The Nearness of Christmas

(Hebrews 4:16)

He is transcendent deity
Unchangeable alone
Resplendent in His majesty
The Self-existent One

Eternal Father, Spirit, Son
A trinity of love
With nothing lacking in Himself
This God Who reigns above

But who can grasp omnipotence
Omniscience bends the mind
Or non-beginning, -ending One
Of everlasting kind

Completely separate from us
He chose to create man
And condescend creatively
The universe began

Removed from us, He moved to us
Creating us by Word
He brought us forth in innocence
And fellowship was heard

Rebellious creatures we became
Relentless pride within
A blot upon His holiness
Repulsive in our sin

But promise came and prophecy
Of covenantal grace
For One would come from Mary’s womb
To heal the ruined race

The Son became Immanuel
As God with us drew near
Transcendent God in imminence
Was now among us here

Humility was His disguise
An unexpected form
When God drew near at Bethlehem
And as a man was born

And nearer still He drew to us
Incarnate deity
He took our sins upon Himself
And bore them to the tree

With blessed blood a path was paved
By sacrificial Lamb
The sinless One, eternal Son
In flesh the great I Am

For us at last a way was made
Into that Holy Place
Where God in all His grandeur dwells
Upon His throne called grace

And so to Him we can draw near
This glorious God on high
With demonstrated love He lures
He sent His Son to die

Though as we come with confidence
For precious blood precedes
Our hearts are struck with gravity
That mercy is our need

Yes mercy first and mercy last
A sinners only plea
That God should show His pity fast
In mercy to receive

And thus we come with humbled hearts
No pious proud parade
We gain by grace an entrance where
Compassion is displayed

Then once received and mercy giv’n
Our Father bids us ask
For grace to meet our time of need
For grace to face our task

Oh Wondrous One! Oh Perfect Love!
Who casts aside our fear
By grace do save and grace sustain
Your children who draw near

A Christmas State of Mind

(Philippians 2:5-8)

I marvel at the message of magnificence
In wonder I consider Christ the Lord
Who dwelt omnisciently
Unchanging deity
Became a man—in flesh was made the Word

Unequaled God existing in eternity
From age to age His gracious glory shone
Enthroned in heaven above
In triune perfect love
Immutable, perpetual as One

Breathtaking vision to Isaiah manifest
The lofty and exalted One revealed
As John inspired makes known
He saw eternal Son
The God of glory visibly unveiled

But as He dwelt unbound by time or circumstance
Omnipotent and Sovereign was He
This Mind that made all be
Displayed humility
And laid aside His privilege for me

He disregarded His divine equality
Invading time a servant He became
Of fragile flesh was made
Such condescending trade
His glory veiled, His deity retained

But this was not the limit of His lowliness
Incarnate presence was for Him a start
Descending further still
To do the Father's will
To death obeyed with single purposed heart

And so this One whose life is all the light of men
Descended to the depths of human pain
A spotless Seed was sown
The sins He bore my own
New life is mine and glory His again

THE CRADLE IN THE SHADOW

‘Twas the day after Christmas and all through the stable
Not a creature was stirring so Mary was able
To quietly wonder with infinite joy
Just what was the meaning of her baby boy

She remembered the angel who had visited one day
With amazement she listened to the words he did say
With God you’ve found favor, a son you’ll conceive
By the Spirit of God this gift you’ll receive

She thought of the shepherds who had been there last night
How they talked of the angels and the glorious light
This baby’s a Savior, God’s Messiah’s been born
And He lays in the manger in the cold quiet morn

She looked then at Joseph as he slept in the hay
Such love and such courage He’d shone every day
She silently prayed and thanked God for this man
Who’d faithfully trusted in God’s heavenly plan

She noticed the star that appeared in the night
A magnificent star she’d not seen one so bright
It seemed to be shining straight down on this place
Where the baby was sleeping, it shone on His face

Yes, the day after Christmas and Mary lay there
Alone with her treasure, alone with her prayer
She pondered intently what all this could mean
This baby from heaven so tiny, serene

But there in the stable in the soft morning light
While Mary was thinking just out of her sight
On the wall of the stable, oh, what could it mean
The shadow of a cross could barely be seen