May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Luke 2:10-14
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that
will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a
Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, 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 heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor
rests.”
You gotta love Linus!
I don’t think I’ve missed watching A Charlie Brown Christmas
since the show debuted in 1965. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate Linus
and his blanket. If you watch closely, when he recites the story of Jesus’
birth, he drops his security blanket. He knows his true security has come as a
babe in the manger. Yes, the characters are cartoons, but the story is real. Charlie
Brown represents all of us who are searching for the truth, and Linus presents
it to him in the most beautiful way.
As Linus tells, the angels addressed the shepherds with good
news of great joy. Years ago, a hymn called Hark How All the Welkin Rings by
Charles Wesley evolved over time into Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Welkin means
heavens or skies. He shared the beautiful idea of the angels, who rejoiced.
Wesley’s hymn changed, but the story of Jesus’ birth remains the same. The angel
approached shepherds, a lowly lot by society’s standards, and shared the good
news of Jesus. That act shows me Jesus came for every one of us so we can have
a relationship with His Father, God.
A few years ago, I realized I’d clung to this hymn because
Linus and all his pals sang it at the end of A Charlie Brown Christmas. It has
stayed at the top of my favorites list for years.
As you contemplate Christmas and the love of Jesus, I hope
you sing with joy.
Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on
his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Peace on earth, good will to men.
On Christmas Day 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow heard the
bells tolling in Cambridge and penned the poem, I Heard the Bells on Christmas
Day, later set to music by the English organist John Baptiste Calkin in 1872.
Longfellow had lost his wife to a fire and was left with six
children. His heart ached when his oldest son returned from the Civil War with
a gun shot wound. In his sorrow he sought to find hope.
I can’t imagine what life was like during the Civil War for
America, any more than I can fathom the countries who are war torn now. Longfellow’s
heart must have hurt. By 1863, He’d lost two wives, the second leaving him six
children. His son returned home wounded and nearly paralyzed. At that point he
struggled to write his poems, he was the most famous US poet at the time.
When he heard the bells ring out, he grasped on to the hope
they offered him. Hope for better and brighter days.
Christmas is a time of joy, but it can also be a time of
sorrow for many. Jesus wants us to know he came to bring peace to the hearts of
all. Isaiah proclaims Him as the Prince of Peace, the One who can take a broken
heart and restore it to fullness.
I love these glorious lines from the song:
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”
No matter the circumstances surrounding the holidays or any
days, God is not dead and He’s not asleep. Instead, He holds me in sorrow and
in joy. He loves me and wraps me in comfort and peace.
As you celebrate the birth of Jesus, embrace Him as the
Prince of Peace.
Casting Crowns sings a beautiful version of I Heard the
Bells.
