You Shall Call His Name Jesus

For decades…no, for centuries, words have been written and sung in an effort to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas: O Holy Night, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Silent Night, to name just three. We sing such carols and worship with a heart that is, once again, reminded of the real reason we celebrate Christmas. But sometimes I can’t help wondering, Are we successful in remembering or are we so distracted by the interruptions of the world around us and the problems we face that we miss the meaning and the Person we sing about?  Sometimes I find myself singing the words of a familiar carol—words that I’ve know for decades—but lose sight of what they really mean! Do you ever find yourself doing that, singing O holy night…it is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth and when the song is over, you realize that all the while you have been focussing on your Christmas shopping list and not on the words you have just sung? Or am I alone in this?

We set up and decorate our trees, purchase and wrap our presents. We send Christmas greetings to family and friends, perhaps some we have not seen in a long time. And the cards are filled with words such as, “Christmas time is finally here. It only comes but once a year, and it’s a time to spread good cheer to those we love and hold so dear” (Christmas Time by Ronald Doe). Or, “May God bless you with peace and joy at this Christmastime.” But all too often we sign our names and forget…we forget Who’s birthday it is that we are celebrating and why we are sending cards in the first place!

And the secular distractions? They are countless, persistent, and often disturbing. Needless to say, we are inundated with them on TV, in shopping malls, and from decorated homes that focus on Santa and his reindeers. Christmas has been replaced with Xmas and Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays. It seems there is no escaping how the world views Christmas! But it is not my intent to point a finger at the secular approach to this holy season. Rather, I simply want to put Christ back into Christmas, never forgetting the reason He came as a babe to an imperfect world.

I’ve searched for the right poem, the right song, even words from an excellent sermon, but nothing comes close to what we find in Scripture. Simple. Succinct. And beautiful! And it is from God, the Most High!

In the Old Testament, Christ’s birth was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

And this prophesy is fulfilled in the familiar passages of Luke 1 and 2…
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”

Mary Did You Know, by Mark Lowrie

“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

 “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

As my gift to you at this Christmastime, allow me to share a link (just highlight, copy and paste, and sorry for the intro ads!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElJ0fiD0lkcwesite.  Contemporary Christian singer and songwriter and opera-trained David Phelps sings the beautiful words of O Holy Night. First time through, watch the video. Then take a moment and listen to it again with your eyes closed. Let your heart be lifted in remembering Who it is we are celebrating… Jesus…HE is the real reason for the season!

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a New Year full of an overwhelming presence of God in your life!