A Musical Interlude Part IV

     In recent weeks we have been taking a musical interlude to look at the four carols sung at the first Christmas. But before we look at the last two, I want to remind us of the story behind the songs. It helps us to hear the story of how a song-writer came to write a hymn or chorus to better understand the author’s emotions. The Gospels don’t give us a clear time-line for the sequence of all the events recorded by Luke and Matthew, but let me suggest the following: 

• The Angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias and tells him that his wife Elizabeth will bear a son, that he will name him John, and that John will be the promised messenger who prepares the way for the Messiah (Luke 1:5-25).
• The same angel, Gabriel, appears to Mary and announces that she will give birth to the Messiah who will be conceived by the Holy Spirit, and that a sign for her would be that “Elizabeth [Mary’s] relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren” (Luke 1:26-38).
• Mary then arose… and with great haste, went to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the babe in her womb leaped; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then Elizabeth cried out, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Thus, God confirmed His call on Mary’s life (Luke 1:39-45).
• Mary responded immediately in song (we will look at this carol next week), and remained to care for Elizabeth for three months until John was born (Luke 1:46-56).
• Mary returns to Nazareth and tells Joseph that she is carrying a baby conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joseph prepared to quietly divorce Mary, but an angel appeared to him to confirm what Mary had said. Joseph took Mary as his wife, but they did not consummate the marriage until after the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:18-35).
• God used Caesar Augustus’ decree that a census should be taken to let both Joseph and Mary “escape” the shame of Mary’s pregnancy. Also, the prophets told us that Jesus, the Messiah, was to be born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-6).
• Angels appeared to a group of shepherds to announce the birth, and they found Him laying in a manger in Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-20). We’ve already looked at the Angel’s Song.
• Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day according to the law. And then “when the days of [Mary’s] purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’” (Luke 2:21-24).
• While they were at the temple presenting the purification offering, two senior adults approached them. The first was Simeon and we will look at his song later, and the
• other one was Anna. Both of them affirmed that the baby Mary and Joseph were called to raise was to be the Messiah (Luke 2:25-38).
• Wise men from the east came to welcome the new-born King (Matthew 2:1-12). Mary, Joseph, and the baby fled to Egypt to escape King Herod’s slaying of all baby boys ages two and under (Matthew 2:13-18).
• When Herod died, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus returned, but not to Bethlehem in Judea but to Nazareth in Galilee to fulfill the prophecy that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:19-23).

   
     As I did a quick review of the events leading up to the first Christmas, did you notice how many people and how many unique events God orchestrated to make it possible? Before I point us to the last two of the first Christmas carols, let me encourage you to pause and reflect on all that God has done to bring you to this once-in-a-lifetime Christmas of 2021. Too often, we take for granted God’s sovereign work throughout history and particularly in our own lives. At other times, we are oblivious to His handiwork as we forge our own path. Take time to review what God has done this year alone to guide and direct you along the path He designed for you at the foundation of the earth.

     If you are a typical human being, you will have to admit that we all learn more about God when we are walking through the valleys of life than we do when we are enjoying the view from the mountain-tops. Review the list of events above and note how many of them were positive versus how many described difficult circumstances.

• An angel announced that Elizabeth will experience a very high-risk pregnancy.
• Zacharias experienced nine months of muteness.
• The same angel announced a birth that at best would be deeply embarrassing and at worst yield a death penalty for Mary.
• A census decree caused a new family whose wife was expecting her first child to relocate—and there were no U-Haul trucks available, so they had to walk.
• After the baby was born, an angel told Joseph to relocate again, and this time he is to take his family to a foreign country—no flights available, so they had to walk.
• King Herod had every baby boy under the age of two who lived in the area of Bethlehem killed.

    As I write this article, it is the anniversary of the death of my first-born. Brian died in a snowmobile accident just before his tenth birthday which was Christmas Eve. As a man of seventy-one, when I reflect back on the years and events since that day, I can assure you that in the midst of many trials and tribulations and amongst hundreds of mountain top experiences, God has been faithful. I will confess that I have not always seen clearly nor listened well to all that He was doing. However, with hindsight, I can state unequivocally that He was always at work. He has worked in my life just like He did in the Apostle Paul’s:

​The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:26-28)

    What God, through His indwelling Holy Spirit and because of my acceptance by faith in the gift of God through Jesus Christ’s atoning death, did for Paul and has done for me is, or can be, true of your life as well. This Christmas season, take time to reflect upon all God has and is doing in your life, and then either receive or renew the peace that surpasses all understanding that is made available to you through the Gift that God sent to us that first Christmas.

Yours in Christ,
Mark R. Elliott, AMS