr brought the words to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for the Christmas Eve mass. “Silent Night” is a favorite Christmas song for many people around the world. Its gentle melody suggests a “heavenly peace” in which “all is calm.”

 

But our usual picture of Jesus’ birth is far from calm. Above the fields near Bethlehem, an angel army sings out, announcing the glory of God. Back in town, shepherds and wise men and sheep, cows, camels, and gifts are all crowded together in a stable. And somewhere amid all that commotion is the baby Jesus. However, the wise men don’t show up until later. So, let’s take them out of the picture, along with their gifts. And there’s no mention of a stable—just a manger, a feeding trough. So, there might not be animals there either. Now let’s back up to the first hour or two after Jesus’ birth. Commotion will come later, when the shepherds find “Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger” (Luke 2:16). But for now, as lamplight flickers, all we can see is Mary and the baby and Joseph. Exhausted, Mary is fast asleep. Joseph might be able to rest too. Meanwhile, Mary’s snugly wrapped baby, content from his first feeding, sees light, shadow, and movement with his newborn eyes. Let’s stay right where we are, silent as night. The God of all creation is a newborn baby watching shadows sway. Then remember, He did that to redeem us! Indeed, it was a holy night!

 

Doing It Right

 

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11 ESV).

 

I’m sure you have heard the quote: "If you want it done right, do it yourself." It is often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, meaning that if you want a task completed to a high standard, it's best to handle it personally. While there be some doubt about whether he actually said that or not, I know my Dad said it all too often. Usually it was a after he had delegated a task to me and I didn’t do it quite up to his expectations. There were times when I “hit is with a lick and a promise” instead of doing the task with precision.

 

I also think that God was thinking something of this when He sent Jesus to be born that first Christmas. By sending Jesus Christ to the world, God ensured that he would eventually have his beloved creation back in fully restored condition. Christmas, and the recreated, sin-free world that would eventually come through the work of Christ, was God’s gift to himself! And, only He could give that gift!

 

Jesus says that God loved the world so much “that he gave his one and only Son.” We often assume that the love Jesus is talking about here is like the love of a father who wants what is best for his children. But God’s love is all that and more. God also deeply loves and cares for the world he has made, the world he gave us to care for so long ago. And God wants that object of his love to be restored along with us. We are a part of the world God loves, and he wants to rejoin with us in it!

 

A Random Act of Culture

 

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David ca Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8-13 ESV).

 

On October 30, 2010, shoppers filled Macy’s department store in Philadelphia. It was a normal shopping day until, without any fanfare, over 650 singers from the area joined the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus and began singing Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” At first, shoppers appeared confused as they came to see what was happening. The singers were not on a stage but were interspersed among the shoppers. People recorded the event on their cameras, and it soon went public on the Internet. This “random act of culture” may have looked spontaneous, but it took some effort to make this event happen. (Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU to view the video).

 

When Jesus appeared on earth, it initially looked like a random birth. Though a few people knew of Jesus’ coming, most were unaware of the plans that had been made in heaven to bring us a Savior. The Gospel of John gives us a glimpse into the background planning that went into bringing Jesus to us. The birth of Christ was more than a simple occasion of a young woman giving birth in a stable, to which shepherds and wise men came to visit. This was an occasion that God had choreographed to rescue people from all nations. Our reading today shows us that even the angels could not contain their joy! Let’s rejoice today, for God made his dwelling on earth for us!

 

Turn Your Hearts Toward Home

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:12-17 ESV).

 

I know that Christmas is not easy for many people. There are empty chairs that recall memories bringing sadness and renewed grief into our lives. There are broken relationships that have not been reconciled. And there are unfulfilled hopes and dreams that crowd out any joy. However, this can be a time of year when our hearts turn toward our only genuine home.

 

For our sake, Christ left his home at Christmas. He left the glory of heaven to come to our sin-filled world. The Holy One came to the unholy; the Creator came to his broken, corrupted creation.

 

Sin alienated us from God. Jesus took the initiative to seek us out and bring us back. He came to bear our sin. He came to be cut off from the Father’s love because of his love for us. He came to earth to bring us to heaven. He paid our debt to provide the way home to the Father.

 

Through Jesus we are adopted as God’s beloved children. It is through Christ that we can call the almighty, holy God “Abba, Father.” Our equivalent word for Abba is “Daddy.” I still remember the joy of times when my children ran to my arms, crying “Daddy!” when I came home. Abba is the trusting child’s cry of joy and love.

 

What a privilege we have in Jesus that we can call God “Abba, Father.” May we grow as his children in an ever-deepening relationship of gratitude and love.

  

Making a List and Checking it Twice

 

And he [Jesus] said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:15-21 ESV).

 

Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t check our list as often as we think Santa does? The truth is we still get caught up in the retail madness of Christmas. It is hard to avoid when stores announce the countdown of shopping days till Christmas, when ads keep putting gift ideas in our heads, or when the kids give us a sad look and tell us what they really want for Christmas. It’s hard not to think that our worth is measured by an abundance of presents under the tree.

 

We know better. But if we are kids or teens, we also know that our friends will ask, “What did you get for Christmas?” while eagerly cataloging their haul. And while we as adults may be more subtle, we are not immune from the comparison game. We might not ask our friends, “What did you get?” but we can’t help noting someone’s remark about a vacation or new bling. Especially in December we need to be on guard “against all kinds of greed.”

 

A friend who grew up in a large family said that he and his siblings noticed something while remembering past Christmases: “We noticed that the stuff we did together was what stood out, not the stuff we got.” In his story about a man who built bigger barns, Jesus reminds us there is more to life than stuff. Having things will never satisfy, but waiting for our faithful God will!

 

A Manger for a Crib

 

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to 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, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7 ESV).

 

“Away in a Manger” is a beloved song that seems like a lullaby. In fact, many children learn this song at a very young age. It tells the story of the birth of Christ in a clear and simple way, and it shares how the situation of Jesus’ birth was very humble.

 

In Philippians 2 we read how Jesus “humbled himself.” Not only does Jesus humble himself by taking on our human flesh, but his very birth takes place in humble circumstances.

 

Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem, his family’s hometown, to register for a census that was required by the Roman government. And when they arrived, there were no guest rooms available, so Joseph and Mary could not find a place to stay. They had to take shelter in a stable, and that’s where Mary gave birth to Jesus. So she wrapped him in cloths and placed him in the animals’ feed trough, a manger.

 

The humility of Jesus’ birth is deeply significant. We would not expect the King of all nations to be born in such meager circumstances. Yet Jesus was born in a stable. This shows us that no matter how poor, dirty, weak, or insignificant we might think we are, Jesus came to save us all. Jesus, the King of kings, humbled himself and took on our flesh. And his humility and love for us were on full display from the moment he was born to the moment he gave up his life to save us from our sin. This is the essence of the incredible grace God has shown toward us. What a gift!