The First Christmas Carol

The Christmas carols we singI do not care if Santa knows whether I am sleeping or awake (kind of creepy if you ask me), or whether Rudolph earns the respect of his peers. But rather I am uk canada goose outlet inspired by carols that reflect on Christ’s birth, as they should be on this holiday named after Christ himself. For many years, perhaps hundreds, we have been singing carols such as Noel, O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Holy Night, Silent Night, and Away in the Manger, Canada Goose Jackets just to name a very few. They are rich with meaning and focus on the glory’s and hallelujahs, angels and the shepherds and magi who came to worship the baby Canada Goose Coats On Sale Messiah.

My personal favorite Christmas song is Mary Did You Know written by Mark Lowry.

Mary’s response to the good newsIsn’t it incredible to imagine the angel canada goose uk shop telling these things to Mary? I don’t think He told her all the details this song does, but she knew the most important thing, which is that her little boy would one day be the Son of the Highest and would rule the throne of David (see passage below). She knew this because the angel Gabriel came to her and gave her this bewildering, but exciting news:

“Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, canada goose coats on sale for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will Canada Goose online be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end'” (Luke 1:30 33).

She asked him how this could be, as she was not yet married to Joseph. Not an unusual question, all things considered. And she was not rebuked for it. Gabriel simply cheap canada goose uk told her that the baby would be conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Mary’s sings the first Christmas CarolDo you realize that Mary, mother of our Lord Jesus, sang the first Christmas carol? She did. And her song has given us the proper perspective for Christmas. Mary did not, however, sing this song buy canada goose jacket the day of her sweet baby’s birth. She actually sang it when she was visiting her elderly cousin Elizabeth who was carrying John the Baptist in her womb. John would be the one to prepare the way of the Lord (his cousin, Jesus). When Mary arrived she was newly pregnant, about three months. Elizabeth was about six months cheap Canada Goose along. When Mary called out her greeting to her cousin, little John leaped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb, knowing in canada goose uk black friday some way that His Lord, the one he would prepare the way for, was near him. Elizabeth, suddenly full of the Holy Spirit, told Mary about this. It’s interesting because she and Mary had not even had a conversation yet, and Mary’s pregnancy was not yet showing. And yet the Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth and gave her this knowledge. She went on to confirm what the angel told Mary by saying to her, “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” In other words, Mary is blessed because she believed God would fulfill His promise to her, as spoken through the angel Gabriel. Amazing, since she had no way of knowing that an angel of the Lord had prophesied to Mary about her baby.

After hearing Elizabeth’s anointed message, Mary then spontaneously burst into her rousing, but reverent Christmas carol, reminiscent of Hannah’s song (see ).

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, canada goose clearance and He has done great things for me.

He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear Him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! canada goose factory sale He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things and sent he rich away with empty hands.

He has helped His servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.

For He made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.”

Magnify the Lord!Notice the first verse, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” Magnifying the Lord means declaring the greatness of the Lord. Not only did Mary declare His greatness, but so also did Elizabeth (verses 42 45); Zecharias, husband to Elizabeth and father to John (at the same time he also prophesied about his son John as the one to prepare the way for Christ (verses 67 79) ; the Angel who announced Christ was born to the shepherds, followed by the heavenly host (Luke 2:9 14); the shepherds (vs. 17, 20); Simeon, a man in Jerusalem waiting for the consolation of Israel (vs. 29 32); and Anna the prophetess, who lived and served in the temple continually (vs 38). Proclaiming the greatness of Canada Goose Outlet our God and Savior, Jesus Christ is what Christmas should be. It is was canada goose coats the Christian’s life should be year round. The Messiah has come and we should glorify Him.

I have heard well meaning people, even Christians, say “Christmas is about giving,” or “Christmas is for children.” First of all, Christmas is not for children. The Angel who canadagoose-coats proclaimed the Messiah’s birth to the shepherds in the fields said, “I bring you good uk canada goose tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Luke 2:10). If Christmas is only about or for Children, then the world is in trouble (which it is) because the adult’s hearts are not on glorifying Christ, but building a lust for things in their kids. If adults only serve their kids at Christmas, the kids will be greedy. Giving is good if it is an overflow of our love and joy in the God we praise. There are many people who give out of the spiritual abundance of their hearts, and the resources God has given to them, to those in need, or as an act Canada Goose Online of love to someone special to them. Many, in fact most, Christians included, have gone the way canada goose uk outlet of the cultural norm and just buy, buy, buy, and give, give, give, because it is what is expected. Christmas has lost its meaning. They might canadian goose jacket try to fit Christ in like you would an impromptu guest at the Christmas meal and offer a spare chair. “Oh Hi Jesus, we just so happen to have one extra chair left for you.” Or we throw in a birthday cake for Jesus after the madness of opening gifts just to “remember what Christmas is all about.” I did this with my kids and shame on me. We did read the passages and talk some about the Christmas story; we went to church; went to or participated in pageants; but we were caught up more in the commercialism, and we gave Canada Goose sale Christ a polite nod with a cake or reading a verse. We fit him in to appease our guilt. We were deceived into thinking we were magnifying the Lord when canada goose clearance sale we were magnifying primarily the secular Christmas. The world thinks December 25th is a day of wonder. Then next morning, the kids are bored and fighting and Mom and Dad are haggard and worrying about the credit card bills.

Christmas is about magnifying the Lord, who left His throne in heaven, and all the privileges He possessed there, and came down as a human baby, a baby who would remain sinless, and was destined to die on a cross for all mankind, that someday we might join Him in heaven.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, read more here taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even to death on the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:5 11).

And so while here on earth, we are meant to have the mind of Christ, and be humble and obedient to Him. We are buy canada goose jacket cheap to spread good news canada goose black friday sale of hope to all who will listen. I believe the giving part of Christmas is magnifying Christ first, giving Him the glory to His name (which should be every day, year round), then to others as outporing of God’s love. That is not to say it is wrong to give at Christmas, but putting the greatest emphasis on giving each other stuff for no other reason other than it is what is expected in our culture, is sad and grievous to the Prince of Peace. Perhaps giving to others who Canada Goose Parka have less or nothing at all, or doing acts of kindness is better, but always giving glory to Christ as we do so.

Mary speaks of God’s gift of mercy, justice, doing tremendous things, and feeding the hungry (spiritually as well as materially). Does your spirit rejoice in canada goose store God our Savior at Christmas time, and all the year through? Are those the kind of canada goose gifts we give, in the Spirit of Christ.