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| photo credit: moritzaust via photopin cc |
Every Christmas and all
throughout the world, people are acknowledging Christ. Christmas songs that
proclaim Jesus’ birth are still played in shopping malls and sung on the lips
of those who may not know Him. Jesus receives the kind of glory that He should
in the month of December.
Of course, many of the
carols we sing are simply traditions. They’re considered to be classics rather
than hymnals that glorify our Savior. And unfortunately, even
Christians—including myself—tend to forget the true meaning behind these songs
that we habitually sing.
But they’re more than just
songs to celebrate Christmas. The intention behind these songs was to remember
our Savior’s birth.
Since it is easy for these
carols to lose their meaning after hearing them dozens of times, I’ve decided
to take one of my favorite ones and reflect on its lyrics, paraphrasing the
truths behind each line.
Below are 5 takeaways from
the song “O Holy Night”:
1)
Jesus is the light in our darkness.
“O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of Our dear Saviour’s birth.”
All throughout the Bible,
God uses analogies and symbolism to illustrate Biblical truths. I believe that
the birth of Jesus is one of the most beautiful examples of this.
It is no coincidence that
the wise men were led into the city of Bethlehem by a bright and shining star.
Similarly, in the midst of the darkness of our life, God will be our light. He
can guide us through this world and bring hope, guidance, and peace in each
step.
2)
In the midst of despair, we have a reason to
celebrate.
“A thrill of hope the weary world
rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious
morn”
It’s
a shame that the holidays can cause so much anxiety for us at times. It’s the exact
opposite of how God wants us to respond to the birth of His son.
Jesus
came to rescue us. He came to bring salvation for humanity, to offer hope in
the midst of our weariness.
And
this is the greatest gift of all. This is why we should be full of joy this
season, celebrating our Savior’s birth.
3) In Christ, we are all created equal. In Christ,
there is only love.
“Chains He shall break, for the slave is our
brother.
And in His name, all oppression shall cease.”
The one who belongs to
Christ should never have a reason to feel rejected. God’s law is love—it is not
rules. Those who follow Him should never have a reason to feel condemned.
Christmas offers the
perfect opportunity for Christians to spread this love by reaching out to the
needy and to those who may feel unloved, just as Christ did. It is our job to
become a representation of this love, to become a light in this dark world, and
to share this freedom with others without judging or discriminating.
4) The first Christmas was a precious and sacred
night, despite the circumstances.
Even though Jesus was born
to a nobody in small-town Bethlehem—in a stable, nonetheless—this was a moment
to be glorified.
“O hear the angle voices
O night divine!
O night when Christ was born
O night divine!
O night, O night divine!”
Jesus was worth the
highest honor and royalty treatment, and yet God allowed Him to enter into this
world as if he were an average human.
Maybe God wanted us to
realize that what the world deemed as significant really wasn’t significant at
all. Despite the fact that Jesus’ birth was not triumphant in the material
sense, it was still sacred. The earthly circumstances could not have taken away
the peace and joy that were experienced in the stable on that night.
And that alone should give
us hope.
5) We get to praise His name
forevermore.
“Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus
raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord!
Their name forever praise we”
When we think of Jesus’
birth, we can experience the same joy that pierced through the darkness 2000
years ago, despite what our circumstances may look like. And from the joy in our hearts will
rise a desire to glorify Christ’s name forever—from now and into eternity, from
earth and into heaven.
As you sing the
classic Christmas carols this season, I challenge you to look behind the words.
Let’s receive the true Christmas spirit that God wanted us to have while we
celebrate Christ’s birth, remembering that precious, holy night.
“Noel, Noel
O night, O night divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O night divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O holy night”
O night, O night divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O night divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O holy night”
