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A Prayer About the Quiet Certainty of Jesus’ Birth

A Prayer About the Quiet Certainty of Jesus’ Birth
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7
Dear Lord Jesus, it’s the beloved day we call Christmas eve-the date we’ve set aside to remember and reflect upon your nativity. I so appreciate all the care Luke gave to fix your birthday in the context of real history and a real world. But whether or not you were born anywhere close to December 25th is not important to me at all.
That you were born… there’s nothing more important to me, Lord Jesus. I sing to you today with all the adoration and gratitude I can muster, “Born that man (including me) no more may dieBorn to raise the sons of earth (including me)… Born to give them (including me) second birth.” For the certainty of your birth, and, therefore, my rebirth, I give you great praise!
But for all the care Luke gave to detailing the circumstances of your birthday, it’s the quietness of your birth which has captured my attention this particular Advent season. Any other king would’ve come with great fanfare and a royal entourage. But you came into our world in utter stillness and profound humility. “No room in the inn,” wasn’t an insult to you. It was your way, your choice, your incarnate glory.
We marvel, we wonder, we are in awe of you, Lord Jesus, for you didn’t consider your equality with God something to be selfishly hoarded and held onto. Rather, you made yourself “nothing,” taking the very nature of a human servant-the Servant of the Lord, of Isaiah’s vision and songs… and in your humility, you died our death on the cross.
Mild he lays his glory byVeil’d in flesh, the Godhead see… Hail, th’incarnate Deity… Pleased, as man, with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel!… Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled…
I so look forward to the Day, Lord Jesus, when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that you are Lord, to the glory of God the Father. It’s going to be a loud and large Day. But this Christmas eve, I say to myself, “Be still my soul… behold calm glory… savor mild mercy… worship your new born king, with quiet certainty.”
So very Amen, I pray, in Jesus’ great and gracious name.

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