Do you have a favorite carol? Maybe Silent Night, Jingle Bells, or some other carol? About 37 years ago a newer song became a favorite called, “Do You See What I See?”
The Story goes like this. First, the night wind says to a lamb, “Do you see what I see?” Next the lamb shares his knowledge of Christmas with the little Sheppard boy saying, “Do you see what I see?” Next the Sheppard boy goes to the mighty king and asks, “Do you know what I know?" And he tells him. Finally, the king declares as kings often do, “Listen, to what I say!” And he announces to his kingdom, “A child, a child will bring you goodness and light.”
The story is fictitious of course, but it parallels the coming of the Wise Men to Jerusalem looking for a newborn King. When the prophets of old reveal that His birth place was Bethlehem they joyfully “went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.” Mt. 3:9
The purpose and meaning of Christmas are found in seeing or perceiving that God has come to earth in His Son Jesus to show His love to us. When the baby Jesus came to be consecrated at the Temple with his parents, he was greeted by Simeon who speaks out, “Lord God, my eyes have seen your salvation; now dismiss your servant in peace.”
As we make our plans and preparations for Christmas, we must each in our own way try to catch a vision of God in Christ making the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.
Christmas has many vantage points to see. We can see traffic jams and long lines. We can see lights and decorations.
We can see friends and family. And all of these are good to see. (Or maybe not.)
But Christmas has no meaning unless we see Jesus for what He did and who He is! Simeon saw that God was faithful to him throughout his life. Surely He is most faithful to all of us Christians as well, especially at Christmas when we celebrate His visit to mankind. Even if you can’t sing carols aloud, surely you can ask somebody else this season, “Say, do you see what I see in Jesus? He is my Savior and King!”
Have a joyous Christmas in Christ,
Pastor John Tanner
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