“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” Luke 1:68-69
“Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:78-79
There is always that one Christmas song that no matter how many times you play it, you just can’t get enough (even if you start listening the day after Halloween). One of my personal favorites is “O Holy Night” written by Adolphe Adam. The lines, “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angel voices” evokes just a glimpse of the kind of worship we will experience in Heaven. The advent season should be one that is filled with this kind of worship, as we open up the book of Luke we get a vivid picture of what Godly worship looks like. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, delivers a prophecy prior to Jesus’ birth. Reading these prophetic verses remind us of the everlasting joy that is born on Christmas. The Christmas narrative typically focuses on a small baby but we must not forget that within the babe in a manger, lies the full person of God. When Jesus enters the narrative of creation, it is the moment that God identifies with the weary and wanting. All of the brokenness and weariness, all of the darkness and death meets its end on the Cross. Jesus’ coming to this world signifies the beautiful reality that we can finally rest in the peace that it is finished. The truth is that Christmas time means many different things for many different people. For some it can be a time of busyness and stress, for others it can be a time of sorrow and loss. But the truth of the Gospel is that our God knows our struggle, because Jesus came in the form of man He knows the weariness and suffering that exists as we await the Kingdom. He is a King who is worthy of praise and adoration. He is a Lord with whom no other name compares. No matter who you are or what your Christmas story is, we invite you to feast on the magnificent glory of the coming of the King.
Lord God, we thank you for the joy of Jesus on Christmas. We thank you for being a worthy sacrifice to atone for our sin and for being a God who delivers His people. Father we lift up those who are in darkness, may they experience the light of joy that your advent brings. God please prepare our hearts to bring you worship that is worthy. May you fill our hearts with peace and joy as we delight in who you are.