Christmas

Christmas

[The Lord] has raised up a horn of salvation for us . . . to give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.

Luke 1:69, 77-79, NASB

What phrase would you use to describe the birth or adoption of your children? “The Sunrise from on high” is one of the ways Jesus’ birth was depicted. Four hundred years had passed with no sign of the Savior who had been prophesied. But the dawn was about to break. Some of the characters taking part in this Sunrise to beat all sunrises were Gabriel, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary, the shepherds, and Simeon. The angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and announced the birth of John, who would prepare the way for the Lord.

Mary was also visited by Gabriel and was told that she would give birth to God’s Son. The shepherds were the first to hear the good news of Jesus’ birth, seeing the light of God’s glory shine on their flocks. It was no coincidence that righteous Simeon arrived at the Temple exactly when Joseph and Mary took Jesus there to present him to God, because God had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen Christ. In a very tender moment Simeon took the child in his arms and said that he was ready to die, now that God’s promise to him had been fulfilled and he had seen Jesus, the Light.

And so dawned the Sunrise that brings light and peace to all who will accept it. Like Simeon, we must look for, have faith in, and accept Jesus, the Sunrise on high who brings spiritual birth to our souls.

God,

Thank you that your birth was like the dawn of sunrise, fulfilling the prophecy that you came to provide forgiveness for our sins. Amen.