Most people celebrate Christmas as a sweet story about a nice baby, with loving parents, adoring shepherds, and wise men. Christmas is all of that, but it is so much more. As hymnwriter Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) portrays it in my favorite carol, “All My Heart This Night Rejoices,” Christmas is a covert commando raid into enemy territory, a raid of cosmic proportions.
Gerhardt’s carol begins sweetly enough, with the shepherds in the fields hearing the angels proclaim the birth of Jesus:
"All my heart this night rejoices
As I hear Far and near
Sweetest angel voices.
'Christ is born,' their choirs are singing
Till the air Everywhere
Now with joy is ringing."
But verse two brings a dramatic change. The scene shifts from the shepherds in the fields to a Conqueror going forth to do battle:
"Forth today the Conqueror goeth,
Who the foe, Sin and woe,
Death and hell, o'erthroweth.
God is man, man to deliver;
His dear Son Now is one
With our blood forever."
What’s going on here? The world is in the grip of Satan, the “prince of this world” (John 14:30), because mankind has fallen into sin. But God, who is beyond space and time, broke into space in time to redeem the world.
In His second coming (Revelation 19:11-21), heaven will open, and Christ will appear on a white horse to do battle against the forces of evil. But in His first coming, He will appear not as a conquering hero but as a tiny baby, born under humble circumstances in a stable in a tiny village called Bethlehem.
So the birth of Jesus is a frontal assault of cosmic proportions, but it is also a covert operation. Who would suspect that this tiny baby is the Word made flesh, the second person of the Trinity, incarnate in Jesus the Christ? In all the history of military warfare, never has there been an operation more covert than this.
When we understand what is really happening, we might tremble with fear. Is God going to destroy the world? The shepherds were “sore afraid.” But the angel said to them, “Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:9-10). Gerhardt asks:
"Shall we still dread God's displeasure,
Who, to save, Freely gave
His most cherished Treasure?
To redeem us, He hath given
His own Son From the throne
Of His might in heaven.
If our blessed Lord and Maker
Hated men, Would He then
Be of flesh partaker?
If He in our woe delighted,
Would He bear All the care
Of our race benighted?"
God did not launch this cosmic invasion because He hates us. On the contrary, “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For he [God] hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:21). The carol continues:
"He becomes the Lamb that taketh
Sin away And for aye
Full atonement maketh.
For our life His own He tenders
And our race, By His grace,
Meet for glory renders."
So God the Conqueror went forth, not to destroy us, but to save us. The babe in the manger grew up, became an adult, fulfilled the Law in its entirety, and died on the Cross to pay the penalty for our sin, thus satisfying God’s justice. And when we look to the manger in light of the cross, we see God’s plan for our salvation:
"Hark! a voice from yonder manger,
Soft and sweet, Doth entreat:
'Flee from woe and danger.
Brethren, from all ills that grieve you
You are freed; All you need
I will surely give you.'"
But God’s offer of salvation calls for a response from us:
"Come, then, banish all your sadness,
One and all, Great and small;
Come with songs of gladness.
Love Him who with love is glowing;
Hail the Star, Near and far
Light and joy bestowing."
What a wonderful plan! Although we have sinned grievously, God has given us His imputed righteousness, and our sins are marked “paid in full”:
"I am pure, in Thee believing,
From Thy store Evermore
Righteous robes receiving.
In my heart I will enfold Thee,
Treasure rare, Let me there,
Loving, ever hold Thee."
And this assurance of salvation covers us, not only in this life on earth, but for all eternity. As we die, we rest on His promise:
"Dearest Lord, Thee will I cherish.
Though my breath Fail in death,
Yet I shall not perish,
But with Thee abide forever
There on high, In that joy
Which can vanish never."
As we celebrate Christmas, let us marvel at God’s plan! He invaded this world as a tiny baby, but: “Nails, spear, shall pierce him through, the cross be borne for me, for you. Hail, hail the Word made flesh, the babe, the son of Mary.” Thus satisfying God’s justice, Jesus defeated sin, rising from the tomb to defeat death. At His second coming, He will defeat and destroy the forces of evil once and for all.
Was there ever a more magnificent covert commando raid than this?
Merry Christmas!
Colonel Eidsmoe serves as Professor of Constitutional Law for the Oak Brook College of Law & Government Policy (obcl.edu), as Senior Counsel for the Foundation for Moral Law (morallaw.org), and as Pastor of Woodland Presbyterian Church (woodlandpca.org) near Notasulga, Ala. He may be contacted for speaking engagements at [email protected].
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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