Online Article - Bible Center Church - Charleston West Virginia

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matt 1:23

What is it that makes a song so popular that is sung not only recently after its composition, but also after centuries of time? Perhaps the most loved and sung of all Christmas carols is still “Silent Night.” This carol has something about its melody and lyrics that causes a spirit of peace to fall upon its hearers. A Christmas without its familiar rendition seems strange indeed. Along with this carol are so many other loved songs that depict that blessed time on Earth. I personally love Christmas music. I play it year round. On my Ipod, one third of its allotted space has different Christmas albums on it. The reason for such a love for the songs is the central meaning revealed in Matthew 1:23. I want you to look at this verse with me for the next few minutes and understand why this is one of the most precious verses in your Bible and the event that never left the world nor the people in it the same.

“Behold a Virgin shall conceive…”

One of my favorite Christmas albums containing Handel’s Messiah features a solo female vocalist reciting in song this verse. I believe it is so appropriate that a woman should sing it. The angel Gabriel told Mary on no uncertain terms that the Lord favored her and she would do something that has not been done before or since, conceive a child outside of the natural method. This allows us to focus on the fact that Jesus Christ from the very minute molecule of conception bore no sin. There is no greater miracle directly related to physical man than this. It is the express joy of womanhood to bear a child and especially of this order! We should sing because of His sinless nature given for our benefit!

“…and bear a son…”

This section of the verse is the man’s great refrain. In the world of the Bible, as it is now, a birth was a great celebrated event. But more so a celebration when the firstborn child was a male. This was a wife’s greatest joy, to bear her husband a man-child to carry on the family lineage. But it was the father’s joy to present his child to all the people for great rejoicing. Imagine the joy in Joseph’s eyes. Of course, the Son was not Joseph’s physical child, for He was conceived of the Holy Ghost, but, and it is an important “but,” this man child was to be the King, not just of Israel, but of all flesh! To complete this perfection of God’s plan, it was Joseph who was literally the rightful King of Israel, not Herod, so Jesus was born into humble royalty. Joseph also was the entrusted earthly teacher of Jesus. Joseph was God’s specially appointed protector and yes, teacher of the Messiah. It was Joseph’s joy and perhaps anxiety at times to have entrusted to him the care of Deity! Not that Jesus was vulnerable in any way, nevertheless, to be in touch with the ways of the human condition, Joseph taught Jesus in the ways of carpentry and skills as He grew. In short, Jesus was the great pride of Mary and Joseph far beyond what any parent could imagine. We should sing because of God’s provision of a spotless male champion to vindicate us in our sins!

“…and they shall call His name Emmanuel…God with us.”

Here of course is the most exciting crescendo of the song which both delights the tongues of men and women alike. GOD WITH US. Now perhaps that does not quite grab your attention in the 21^st century world, but you must understand that in the Jewish world, yes even the whole world over, this singular event had never occurred before in a permanent state. When Matthew writes, “God with us,” he does not imply a temporary visitation. As believers, we sometimes take for granted the presence of God in our lives and in our world, but you see in the world preceding the first century AD, the period commonly referred to as B.C. (before Christ) God’s spirit did not always dwell with man permanently. As a matter of fact, the day Christ was born ended a period of nearly 400 years that God did not speak to Israel at all. We call this the “silent period between the testaments.” All throughout the whole Old Testament you will notice that God’s spirit strived with Israel, but they rejected God wanting nothing to do with Him, and God left them usually to captivity. This is by no mean to say that God rejected His people utterly; He still watched them as shepherd does the sheep, but His presence on Earth was removed. NOW, God was to dwell upon the Earth PERMANENTLY! Mankind ever since has had God’s presence right here. You have God’s presence right here with you as read this! You may say, “well, I don’t see Him, where is His presence?” When Jesus ascended to the Father He told His disciples that they would not (and you would not) as believers be left as orphans. He promised the Holy Sprit to DWELL inside the hearts of man. If you’re not getting this, this NEVER HAPPENED before, ever!!! Best of all for the believer, it will NEVER END. Let the redeemed of the Lord shout an everlasting Amen to this truth! God dwells with His people. This was the long expected hope of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Micah, Abraham and all the Old Testament saints, and it belongs right now to those believe Him. We should sing because God will never leave us!

There is no doubt some great event that has happened in your life that causes great joy. If you’re a believer, the revelation of this knowledge of His coming should keep you singing the Carol of His favor upon men. This special indwelling knowledge is the precise reason why our carols both old and new have survived, because He dwells with us! But you know this Carol of his love shall not cease when life is over, in fact it will only begin to have voice. When the believer dies, or when Christ gathers His Church, we shall see Him whom we have sung about, but not in Spirit only, but face to face in a literal manner. There are no words of anybody anywhere at anytime can express the unparallel rejoicing and singing of that day! That is why the Carol is ageless. The Carol of God’s indwelling spans into the unreachable depths of eternity!

As we enter this Christmas season, do you have His Carol in your heart? Can you sing with positive assurance of His presence with you? You can. You can today, right now if you wish. The reason He came to dwell on Earth is so He could dwell with you personally. He was born in the rudest of places and died the death of a despised scapegoat, all because He put you first and longs to be with you. No matter where you are, what you’ve done, you can receive Christ into your heart right now. By simply admitting you’re a sinner and in faith ask Him to come into your heart to stay, to be your Lord and Savior. If you do that, I promise you He will come to dwell with you and He will never leave. Jesus said to His believers, “Lo, I am with you all the way, even to the end of the world.” The song He will put in your heart shall never fade and you will see the joy, the real Joy of that first Christmas night, that silent and most Holy night, made possible by the most Holy God for you. Let your carols swell the tide of His unsurpassable love to be sung in the halls of Heaven without end!