Christmas is a Declaration of War

I thought it was a strange statement when I first heard it. Isn’t there enough war going on with the current spin of peace deals and ceasefires and radicalized violence? Do we really need to turn Christmas into a battle? The world is collectively waging war on itself and there can be no winner. There will be no victor. Right?

In truth, victory is sure. But not without Christmas.

So, what does it mean that Christmas is a declaration of war? Didn’t the Baby come to bring peace on earth, goodwill to men? The angels declared it. The message of Christmas is peace. The miracle birth was humble, unimpressive, accomplished through everyday people and announced to a bunch of lowlifes on a hillside taking care of dirty animals. There was no grand proclamation of the King’s arrival to upend the hopeless fate of humanity. And yet, that’s what happened.

Christmas is more about death than birth. The prophesized King arrived exactly as predicted, only some were expecting a warrior, not a baby. “And it shall be a sign unto you” was not the sign desired by most. What was expected was a long-awaited triumph over mortal oppressors. But make no mistake, this was war. From the moment of the Fall, a war had to be fought. The Baby came to wage a battle against sin, death, and hell. The infant was an immediate threat to Satan. He was the absolute redeemer of the rebel creation. He was God. And man. He was the only One who could declare a war that no one else could win.

He grew up perfectly perfect. Sinless. If His birth had not been the result of a miraculous conception, He would have carried the sin nature in His humanity. But He was free of it. He was the Warrior King who would win the battle and set His people free. As He hung dying, He proclaimed IT IS FINISHED. No more needed to be done to defeat the enemy. Death was conquered. When Jesus stepped out the grave, He won the ultimate victory.

The birth is nothing without the death. Peace on earth is impossible without a declaration of war. Has peace come? To a follower like me, peace is real and constant, even when it’s not. It’s inexplicable. It can’t be explained, only experienced. To the world at large, there is no peace, no matter who declares it so. But it’s coming. It was promised, and so it will be. Only the King, born in a manger, killed on a cross, and raised from a grave can bring true peace. Even if you can’t see it now, even if you don’t believe it, the war was, and is, and will be over. Merry Christmas.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  

Isaiah 9:6

 

 

 

 

Do You Hear What I Hear?

 

“Do You Hear What I Hear?” is not one of my favorite carols. And hearing a hundred different versions of “The Little Drummer Boy” on the radio drives me to listen to the forbidden secular music. While everyone else is humming an appropriate tune for the merry season, I might be singing a pop song, or some classic rock, under my breath. It’s not that I’m a Grinch or anything. A little Trans-Siberian will get me in the Christmas spirit, and I could listen to “How Many Kings” from the group called Downhere until the cattle are lowing. But while the local CCM station does keep all those “Drummer Boy” renditions on their loop, I’ve only heard my favorite modern carol once this year.

Of course, it’s not about me. Or the little guy with the drum. Or the talented artists who sing every old carol with a new beat or come up new songs to add to the mix. We keep the message in our hearts and on our lips so we remember why we’re shopping and decorating. As if the catch phrases weren’t enough—Keep Christ in Christmas, Jesus is the reason for season, and others we feel obligated to repeat. After all, it’s Christmas and we’re Christians—this is our celebration. When someone spouts “Happy Holidays”, we make a point of returning the greeting with a quick “Merry Christmas.” Sometimes an un-merry attitude comes across when we do that, so watch the tone.

Speaking of merry, I learned something new this holiday season about one of those old songs that causes me to switch on over to the music of the dark side. (Don’t worry, I don’t stay there if the lyrics are filthy, and I’m more than convinced my salvation doesn’t rest on my choice of radio stations.) Anyway, I heard the story behind “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and I have new respect for the gentlemen in question.

With no record of its origin, the song became popular among the English peasants more than 500 years ago. But what means one thing in the modern world meant something else to those who crooned the tune on a cold Christmas Eve so long ago. Not the kind of song that would have been sung in the local cathedral, it was a folk song for Christians wanting something a little different than the dry Latin lyrics and gloomy music they heard at services. (Seems the issue of “Church music” has been going on for a while.)

When families and neighbors gathered to offer their praise for the glorious gift of the newborn babe, they sang what we would assume meant God, grant some relief to these happy men. But that wasn’t the message of this upbeat song. A little study on the language of the time tells a different meaning in the opening line.

The word rest didn’t refer to a long winter’s nap. It meant to make or to keep. The word merry, to us means happy and joyful. But to the sad peasant who lacked the means for a better life, it meant strong or mighty. And according to experts, there is some missing punctuation. It was lost over the years when modern interpretation gave the line new meaning. A comma once stood before the gentlemen. So, in the minds and on the tongues of the original band members, the popular hit song went something like this: God keep you strong, gentlemen. Or: God make you mighty, gentlemen. Maybe the ladies were included as well, but these words were an encouragement to the downtrodden men of the day that God would increase their strength by the telling of the great plan of salvation. The line “to save us all from Satan’s power when we have gone astray” meant then exactly what it means now.

That’s what it’s all about. The reason for the season.

The next time I hear this particular old song I get tired of hearing, I won’t change the station. I will sing along.

“God make you strong, you guys and gals, let nothing bring you down.” Well, maybe I’ll just sing the old words, but I’ll remember their original meaning. As for meeting the inoffensive “Happy Holidays” with a quick retort, maybe next time I’ll cheerfully say, “And a Mighty Christmas to you!”

Drums and dancing don’t impede

Instruments woodwind and reed

Lift your bow to string

Lift your voice to sing

Come with me and blow your horn

A savior came that blessed morn

Great gain for life for death will fall

A mighty Christmas day to all