It’s Christmas day, I love this day, I love spending the day with family. I love the entire Christmas season. I love the lights, the Christmas tree, the songs, etc. But my most favorite part about the Christmas season is watching little kids. They have this awe struck look about them during Christmas, when they look at lights on a tree or see Santa. It’s all about the magic of Christmas to them, they are still too young to comprehend what this day is truly about…to them it’s about the magic! Now that I have children (that’s still weird to say..usually a first time parent will have a child, not children) I get to experience this on a whole new level. It’s my children that will get to experience the magic and I get to help show it to them. I get to see their face light up when they see the lights on the Christmas tree turn on, or see Santa or who knows what else. This year our boys are a little too young, but next year will be a fun year!
As much as I love Christmas and the fun it brings, we tend to forget what this day is really about. We get so wrapped up in gifts, where we’re going and what we’re doing, we forget why we celebrate this day. Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of Christ, the Messiah!
Unlike any other baby, the one born that night in Bethlehem was unique. He was not created by a human father and mother. He is God, the Son. This is why Christmas is called the incarnation, a word which means “in the flesh.†In the birth of Jesus, the eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing Creator came to earth in the flesh. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be born. His birth brought great joy to the world. Shepherds, wise men, and angels all shared in the excitement of knowing about this great event. They knew this was no ordinary baby. The prophets had told of His coming hundreds of years before. The star stopped over Bethlehem just to mark the way for those who were looking for this special child.
Luke 2: 4-19 says:
“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
I want my children to grow up and know what the meaning of Christmas is. I don’t want them to get so wrapped up in the gifts and Santa that they forget why we celebrate this day. But — at the same time — I want them to experience the “magic” as I was saying earlier. There is a fine line there and I honestly don’t know if the two go together or not.
The one thing I love about Christmas that always helps me remember what the day is about is hearing Christmas songs. Away In A Manger, O Holy Night, Santa Claus is Coming to Town (just kidding on that last one) but I have a new favorite Christmas song I think. I heard this for the first time this year and loved it. I don’t know if it was the fact that I am a new parent or what but Mercy Me has a song called Joseph’s Lullaby. You hear a lot of songs about Mary’s perspective on the birth of Christ, but you don’t hear a lot of songs about Joseph and how he was feeling when his son, the Christ child, was born. As a parent you hold your baby tight and want to protect them from the world and any harm that may come to them. What was Joesph feeling? What was he thinking when he held his son, the Savior, for the first time. Joseph was holding his baby boy, a baby he was supposed to protect from the world but does he comprehend what is going to happen down the road? His little baby boy is the King of Kings. How do you comprehend that? But for that moment, holding him for the first time, he was just his son, just his baby boy. One of the lines in the song says this, “I believe the glory of heaven is lying in my arms tonight. Lord I ask that He, for just this moment, simply be my child.” You have to think that Joseph had the weight of the world on his shoulders knowing that his child was the chosen one. But at that moment, I’m sure he just wanted to hold his child.
Here are the lyrics to the song Joseph’s Lullaby by Mercy Me
Go to sleep my Son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before You
Rest Your little headCan You feel the weight of Your glory?
Do You understand the price?Or does the Father guard Your heart for now
So You can sleep tonight?Go to sleep my Son
Go and chase Your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peaceI believe the glory of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight
But Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
Simply be my childGo to sleep my Son
Baby, close Your eyes
Soon enough You’ll save the day
But for now, dear Child of mine
Oh my Jesus, Sleep tight
Excellent, as is everything you do.