O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds,
and enlarge my mind;
Let me hear good tidings of great joy, and hearing,
believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,
my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father;
Place me with ox, ass, camel, goat,
to look with them upon my Redeemer’s face,
and in him account myself delivered from sin;
let me with Simeon clasp the new-born child to my heart,
embrace him with undying faith,
exulting that he is mine and I am his.
In him thou has given me so much that heaven can give no more.
—From The Valley of Vision
Each time I read this poem it reminds me of Mary’s song of praise to God in Luke 1:46-55, called the Magnificat. In the Magnificat, Mary raised her voice to praise God, especially for His plan of salvation for Israel. Mary described the work of Almighty God and His mercy to Israel, and God’s fulfillment to Abraham. In addition, the Magnificat also clearly showed how Mary obediently responded to God’s will. The song ends with a guarantee that God will always be faithful to His covenant with His people.
This young woman who was with child was overflowing with joy. As was told to her by the Angel Gabriel, the baby in her womb was the fulfillment of God’s promise to His people to save them from their sins.
At that moment, Mary probably didn’t fully understand the angel’s message during her pregnancy or after He was born. The book of Luke noted that after the events of Jesus’ birth, Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19,51).
Mary came to realise that even though she once nursed the baby in her breasts, Jesus was One who was entirely different from her, and she had to submit to the Divine Person embodied in her son.
When Mary was told that she would become pregnant out of wedlock and perhaps even face severe reproach, she confessed: “I am the Lord’s servant; may your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38). In her complete submission, Mary experienced true joy.
The same joy that Mary felt was also found in others who were looking and waiting for the coming of the promised Savior. The Bible tells us of a devout and righteous man named Simeon, who lived in Jerusalem. When Mary took Jesus to the temple to be dedicated, Simeon saw the baby Jesus and the Holy Spirit filled him with joy.
Likewise, the shepherds in the fields believed the joyful news that the angels announced about the birth of the Savior. When they finally came to meet and saw the baby who had just been born, they were overwhelmed with praise and thanksgiving. After they worshipped they left the manger and spread the news far and wide concerning what had been told to them about this child (Luke 2:17).
Everyone who had come upon the incarnation of God experienced this indescribable joy. For the little baby whom they saw and held was indeed Immanuel, God is with us. As author Alistair Begg observes: “The Son who was about to become incarnate was possessed of the glory of God, the likeness of God, the image of God, the splendor of God, indeed, everything that makes God God. Everything that caused the angels to adore God was there in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Have some of us forgotten this joy when we celebrate Christmas? Have we missed the greatest gift as we focus on the lesser, earthly gifts of Christmas?
Theologian J.I. Packer once said that “the Christmas spirit does not shine out in the Christian snob”. May Christmas remind us how deep we had fallen in our sin, and how Christ humbled himself to be like one of us so He could become a sacrifice for us, to save us.
The COVID-19 pandemic will restrict our movements and our festivities. But this can also be a good thing if it helps us to focus on the true joy of Christmas. As Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer describes this joy: “This joy is connected with the reality of our knowledge of who Jesus is, our relationship with him, and our worship of him.”
Have a very merry Christmas! –Bungaran Gultom
Our Daily Bread Ministries in Indonesia is supported by the freewill offering of individuals in Indonesia, who through their gifts enable us to continue to bring the life-changing wisdom of the Bible to many here. We are not funded by any church or organisation.
