The Songs of Christmas Begin

AdventThumbs3Advent Day 3

by John F. Klem

The wise men who came from the east asked King Herod, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2).

I invite you along with the wise men of old to come. O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

What is it about Christ that is so beautiful, that is so worth adoring? What was it about Christ the Lord that stirred the affections of Mary in her Luke 1 hymn of praise? What caused her heart to grow with affection for the Lord so much that she wanted to exalt Him? What did she see? What did she understand?

She rejoiced in the Lord because He was indeed her Savior (Luke 1:45). She adored the Lord because the God of Heaven and earth looked with care upon her and did something about her lowly estate (Luke 1:48). She treasured the Lord because of all the great things He did not only for her, but also for the nation of Israel, and ultimately for the world (Luke 1:49). She paid tribute to the Lord because He is so holy (Luke 1:49). She praised the Lord because of His unfailing mercy (Luke 1:50). She admired the Lord because He is so strong (Luke 1:51). She worshiped the Lord because He acts with justice toward the proud and the lowly (Luke 1:51, 52). She loved the Lord because of His care and help (Luke 1:53, 54).

Mary’s beautiful hymn is one of many in the Scriptures that celebrate the character and work of Christ, our Messiah. The book of Revelation, for example, records several hymns focused on the coming of Christ in connection with end-time events (Revelation 4:8–11; 5:8–14). In these hymns we see many of the same themes featured in Mary’s song of worship. Revelation 17:14 captures the essence of why we celebrate the person of Christ so jubilantly. Those who do battle with Him do not realize that He is the Lamb Who conquers and the King of Kings Who rules. Christ, the eternal Son of God Who took on flesh and blood at the Incarnation, is the Lamb of God, divine warrior, and King of Kings.

O come and stir up your affections for the Lord. O come and see that the Babe in the manger is indeed the eternal Christ, the person of our joyful song.

O come let us adore Him.

John F. Klem is director of Regular Baptist Press.

Regular Baptist Press is committed to providing educational resources that point people of all ages to Christ not just at Christmas, but throughout the year. RBP offers a wide range of curriculum, VBS programs, Bible studies, books, and training seminars that are Biblically sound, cover the entirety of Scripture, and designed for spiritual growth.

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