Good Christian men, rejoice with heart and soul, and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say: News! News! Jesus Christ is born today;
Ox and ass before Him bow; and He is in the manger now.
Christ is born today! Christ is born today!Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;
Now ye hear of endless bliss: Joy! Joy! Jesus Christ was born for this!
He has opened the heavenly door, and man is blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this! Christ was born for this!Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave: Peace! Peace! Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all, to gain His everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save! Christ was born to save!
Rejoice! Again, I say, REJOICE! The Savior has come - He is here!
Get your papers here! Paper, paper!
Read all about it! Savior, born in Bethlehem!
Celebrations all over the world! The Lord has come!
Paper, paper!
That's what this song reminds me of - if our Lord had been born into today's technology, and if we all had been eagerly, knowingly waiting for Him. Of course, that wasn't the way it was two thousand years ago. Newspapers, as least as we know them, didn't exist. There were no newsrooms standing by to let everyone know about the birth of the King.
This old song, whose words were penned back in the 1300's calls us all to rejoice in the Christ's birth with a voice similar to a paperboy's, calling out the latest headlines.
Look at the reasons we have to rejoice:
We rejoice in the birth of the King. Not just any King, but the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Finally, in fulfullment of page after page of prophecy, He has been born into the world. God Himself has come down from Heaven to live with us, to touch and heal us, to eat and laugh and cry with us. The Lord of Hosts has taken on the body of a man - to love us!
He has been born to give us "endless bliss." This is not the frail, threadbare happiness we cling to so pitifully. It is full-throated joy in His love, bliss in His Presence, confidence in His power, and peace in His rule. He promised,
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
and He also said:
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
So He gives us His peace here in this world as He goes prepares a place - designed and built by Him - just for His people.
He has opened Heaven's door! That which once was closed because of our sin, has now been flung wide open, and God the Father through His Son bids all to come to Him. All who come are welcomed and have a seat at His table, which overflows with blessings untold and indescribable. We are welcomed into the very house of God Almighty, and rejoiced over as sons and daughters.
Finally, He has conquered the grave! We no longer need to fear death, for now we know that it is merely stepping into our true home. He has paid our insurmountable debt, and the eternal condemnation has been lifted from our shoulders. We do not sink into the depths of hell and the morass of unending despair. Instead, we leap heavenward, confident in our welcome and rejoicing to see our Lord and Savior, Who did so much for us.
And so, Rejoice! Christ is born today! Jesus the Christ, the King of Kings, has come to save!
REJOICE!
Oh, Jesus, the depth and width of Your love can never be plumbed, and can never be exhausted. Help us, I pray, to live in the joy of Your presence and Your salvation. Let us greet each day rejoicing in Your great love and the blessings You shower upon Your beloved children. Let us rejoice in God our Savior, now and forevermore!
(Have you considered what you'd like to submit to the Carnival of Christmas? You have until 23 Dec., at midnight MDT to send them in!)
(Crossposted at the Wide Awakes, and submitted to the Virginia Blog Carnival, held this week at Below the Beltway, and submitted to the Cotillion, which is hosted this week by A Mom and Her Blog)
First post ... previous post ... next post
