Posts with the tag “advent-2025”

veiled in flesh the Godhead see;hail th'incarnate Deity,pleased with man as man to dwell,Jesus, our Immanuel.“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” John 1:14The incredible mystery of Christmas is that the creator of the universe stepped down into His creation, taking on the fullness of humanity w...  Read More

My aunt died last week. Her name was Carol.She had lived with a brain tumor for twenty-three years, and after all that time she finally went to her Savior’s side the day before Thanksgiving. We held her funeral yesterday. Snow fell softly over Northern Virginia—gentle, quiet, beautiful. I kept thinking how much she would have loved seeing God’s artistry on such full display.Throughout the day I fo...  Read More

late in time behold him come,offspring of the Virgin's womb:No Jesus wasn’t late for His appointment. He wasn’t procrastinating in heaven thinking he’d get around to it eventually.The song refers to an idea we find in the book of Galatians. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might ...  Read More

Christ, by highest heaven adored,Christ, the everlasting Lord,And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6bThe child awaited was to be someone eternal, everlasting in His person and His kingdom. Isaiah foretold that it would be the zeal of the LORD (Yahweh) of hosts who would accomplish this. (Isa. 9:7). Jesus who was given the name ...  Read More

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,join the triumph of the skies;with th'angelic hosts proclaim,"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"Joyful! This is the spirit of acknowledging the birth of Christ the king! The invitation of the hymn to the nations! To rise joyfully and join the chorus of the angels!We know that at the name of Jesus one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord,...  Read More

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,God and sinners reconciled!The question ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden has been; can the sinner be made right with God? Yes, the answer in Jesus Christ is ‘Yes’! The great multitude of angels called forth to the hillside all those years ago:“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14Peace had come to earth. A ...  Read More

One of my favorite Christmas hymns is Hark! The Herald Angel Sing, originally written by Charles Wesley as "A Hymn for Christmas Day" it was adapted by George Whitfield and others to become what we know today. This advent I'd like to lead us through a few days (eight to be precise) of meditating on this classic Christmas hymn. Let's dive right in!Hark! The Herald Angel sing,“Glory to the newborn K...  Read More

My favorite Christmas hymn is “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” I absolutely love it. To me, it’s one of the most beautiful songs we sing at any point in the year. The melody and lyrics work together to produce a haunting, yearning ache that perfectly captures the longing at the heart of Advent. And its history is among the oldest in the Christian liturgy—rich with depth, Scripture, and even a “hidden message” woven into the ancient text. Over the next four weeks, leading up to Christmas Eve, I want to walk with you through this hymn’s background and its profound theological meaning.  Read More