Everything about Christmas shouts, “Here is Grace! God's gift to humanity has arrived!” So, it was not difficult to find Christmas Carols that related to grace. In my search though, I did manage to find a few obscure, unsung stanzas in a few of well-known carols that became particularly meaningful.
Silent Night - 3rd stanza ( words by Joseph Mohr)
Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
When Jesus Christ was born into the world, it truly was the “dawn of redeeming grace.” God's plan to redeem his beloved creation was set in motion. The life of a little baby would eventually become the sacrificial blood sacrifice that would finally satisfy both the justice of God and the love of God—the two aspects of his character that are always in perfect balance with each other. This Christmas, keep in mind that in Christ, you now have the abundant grace.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - 4th stanza (words by Charles Wesley)
Adam's likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
What a beautiful picture of grace: “Adam's likeness, Lord, efface. Stamp Thine image in its place.” Our family heritage (in Adam) was leading us to death. However, because Christ was born a human, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to pay our sin debt, and resurrected three days later, the image of Christ can be forever stamped on us. This stanza is the hope of every man.
Joy to the world - 4th stanza (Words by Isaac Watts)
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.
How significant was the curse under which we once lived? The curse was the black stamp of death for every last one of us. Mankind had dug deep into its resources, but no remedy to this predicament could be found. The situation was hopeless. The curse stretched as far as the eye could see into the future. But then one evening, a star appeared over Bethlehem. It was a star of hope and joy. The star brought with it the promise of blessing, the expectation of grace...that stretched as far as the curse is found.
If at all possible, find a time this Christmas to get away, at least for a little while, and personally worship God for his amazing gift of grace to us. In this moment, celebrate the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ our savior.
