Something about the crisp, festive air of the Christmas season brings out the poetic side of me. Each year, if the Lord so guides, I write an Advent themed poem and often have the great delight of delivering it to my flock on Christmas Eve. I’m thankful that, yet again this year, God filled me with a fresh zest for the thoughts, words, and message of Christ’s miraculous Incarnation. I present to you…
WHY CHRISTMAS? | Christmas Eve 2018
“Why Christmas?!” we shout amid the din of sleigh bells ringing and cheery carols playing
Horns honking, traffic stopping, debt rising… through all the shopping, shopping, shopping!
Across the seas, children are starving, soldiers are fighting, innocent dying
Throughout our land, the cruel are abusing, the evil are enslaving, politicians arguing
Where’s the peace on earth and goodwill to men?
Somehow the theme drifts into a blaring tune of red and green
Maybe it’s time to change the scene
To relearn everything?
How far have we traveled from the Baby born in Bethlehem?
In the dust and dirt and hay
The air cold; the night gray
The pungent odor of dung fills the lungs
Blood and sweat and tears ring out a song
The Baby born in Bethlehem…
To a quiet, work-worn carpenter
and a young, wide-eyed virgin named Miriam
How would they explain the shepherds’ joyful, heavenly delirium?
The Magi’s mysterium?
The Child’s star hung in the sky like a well-crafted planetarium?
In the dark, the Baby born in Bethlehem…
Arrived with the Light of the glory of God
Not seen across the land since Ezekiel made it known: “Ichabod!”
Years upon years of silence coupled with darkness
Like a damp winter’s chill
Hovering over the ground so quiet and still
Then Light from above broke open beyond a lonely hill
Not silence, but pronouncement!
God’s messengers declared with great thrill:
“He’s here! Doxology be to the One from on high!
Peace to all people for God’s grace has come nigh!”
“The peace of Rome” – Pax Romana was perpetually betrayed
Caesar’s coins tell the story: slavery was their true game
Dividing and conquering their mantra always the same: “Caesar is Lord!”
They commanded every citizen named
But to the lowest, the poorest, the oppressed, and unseen…
God’s love shined brightest when hope appeared so lean
In contradistinction to the call of the Romans, “Christ is Lord!” was the angel’s cry
To Herod’s consternation, we’d all soon learn Jesus indeed is King
Even before he did in the manger lie
For one day, on a different lonely hill, He would be nailed to a cross…
With a banner over His brow, “Here hangs the king of the Jews.”
The One most Pharisees vehemently eschewed
Darkness would again cover the earth
Broken, the world, torn in two…
Those who long ruled would smirk and jeer
Surmising they had won their battle shortly after twelve’ noon
And silence and darkness pervaded the room
The disciples hid in a closet of gloom…
But then just as He promised, God’s glory again appeared:
“He is risen! He’s not here!”
Twas’ the angel’s announcement at the empty tomb to those crippled by fear
So now we see, the Baby born in Bethlehem is forever…
Reversing the darkness
Bringing hope to the hopeless
Going to the lowest
No one is beyond God’s reach
No one is beyond God’s love
No one is beyond God’s Son
And just as He promised: one day, our King will come.
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“The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land. In loving-kindness a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it – one from the house of David; Moreover, He will seek justice and be prompt in righteousness.” Isaiah 16:4a-5
“The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
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Michael J. Breznau
Christmas Eve 2018 | www.MayfairBible.org
Here’s the live-stream video of my message at our Christmas Eve service, during which the poem above was presented:
