How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given,
Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, vs 3
So God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of His heaven;
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.
How sweet the cry of a newborn baby, and our family has been blessed to hear five of those cries. From a first-time rookie to a fifth-time veteran, I’ve learned to appreciate their soft little cries over the years. I would even enjoy “my” time which often stretched from about 11:00pm to 1:00am each night as they would need a daddy’s help getting back to sleep. One of our daughters was born in December which gave me an extra treat to rock her in front of our Christmas tree late at night. Serendipity.
But parenting is not always serene, and cries are not always sweet. For example, one of our children didn’t learn to sleep through the night until she was nearly 16 months old! I can tell you from personal experience, those are the kinds of nights that will make your ears bleed as you slip from sanity. Though sleep was in short supply, however, our calling to be parents was never amended as if to suggest that being a parent only happens when the children are sweet. On the contrary, once you have a child, you are a parent, regardless of sleep.
The angels announce to the shepherds on that silent night, “Peace on earth, good will toward men!” Naturally, one’s mind thinks of a quaint and tranquil scene of a remote hillside overlooking the sleepy little village of Bethlehem. “Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie; above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.” The melody with this description might nearly lull singers to sleep as it wafts over the congregation. It creates an impression of the kind of experience Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is assumed to be bringing: quietness, calmness, and a life void of conflict or aggression. (Similar to the late night cooing of a newborn baby drifting off to sleep.)
But human history since Jesus’ birth has been anything but calming or without conflict; and yet, the Prince of Peace is still that, the One who brings peace to the world. His coming into our world delivers something much more profound and essential than serenity or a world without war. It brings reconciliation and the offer of a new status between creation and Creator. Romans 5 describes the ultimate problem in the world, “sin came into the world through one man [a reference to Adam’s disobedience], and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). But the chapter also reveals the answer for this problem, “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one Man’s obedience [a reference to Jesus’ ministry] the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).
The PEACE we sing about at Christmas time is a reflection of the salvation we enjoy! Yes, the Christian life comes with trials. The Spirit-indwelled child of the Prince of Peace will experience difficulties in life that are not very peaceful, but that does not remove their sweet communion with the Almighty nor the salvific efforts of the Prince of Peace. As Romans 5 begins, we hear the angels’ proclamation nuanced: having been justified by faith, we have obtained peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).
“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
Romans 5:9-11
Glorify. Train. Engage. 