Perhaps THE most well-known of all the Christmas carols is “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” One of the verses in this song states:
Sing choirs of angels Sing in exultation Sing all ye citizens Of heaven above
Glory to God All glory in the highest O come let us adore Him O come let us adore him O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord!
The centerpiece and foundation of those words hinge on God’s glory. Regarding the glory surrounding the events of Jesus’ birth, another song by David Crowder comes to mind:
Oh, the glory of it all Is He came here For the rescue of us all That we may live For the glory of it all Oh, the glory of it all
Oh, He is here With redemption from the fall That we may live For the glory of it all Oh, the glory of it all
The word “glory” means: 1) high renown or honor won by notable achievements, and 2) magnificence or great beauty.
Throughout this whole study we have seen Jesus’ high renown. He is certainly due honor because of the many notable achievements he accomplished. He has done things and is in his very nature a thing of great magnificence and beauty. This is because he was, is, and shall always be God! God demands and deserves glory.
We have seen that Jesus rescues us from death and gives us Life. He guides us towards holiness and well-being. He fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies – in fact, he was the Messiah that the Old Testament Scriptures point to. He is the ultimate and perfect King, Priest, and Prophet. You can find no one who was more noble in serving others, more authoritative in teaching on religion, more powerful in deeds and miracles performed, or more loving in sacrificing all for the benefit of others. By his Spirit, he is still busy changing lives today. Indeed, Abraham Kuyper was right when he said “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”
In our human lives, we experience and witness may things. Upon seeing an incredible physical performance in sports, eating an exceptional meal, or listening to music played by skilled hands we often describe it as being “awesome.” Yet those things only inspire us for a moment. May I suggest that only God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are truly awesome. For if the things in this world “wow” us, how much more should the Creator of the very world cause us to stand in awe.
If you have read these 25 reasons as a way to prepare for the Advent, then you are reading this entry on Christmas day. I hope that today you adore him for who he is and I hope that these studies have helped you see just how much glory and praise he deserves. If you are not reading this on Christmas day, then my hope is the same – for Christ wants you to adore him every day of your life.
All good things come to an end they say. I disagree. If it is good, let it last forever. If it is truly good, it must last forever. This book is coming to a close, but I hope that it is merely the beginning for you. You can spend your lifetime finding more reasons and understanding with more clarity why Jesus was born. Doing so will lead you to understand God himself, which will be profitable for you – both in this life and the life to come.
To conclude this book, Athanasius’ words, written over 1700 years ago in his book On the Incarnation are more fitting than my own:
Such and so many are the Savior's achievements that follow from His Incarnation, that to try to number them is like gazing at the open sea and trying to count the waves. One cannot see all the waves with one's eyes, for when one tries to do so those that are following on baffle one's senses. Even so, when one wants to take in all the achievements of Christ in the body, one cannot do so, even by reckoning them up, for the things that transcend one's thought are always more than those one thinks that one has grasped. As we cannot speak adequately about even a part of His work, therefore, it will be better for us not to speak about it as a whole. For, indeed, everything about it is marvelous, and wherever a man turns his gaze he sees the Godhead of the Word and is smitten with awe.
Soli deo Gloria.
Amen.