Christmas candle and decorations

Christmas devotional: The power and purpose of that Holy Night

By Ryan Sparks ’22

Perhaps one of my favorite Christmas songs is “O Holy Night.” The words of this song so beautifully represent the magnitude of the birth of Jesus Christ. This song reminds us that aside from our Savior, the world is filled with nothing but sin and error, but with Jesus, we are made new.

This is the reality of Christmas. This is what our minds should be filled with during this holiday season; the fact that King Jesus is seated on his throne and he takes delight in us. With that said, during a hectic 2020 reality, our natural inclination is often to focus on the negative.

  • Will society ever go back to normal?
  • Will we be able to safely gather for Christmas?
  • Will I financially recover?
  • Is the depression/anxiety caused by events in 2020 permanent?

Christmas time is supposed to be a time of reflection, remembrance, and celebration toward the birth of our Savior. However, you may be reading this thinking, “how can I celebrate during a season that has been so rough to me?”

Are you feeling weary?

As I was listening to “O Holy Night,” two phrases within the song struck me as significant for the season that our world is in as we get closer to Christmas day. The first phrase that we should acknowledge is, “the weary world rejoices.”

Do you feel weary as you enter into this Christmas season? Are you burdened by your thoughts and emotions stemming from a tough year? Is this Christmas something that you view as something to “make it through” instead of something to rejoice in?

If your answer was yes to any of these questions, you are not alone. So, what is the answer? How do we celebrate Christmas with the joy, honor, and reverence our Savior deserves? How do we rejoice in the midst of a weary world?

It is important to remember that the world is always going to be filled with error, promising satisfaction that proves to be fleeting at best. One of the best words you could use to describe the world is, in fact, “weary.” This is the reason that God sent his Son to be born as our Savior in the first place!

Our song proclaims that our “weary world rejoices.” This implies that in the midst of the weariness of the world, we can rejoice in the fact that we have a Savior who loves and cares for us. We have a Savior who was born in a manger but is all-powerful and knows your name. This is the hope we have this Christmas season. What makes us think that Jesus has left us in a season that reflects the weariness of the world? After all, Jesus was born into a weary world, for the sole purpose of saving it!

Your worth is in Christ

This leads us to the second phrase found within “O Holy Night” that sums up the hope we have in Jesus. The phrase is, “the soul felt its worth.” I fear that there are many people, even Christians, who miss this part of the message. Not only do we have the hope that Jesus acknowledges and brings light to a weary world, but we are now given a purpose. You matter. You have immense worth in the eyes of your Savior.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).

You see, the birth of Jesus Christ means that we can place hope in a Savior who wants to save us, not to harm us. The goal of Jesus Christ is to be there for you during difficult times. Jesus is your shoulder to cry on, your hope during hopeless situations, your merciful king.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him” (1 John 3:1).

Since Jesus Christ was born as our Savior and we serve a merciful God, we can be called Children of God. Therefore, “the soul felt its worth” rings true.

A Savior who is pulling for you

Who can hold onto this hope, that your soul is worth something? Everyone!

Regardless of …

…the circumstances this year has thrown at you.

…the mistakes you have made.

…what people have said about you.

… the worries you face.

This Christmas you can take full confidence in the fact that you have a Savior who loves you and is pulling for you. So, this Christmas, “fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices,” because they are singing a song of hope over you.

Merry Christmas!

 

Ryan SparksRyan Sparks is a junior from Kansas City, Missouri, majoring in Church Leadership. He is currently the director of Render, NCU’s weekly student-led chapel experience. Ryan plans to pursue his call to pastoral ministry after graduation.

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