December Newsletter

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Luke 2:14

      Christmas tidings in the name of our King who is born in Bethlehem – Jesus! I love babies. I love everything about babies; their smell, their new facial expressions, their tiny little fingers and toes. As most of you know by now, I became an uncle for the third time at the end of October as my sister had her first child, my first niece Ava Grace. I was fortunate enough to be there to hold her just a few days after she was born. She was perfect and precious in every way. Needless to say, as my first niece, she stole my heart. During my Thanksgiving travels, I had the extreme pleasure of baptizing her. As I held her in my arm over the font, she was awake and looking up at me. As I tried to fight off the tears, I spoke those precious words of the name of the Triune God over her and splashed water on her bald head. She didn’t fuss or cry, but just seemed perfectly content. It may have been the happiest moment of my entire life so far. And all of this joy because of this beautiful, precious little baby.
Now imagine Mary’s joy of holding her little baby boy. I am sure Mary, like most mothers, couldn’t help but think that her little baby Jesus was perfect as she held him for the first time. However, this was not just her motherly bias. Jesus was in fact a perfect baby. Just as He was perfect His entire life. Nevertheless, it seems impossible to try to imagine Mary’s joy. Then there is the joy of the shepherds as they receive the special announcement from the angel that this baby is born. The rest of the angels are so overjoyed, they cry aloud from heaven for the shepherds to hear, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.” Mary and Joseph were full of joy, the shepherds hurrying along to find this baby where moved by joy, and the angels singing their praises certainly were joyful. So much joy over one little baby!
      The well-known Christmas song “Mary Did You Know” really does an awesome job of putting it in perspective as to why there is so much joy in this one baby. The song refers to the miracles He will perform in His life of walking on waters, giving sight to the blind, opening the ears of the deaf and the mouths of the mute. The song refers to His purpose and ministry of coming to save our sons and daughters and being Lord of all. However, the one line that always gets me says, “And when you kiss your little baby, you kissed the face of God.” How powerful is that statement!! The Lord of all the universe, the Son of the Father who created the heavens and the earth, can be seen, held, smelt, touched, and even kissed in this little precious baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes. If the face of God being found in a beautiful, snuggling baby doesn’t bring joy, I don’t know what would!
I love babies, and I love my new niece. However, there has never been a more precious, more spectacular, more perfect baby than the sweet baby Jesus. He is the Lord of all who left His throne in Heaven, to come be our King. He allowed Himself to be born in human flesh as a baby - a helpless, sleeping, eating, and you know what baby! Mary did you know that when you kissed your baby, you kissed the face of God? Christians do you know that when you celebrate the birth of this one baby, you celebrate the arrival of your King? This Christmas season, let your hearts be filled with joy as we praise and adore our King, as we worship our Lord, and as we prepare ourselves for the second coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. Let our praises ring throughout the earth like the angels’, “Glory to God in the highest!” Let the joy of God’s presence in the midst of His people, move you to praise and worship Him.
      Merry Christmas to you all in the extremely-overflowing joy of Jesus Christ’s birth!!