Kelene Fletcher's View on Christmas: December 2013
This Christmas has been... different. I'm not spending it alone, since my best friend coerced me into going to her house, but I'm spending it away from my family for the first time. And I am oddly okay with that. It's strange, since looking outside it appears more like Christmas than it ever has before, but I simply haven't been in the Christmas spirit. Then I planned this blog post. And I pulled out my bible. And I started reading.
I think I am fine with spending Christmas alone because it doesn't matter who you are with. It doesn't matter if it is snowing outside, or if you have a tree or a nativity set. It doesn't matter if there is Christmas music in the background while sugar cookies wait in the oven. Because this is about Jesus of Nazareth. That's all it ever was.
As I was reading, I saw all of the different people who came unto Christ, and I saw all the people who come unto Christ.
There was Joseph. "Joseph her husband, being a just man." He was the perfect father for the savior of all. He was tasked with keeping his family safe, and he did it. "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not... Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him." He did not fear, though the task before him was soul-shaking. He is a quiet example to us all of the importance of loyalty and steadfastness.
And, of course, Mary. "And the angel came in unto her, and said, "Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Later, the angel also commands her to "Fear not...For with God nothing shall be impossible." This woman. This woman! She is one the most righteous women to have walked upon this earth. "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." And after Jesus had been born, and they had been visited by angels and shepherds and all sorts, after prophecies had been spoken of and whispers of her son had spread throughout the land the scriptures say this: "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." If I could be a fraction of the woman that she is, I think I could do anything.
The shepherds, a symbol of Christ, were told immediately to go, and to fear not. "And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger... And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child." They came with haste. With no delay. And having seen of themselves the glory of God, they made it known to the world.
The wise men came later, the distance to travel great. They came to worship him. They rejoiced with 'exceeding great joy'. And when they arrived, "They saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." When they arrived, they gave gifts to Him; This is something that I often have a hard time doing. How often do we ask for blessings, and forget to give unto our Savior?
And then there were the messengers, the angels. Accompanying every message given was the great command "Fear not." And why? "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." Of anyone, I imagine the angels were the most excited. They knew, they knew the eternal and infinite importance of this moment. Suddenly, everything was possible. "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, good will toward men."
Jesus the Christ was born on this earth in order to know us. To know our pains and sorrows and afflictions and to overcome them with us. His birth was accompanied with a shout of praise, but it is in the power of his mortal existence that the real joy is found.
There is a video that has already been shared quite a bit, but I decided to post it here anyway.
It very beautifully shows the incredible consequence of Christ's birth; I hope we can never forget what that is.
I've heard about this baby boy
Who's come to earth to bring us joy
And I just want to sing this song to you
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
With every breath I'm singing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
A couple came to Bethlehem
Expecting child, they searched the inn
To find a place for You were coming soon
There was no room for them to stay
So in a manger filled with hay
God's only Son was born, oh Hallelujah
Hallelujah
The shepherds left their flocks by night
To see this baby wrapped in light
A host of angels led them all to You
It was just as the angels said
You'll find Him in a manger bed
Emmanuel and Savior, Hallelujah
Hallelujah
A star shown bright up in the east
To Bethlehem, the wise men three
Came many miles and journeyed long for You
And to the place at which You were
Their frankincense and gold and myrrh
They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah
Hallelujah
I know You came to rescue me
This baby boy would grow to be
A man and one day die for me and you
My sins would drive the nails in You
That rugged cross was my cross, too
Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah
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"In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth it not. ...That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name"
Merry Christmas everyone.
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