Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe, after all we’ve projected, A child in a manger?
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother’s shawl – Just a child – Is this who we’ve waited for? ’cause…

How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts To romance a world that is torn all apart How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior All that we have, whether costly or meek Because we believe.
Gold for his honor, and frankincense for his pleasure And myrrh for the cross he will suffer Do you believe?
Is this who we’ve waited for?

All for me…
All for you…

“How Many Kings” – Downhere

The angels sang the Christmas song so long ago … why? Because a miracle had come to earth – God in the flesh. God come to reveal His glory to man in the most unexpected way. Who was expecting a baby as a King? Who was expecting a child nursing at His mother’s side to save the world? And yet, it was the most perfect plan … as God’s plans always are. We humans think we know so well what God will do – and then He surprises us with HIS plans – not what we expected, but exactly perfect in every way.

Throughout our entire Christmas program rehearsal tonight, the chills would not stop coming, as the entire evening was a worship service to God. Every song sung, every word spoken revealed in such a new and priceless way the humility, the sacrifice, the reality of Jesus’ entrance to earth – but also the JOY, the celebration, the exaltation that was only right for this, the most monumental moment in history. History split in half at that moment when the baby’s cry broke the stillness of the night, and the shepherds and Mary and Joseph must have gasped in awe at this, the very first visible glimpse of God and His glory.

My eyes wanted to fill with tears though, as I gazed up at the star hanging in the background … a four-pointed star which I suddenly saw becoming a cross. That star above Bethlehem pointed the way to a baby boy … but ultimately it pointed to the cross – the very reason why Jesus came to earth. What love divine indeed! He knew what was going to come … and He still came anyway, in full love for this humanity that rejected Him. From the star to the cross, Jesus was our Savior divine, our Christ.

How beautiful the promise of the ages … more beautiful still the fulfillment of that promise after so many years of waiting. God knew what He was doing. And now, we have the privilege of still celebrating that fulfilled promise. Of telling others of it … of allowing it to permeate all we do – letting it color our joy and our reason for Christmas. Christmas loses all meaning when you take away the baby in the manger – when you remove Christ from Christmas. Let us then allow the lights on the tree to guide us to the One True Light … the gifts beneath the tree remind us of the greatest Gift of All … the sweets we eat to become sweeter still because of the Ransom for these very lives we are given to enjoy. May we love our families more because we have been bought into God’s own family. And may we give ourselves away to those who are poor and broken, because that’s who Jesus came to save and live amongst … and we too are poor and broken sinners

Holy Savior, purify my reason for celebration. May it bring all glory to You, and may Your heart be most evident as I speak words of praise to You. May all joy tumble out of me as I celebrate the light that has come into the world … RING THE BELLS, EMMANUEL HAS COME!!