The Night Before Christmas – A Meditation On Christmas Eve

December 24, 2004

 

Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
"Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
Then I said, "Behold, I have come--
In the volume of the book it is written of Me--
To do Your will, O God."' ( Heb 10:5-7 )

How wonderful the heavens must have felt at the hearing of that conversation between the Father and the Son. God, the Eternal Father, overflowing with mercy for us, had consented His Son, the Eternal Word to be incarnated in the lowly form of a man, with a body being prepared in the Virgin's womb. That by His coming, the Son might take upon Himself the wrath of the Righteous Judge, whose anger is as the heaping of coals upon the wicked, whose fire is being rekindled every moment, being prepared for the sons of wrath. The smoke of the offerings is no longer a pleasant incense to God. It has become a poisonous fume, irritable and despicable. The worthless creation that did not fulfill his role intended by his Creator deserves no other but annihilation. "Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened".

He whose counsel is His own will ( for if He were to choose by us, who then can be saved? ), chose to bear with us and show us mercy. He whose words stand forever ( for if He were to be like us, idle in words and actions, who then can have hope? ) has promised us acceptance rather than destruction.

How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I set you like Zeboiim?
My heart churns within Me;
My sympathy is stirred.
I will not execute the fierceness of My anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim.
For I am God, and not man,
The Holy One in your midst;
And I will not come with terror. ( Hosea 11:8-9 )

And thus the Son said," A body You have prepared for Me" and " I have come to do Your will". This coming of the Son, as the divine discourse showed, is the deliberate works of the Father ( You have prepared for Me ) and the Son ( I have come ) to fulfill that promise, the promise of not to harm us but that we might prosper. For the writer of Hebrews who cited the dialogue went on to say "He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." The Third Person of the Godhead became the witnessing seal to this divine work, being the Co-Participant, He had prepared the way in the hearts of man, revealing to the saints about Christ "in the volume of the book it is written of [Him]". May God forever be praised as we observe this night before Christmas.

The nites before Christmas
The heav'nly hosts did await
Expecting with joy unknown to us
The Creator coming as the Babe

The nites before Christmas
The Eternal Father did prepare
A joy unknown to us
A Body He made with care

The nites before Christmas
The Eternal Son did say
With joy unknown to us
"Thy will I shalt obey"

The nites before Christmas
The Holy Spirit did proclaim
In joy unknown to us
"The Saviour came! The Saviour came!"

Gloria In Excelsis Deo!