These songs of joy I sing in a minor key will someday be rewritten in the major. In a future where all sorrow melts in the brightness of God’s glory. There all will be warmed by divine love, as the sun rests, no longer needing to shine. The moon will enjoy peaceful slumber, as there will be no night-time to light. The righteous will no longer fear the wicked, for wickedness will have passed away. God’s Law will be engraved on every heart and willingly obeyed through conscience surrendered to Christ, the Messiah. In such a happy land, no tears are needed. There’s nothing to mourn, no pain, no sickness. Death’s malicious shadow will no longer caste its pale over the living and having met its own end, will be remembered no more. The oppositional one and his minions will no longer taunt God nor tempt mankind but will be locked away eternally in a prison of tormenting flames. War will rage no more, as everyone will live in peace with God and one another. Good will shall replace all malice and no curses will proceed from any mouth but instead, only blessings. Every redeemed, living soul will be glorified in the likeness of Christ

This is the promised Kingdom established thousands of years ago, when a baby was born in Bethlem. This baby born in destitute poverty on earth, Who is the Son of the Most High God and Creator of the universe, was given by the Father as a sacrifice, as a ransom for many. He was sent to make God known through His obedient actions, even to obediently dying as a sacrificial lamb for the sins of mankind. No one knows the exact day He was born but most everyone knows the story of the Son of God who visited earth as the Son of Man and was incarnate in a tiny baby, born to poor parents, in a stable used to house animals, swaddled in rags, and laid to sleep in a manger filled with hay for the animals that witnessed His birth. Even though this child was born as a ‘nobody’, there were those who knew His true identity, knew He was coming, and wanted to destroy Him in order to protect their power. King Herod was among them and he called upon the Magi, those knowledgeable, scientific thinkers of that time who predicted His birth. These wise men, observers of the night sky, followed an unusual star that led them to the home of Jesus. These important men in uncounted number, bowed before the young boy and gifted Him with Frankincense and Myrrh, perfumes used for burial. Though the Wise Men, by use of their knowledge discerned the identity and purpose of this poor child, bearing the common Hebrew name, Jesus, they were not among those to whom Christ Jesus was first revealed. It was poor shepherds, uneducated and lowly, who were present soon after Jesus’ birth, which was announced to them by the angels! Eight days later, when the baby was presented for circumcision, the true identity and purpose of Jesus was also, revealed to the faithful, devout man Simeon. Just as today, not many sophisticates acknowledge Jesus Christ, while many who are poor and downtrodden, with the devoted, cling to His Holy Name. Yet, Jesus was sent to die for everyone, not only the poor and uneducated and just as the Magi bowed before Jesus someday, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord of all. Even though most are too prideful to accept the gift of God’s Son, there will come a day when everyone will acknowledge Jesus Christ as Messiah, as King.

The world and those who held power because of its systems hated Jesus and wanted to kill Him. King Herod was the first and upon feeling betrayed by the Wise Men, whom God warned in a dream not to return to Herod after finding the Christ child, took it upon himself to slaughter every two-year old, first- born son in a desperate, murderous attempt to kill Jesus. However every evil sent to destroy Jesus, the Father worked to the good and in everything, Jesus fulfilled the scriptures that prophesied of Him. Jesus was protected from death until the day upon which He was appointed to die. It was the Pharisees, religious leaders who felt most threatened by Him and the betrayal of a disciple who loved money more than God, who accomplished what Herod attempted when Jesus was only, a child. These wicked men, no matter how subversive their actions, couldn’t subvert the purpose of God, in freeing many from sin and death through the death of His Son on the Cross. Even though these wicked persons were able to crucify the Messiah, they couldn’t keep Him in the grave. After three days, Jesus rose to live again. The disciples and many other persons witnessed and testified to this event. Then Jesus ascended into the Heavens, to sit at the right hand of His Father, and promised to return in the same way. On that day, He will be known as the Lion of Judah and His Kingdom will be visibly established on the earth. Everyone will be forced to recognize JESUS as King.

This is the purpose of the incarnation of Christ Jesus. He didn’t come to establish a new religion. Jesus was born to die and by His blood sacrifice in payment for the sins of mankind, set many captives free. The religion He practiced was the Jewish religion, as given in the Bible. He lived such an obedient, sinless life that He fulfilled the Law, the Feasts, the Festivals, and all the Words of the Prophets. He requires no special remembrance on any special day. He created no Mass or ritual that must be kept. The only, ordinances He asks us to observe are Baptism, as an outward sign of our new birth through faith in Him; and The Lord’s Supper, in remembrance of Him and the sacrifice He made to purchase our souls and give us eternal life. He asks us to keep His Commandments by loving God first and each other, in the same way that He loves us. We are to practice a pure religion of visiting widows and orphans in affliction and live a moral life. This is the Way He leads us in and this is the narrow path of faith His beloved are to walk, as we watch and wait for His return and the appearing of His Kingdom.

I am mindful of all these things as December 25^th approaches and on that day, as on every other day, I want to honor Jesus. I pray that I not be caught up in the things that move the worldly. May my heart not be set on the material world at all. Let me not be distracted by traditions and religious ritual, from performing the good works that God assigns for me to accomplish on that day. Let me not be caught up in the controversy over Pagan origins and the trappings of those who worship the creature rather than the Creator. I hope to keep my focus on my Lord Jesus and His simple Truth. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I will keep Jesus at the center of the day, December 25, 2015 and every day, as I should. He is the reason for every season of my life. I faithfully and patiently wait for Christ’s return, completing the work begun over two thousand years ago; when the Son of God set aside His power to be born in the form of a helpless baby, of low status, on an unknown day.

Ref: Matthew 1-2, Luke 2:1-40, Isaiah, The Revelation of Jesus Christ