Silent night

But was it? The night that Jesus was born, was it a silent reverent night? Maybe the hymn writer pondered that as he wrote the lyrics.

Silent night, Holy night, all is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, mother and child, Holy infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

I quoted verse one from memory. I have been singing this song at Christmas time for as long as I can remember.  The music is beautiful and the message of the song is simple.

Two points to think about, Holy infant and a virgin mother. Mary, who had never been with a man, gave birth to a baby. How was that possible? The baby was God, in human flesh. God chose to live the life of a human, to live among us, live as one of us. He will live, and love, and heal and teach and serve, and then he will die a gruesome death on the cross. That death was for no crime or sin of his own. He died to pay the price for my sin. He died to pay the price for our sin, all of us, all humans who have ever lived and will ever live. He lived, he died and then, most important of all, he rose from the dead.

Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
heav’nly hosts sing: “Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born!”

3 Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
radiant beams from Thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!

4 Silent night! Holy night!
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
with the angels let us sing
“Alleluia” to our King:
“Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born.”

It’s a big deal. The promised one, the messiah, the redeemer has now been born. God is with us.

Mary recorded an instrumental version of Silent night on her album. Here is an opportunity to take a few minutes and just listen and ponder this wondrous thing that God has done.

Christ the Savior is born.