With Us

A few years ago, I traveled to Israel and visited the old church built where it is believed is the site where Jesus was born. We stepped down the twisting stairway, one person at a time to view the spot.  There it was, marked by a silver star.

Today, let’s look at the Christmas Carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem:

written by Phillips Brooks. He had traveled to the Holy Land at Christmas, struck by the simplicity and beauty of the area where Jesus was born, and two years later, wrote the words of this carol for the Sunday School children.

1 O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.

2 For Christ is born of Mary,
and, gathered all above
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the King
and peace to all the earth.

3 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.

4 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! (Phillips Brooks, 1835-1893)

We often are familiar with the first verse, but here’s the complete song. Look at the last word: Immanuel. It means, God with us. Amazing! God with us!

It is a miracle that Jesus became man. It is a miracle that Jesus was willing to come and live among us. Feel what we feel. Taste what we taste. But more than that, take on our sins and die for them. And then, the greatest miracle, He rose from death to life!

Today, as we hear the many Christmas songs that proclaim it’s “the most wonderful time of the year”, that we must have a “holly, jolly Christmas”, that we “deck the halls with boughs of holly” and “I’ll be home for Christmas”. All of those sentiments are good things, but the best? The day marks the time when “God with us–Immanuel” came to be in that little town.

Perhaps this year, you don’t feel like being jolly. You don’t want to deck the halls. Or even to sing. Perhaps this year, you focus on the true gift given to us in that little town. God with us–Immanuel. He’s here–with us.

Scroll back to the top of the song and click on the first phase that will link you to a rendition of this song. Bask in the knowledge that He is with us. He knows your pain. He is with you.

While the words of this Christmas Carol are profound, even more are the words in I Timothy 3:16: