Luke 2:13-14 (ESV)
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind has bought.Sing praise
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
The word “noel” is a French word that refers to the
Christmas season. The root of this word is a bit more obscure, though many
believe that originally derived from the Latin word “natalis”, which means
“birth”. Of course, we also see the influence of this Latin word, “natalis” and
its reference to birth in our English vocabulary today, such as the term
“prenatal” for a pregnancy, and “neonatal” to describe the care and study of
babies.
In other words, “The First Noel” means essentially, “The
First Birth”. Obviously, Jesus was not the first human being ever born, but in
regards to the spiritual rebirth that we all experience upon entering into
relationship and reconciliation with God, Jesus was the First Birth.
In his birth as a little, innocent baby that couldn’t even
hold his head up, Jesus entered the world as a new model for human beings. The
Christ child was free from the bondage of Adam’s failure, as Paul reminds us in
Romans 5:12, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought
death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”
But in Jesus, a new path for human beings was established –
the chance for our lives to change drastically and align more with the birth of
that Christ child – new life, fresh and clean. This is why Paul also continues
his thought in Romans 5:19, “Because one person disobeyed God, many became
sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.”
Jesus is that obedient person. He experienced that First
Birth, and lived it out successfully and with the utmost holiness.
But, what does this mean for us right now? Sometimes these
thoughts feel very lofty and disconnected from our daily life – so how can this
change the way we act and feel right now?
Put simply, God has created the avenue for a new chance at
life, here and now, and eternal. All the things that we might hate about
ourselves, or wish that we didn’t do, or carry deep regrets about – we need to
know that God has a deep hope and vision that we can put those burdens down and
step into the life of rebirth and renewal.
The purity of Jesus’ birth is a representation of the way
that we too can experience in the loving grace of God. We aren’t doomed to the
failures and mistakes of our past. No, we are destined to be new creatures with
new sensibilities and plan for life, serving and worshiping God.
Christmas should be a reminder that we are never lost or
forgotten by God, and that God doesn’t simply want us to settle, but instead,
we should always strive for a deeper connection and understanding of who God is
and what he’s done in our lives. Jesus birth reminds us powerfully of just how
much God really loves us.
And he does. He really loves you, even as you read this. He
loves you, and he wants you to be his little baby again, and be grown and
raised by him into the child he wants you to be.
Dear Lord, we pray that we can all deeply feel Your love,
and know that there is no weakness or shame in turning to You like a small
child. We are lost, confused, dismayed, and usually do not know the right
direction to turn. Lord, we pray that we might be able to let go of the pride
that keeps us from fleeing into Your presence. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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