As Advent advances, my anxiety rises as I wonder if I will be ready when the time comes. Will I be ready to receive this baby in a manger, this King of kings and Lord of lords? There is still so much to be done. How did my life become so cluttered with other things in the year since I last celebrated Advent – the arrival of the promised Messiah of all mankind? Seems like this important event would take precedence over everything else going on in the world today. Or does Christ’s birth simply get buried beneath the commercialism and the chaos we bring to this Advent season?

I ponder this question as I arrange the figures of the nativity. This particular nativity is unique as it is from Zambia and connects me to the people I met when I was there a few years ago. As I position lambs and shepherds and such, inspiration strikes and I add a few Santa figurines and a Christmas pixie from my childhood to the mix of wise men and shepherds coming to worship the newborn King. It seems only fitting. After all, we know –

“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)

The song playing in my head today as I prepare to celebrate Jesus’s birth keeps me company as I go about my tasks. ”O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, born the King of angels. O come, let us adore Him . . . “ 

So many Christmas carols refer to Jesus as the King that He is. (“Let earth receive her King!”/”Glory to the newborn King!”) I got curious and looked up the words to the other, lesser known verses of this song. I was surprised at what I’ve forgotten and at how beautiful the words are to this carol as they tell the story of Advent. We don’t seem to sing these older songs anymore which truly reflect what it is we are celebrating, when we celebrate Christmas. The carol continues- 

“God of God, Light of Light, Lo He abhors not the virgin’s womb. Very God, begotten, not created, O come let us adore Him, . . . sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation, sing all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God, all glory in the highest. O come, let us adore Him . . . Christ the Lord!” 

The inclusion of the word “ye” in this Christmas carol might be a clue as to how old this song is. I found a release date of 1841 which would explain the old English language of the hymn. But the truth of the words is timeless, a truth that does not change with the passing of the centuries. Today, this old Christmas carol pointed me back to that first Christmas, that first appearance of Immanuel – God with us.

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel- which means, ‘God with us.’ “ (Matthew 1:23) 

Advent is the anticipation of and the celebration of the coming of the King. Let every heart prepare Him room – He is coming! Let my heart prepare Him room!

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

I pray that the gates that guard my heart will indeed be lifted up to let my Savior, the King of glory enter in fully and completely. 

sincerely,  Grace Day