The Reason for the Season - O Holy Night

Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

This is one of those Christmas carols that helps bring the true reason for the season into focus. The reason there even needed to be a Savior.

Each one of us knows that moral crimes should be punished. We also know that we have committed moral crimes. And therefore, we know we should be punished for the moral crimes we have committed.

We long to sin, to commit these moral crimes. It is in our natures separated from the One who created us.

Yet, in an act of mercy and love, God created a way for us to escape His judgement. He offers us a pardon for the moral crimes we have committed and long to commit. So God became a man himself and took the punishment on himself.

That's why Jesus is important. He offers the way out of the judgement that is rightly ours.

The pardon, however, is only valid for those who accept it. Those who bow their knee and accept Jesus (the babe born of lowly status and laid in a manger) as their Savior.

Christmas is a time of wishing, of excitement, of love, of peace, of cheer, of good tidings, and of hope. Yet we don't really stop to think of why we need these things:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

But then comes the good news of great joy:

Till He appears and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

In response, we should:

Fall on our knees, O hear the angel voices,
O night divine, O night when Christ was born,
O night divine, O night when Christ was born.

May your Christmas be one of falling on your knees and rejoicing in the thrill of hope brought forth by our dear Savior's birth over 2000 years ago.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!