The Nativity of Our Lord
Congregational Christmas Letter
Dearest children of the Heavenly Father:
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; come and behold Him born the King of angels!
For more than two centuries those beautiful words have beckoned God’s faithful to come—joyful and triumphant—to Bethlehem and behold Him who was born the King of angels. You are among those faithful, adopted by your heavenly Father in Holy Baptism to be His beloved children.
Christmas encapsulates one of the most profound mysteries of all—God taking on human flesh and blood to save us from our sins. God comes to us as one of us. A tiny infant. He who will one day walk on water cannot yet crawl. He who will one day feed 5000 cannot yet lift a spoon to His mouth. He who will one day heal the crippled and lame cannot yet stand. He who will one day speak words of forgiveness cannot yet talk. Christmas is the Word (who created all things) enfleshed and dwelling among us. John Wade’s Christmas hymn sums up this mystery as follows:
Highest, most holy, Light of Light eternal, born of a virgin, a mortal He comes; Son of the Father now in flesh appearing!
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God in the highest.
That’s how. We join our voices with the angelic choirs. We give glory to God for fulfilling His promises and sending us His salvation. He rejoice that in Christ there is now peace between God and man, for the Father is now well pleased with us through the merits of His own dear Son.
Remember that as you come into God’s house this Christmas to celebrate the birth of His Son. Remember how He who first finds Himself in a smelly stable will one day free mankind from the stench of sin. How He who first finds Himself lying in the wood of a manger will one day be nailed to the wood of the cross. How He who first finds Himself wrapped in swaddling cloths will one day be wrapped in linens cloths following His death. What else can faith say but:
Remember that as you come into God’s house this Christmas to celebrate the birth of His Son. Remember how He who first finds Himself in a smelly stable will one day free mankind from the stench of sin. How He who first finds Himself lying in the wood of a manger will one day be nailed to the wood of the cross. How He who first finds Himself wrapped in swaddling cloths will one day be wrapped in linens cloths following His death. What else can faith say but:
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be glory given! Word of the Father now in flesh appearing!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord!
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