The Wise Ones Believed in Jesus, Our Emmanuel, and Worshiped Him
+ St. John Chrysostom, 392 A.D.
Gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense, as to a God.
+ Origen, early 200s A.D.
It is not known who these wise men were. Their names and dwelling place are both kept from us. We are only told that they came "from the east." Yet these wise men in Matthew 2:1-11 show us that there may be true servants of God in places where we should not expect to find them. The Lord Jesus has many "hidden ones," like these wise men. But their names are in the book of life, and they will be found with Christ on the day of His appearing. It is well to remember this. We must not look around the earth and say hastily, "All is barren." The grace of God is not tied to places and families. The Holy Spirit can lead souls to Christ without the help of any outward means. Men and women may be born in dark places of the earth, like these wise ones, and yet like them be made "wise for salvation."
These wise men believed in Christ when they had never seen Him; but that was not all. They believed in Him when the scribes and Pharisees were unbelieving; but that again was not all. They believed in Him when they saw Him as a little infant on Mary's knees, and worshiped Him as King. This was the crowning point of their faith. They saw no miracles to convince them. They heard no teaching to persuade them. They saw nothing but a newborn infant, helpless and weak, needing a mother's care like any of us. And yet when they saw that infant, they believed that they saw the divine Savior of the world! "They bowed down and worshiped Him" (v. 11).
We read of no greater faith than this in the whole volume of the Bible. It is a faith that deserves to be placed side by side with that of the penitent thief. The thief that saw someone dying the death of a criminal, and yet prayed to Him, and "called Him Lord." The wise men saw a newborn baby on the lap of a poor woman, and yet worshiped Him, and confessed that He was Christ.
+ Bishop J.C. Ryle, 1856 A.D.
Christmas Welcome
Bienvenido! Akwaaba! Mirë se vjen! خوش آمدید Bem-vindos! 歡迎光臨! Céad míle fáilte!
We invite you to hear and respond to the history-altering, world-restoring, personally-transforming Christmas message that the Christ child is Jesus, the God who saves us from our sins, our Immanuel, the God who comes to be with us now and forever. Consider with us what the poet John Donne said, "The cradle to the cross is an inseparable line;" and wonder with us this Christmas Eve's Eve how Jesus came to be the greatest gift of salvation we could ever receive.
Advent Scriptures | Matthew 2:1-11
By John Francis Wade
1751 A.D.
O come, all ye faithful,
O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye
To Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels:
O come,
Let us adore Him, (3x)
Christ the Lord!
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be
All glory given!
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing!
O come,
Let us adore Him, (3x)
Christ the Lord!
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
“Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
O come ye, O come ye
To Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels:
O come,
Let us adore Him, (3x)
Christ the Lord!
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be
All glory given!
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing!
O come,
Let us adore Him, (3x)
Christ the Lord!
By Charles Wesley
and George Whitfield
1739 A.D.Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
“Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
By Isaac Watts
1719 A.D.
All of heaven and
All creation sing
The wonders of His love!
Joy to the World ,
The Lord has come!
Let earth
Receive her King;
Let every heart
Prepare Him room,
And Heaven
And nature sing,
And Heaven
And nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven,
And nature sing!
(Refrain)
He rules the world
With truth and grace,
And makes
The nations prove
The glories of
His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders,
of His love!
(Refrain)
The Cradle and the Cross
Silent Night
By Jospeh Mohr
Round yon virgin
Mother and child,
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
(Refrain)
The Cradle and the Cross
By Austin Stone Worship
2013 A.D.
Oh the beauty and the loss
Of the cradle and the cross,
The Son of God so humbly
Sent for us.
Into darkness came the light,
Faith of fathers became sight
When the Christ arrived
To save the fold of God.
Humanity embraced,
Humanity embraced,
He left a perfect place,
The prize of God in
Lowly manger lay.
Angels shout with joyous song,
Saints and sinners sing along
In the highest place, Glory, Gloria!
Emmanuel, God with us!
Emmanuel, God with us!
The Lamb of God slain for us!
Finally, our hope’s secured
By the beauty of
The cradle and the cross.
The Creator of the stars,
The Creator of the stars,
Then in flesh received the scars
On the cross He paid
The debt of sinners earned.
And even death could not Him hold,
Peace on earth we see unfold
As the risen Christ
Ascends in victory!
(Chorus)
Stars and angels
Stars and angels
Sing around You,
Gloria!
Hearts unfold like
Flowers before You,
Gloria!
Joyful, joyful
We adore You,
Gloria!
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
Silent Night
By Jospeh Mohr
1818 A.D.
Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright.Silent night, holy night,
Round yon virgin
Mother and child,
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
1847 A.D.
O holy night,
O holy night,
The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night
Of the dear Savior’s birth;
Long lay the world
In sin and error pining,
'Till He appeared
And the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks
A new and glorious morn;
It is the night
Of the dear Savior’s birth;
Long lay the world
In sin and error pining,
'Till He appeared
And the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks
A new and glorious morn;
Fall on your knees,
Oh hear the angel voices!
O night divine!
O night when Christ was born.
O night, O holy night,
O night divine.
Truly He taught us
O night divine!
O night when Christ was born.
O night, O holy night,
O night divine.
Truly He taught us
To love one another;
His law is Love
His law is Love
And His gospel is Peace;
Chains shall He break,
Chains shall He break,
For the slave is our brother,
And in His name
And in His name
All oppression shall cease,
Sweet hymns of joy
Sweet hymns of joy
In grateful chorus raise we;
Let all within us
Let all within us
Praise his Holy name!
Christ is the Lord!
Oh praise His name forever!
His pow'r and glory,
Oh praise His name forever!
His pow'r and glory,
Evermore proclaim!
His pow'r and glory,
His pow'r and glory,
Evermore proclaim!
Benediction
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city (coming down out of heaven from God), and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever. ... “Look, I am coming soon ... I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. ... “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
+ Revelation 22:3-5, 12-13, 20
Next post: Matthew 2:12-23 | Christmastide: Remembering the Holy Innocents | Martyrs and Refugees
Next post: Matthew 2:12-23 | Christmastide: Remembering the Holy Innocents | Martyrs and Refugees
Christ is all,
Rev. Mike “Sully” Sullivan
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