O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie!Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent starts go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting light. The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight.
Oh that little town of Bethlehem, so long ago. A small place repleat with animals and people where something incredible would happen some 2000 plus year ago. Where darkness would be shattered by the advent of The Everlasting Light. This small town in which sin and death would meet their match in the birth of a baby.
For Christ is born of Mary, and, Gathered all above While Mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wondering love. O morning stars, together Proclaim the holy birth, and praises sing to God the king And peace to all the earth!
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. (Luke 2:13-18)
How silently, how silently The wondrous gift is giv’n! So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heav’n. No ear may hear His coming; But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him, still The dear Christ enters in.
How could anyone fathom the magnitude of this birth in Bethlehem? What the prophets of old said would happen has come to pass. This Grace of God imparted to those who apart from faith are lost in their own trespasses. This One who was, is and ever shall be shattered the bonds of sin by substituting His righteous life for that of sinful man. That babe born of humble birth, true God and true man, sinlessly lives, undeservedly dies and triumphantly rises again to reign for mankind.
O holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin, and enter in, Be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Immanuel!
O Come, O Come Emmanuel, God with us. Come to us in our lost state. Come to us in our terror and loss. Come to us in our need. Come to us in Your Word. Come to us in Your Body and Your Blood. Come to us in Your promised Holy Spirit. Come to us, forgive us and keep us and grant to us everlasting life.
Come to us again in Glory making this Christmas story complete.