Do you know that
there is a mention of four songs in the birth narrative of Jesus? Let us get to
know what blessing is from these songs.
Mary’s Song: Magnificat - “To Glorify” (Luke 1:46-55)
This is how, Mary calls herself blessed in her song: “From now on all generations will call me blessed!” (v.48). Elizabeth twice addresses Mary as a blessed woman: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! (v.42) Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" (v.45)
God in particular blessed Mary, by choosing her as an instrument to carry baby Jesus. Even if someone has a thesis that, it was Eve, a woman who brought sin into the world, here is an anti-thesis that another woman, Mary offered herself as an instrument to bring forth the Saviour. But we should know that for being an instrument to carry Him, she needed to be obedient to the word of God brought through the angel (v.38). She was asked to give birth to the Savior as a virgin, which she could not understand at all, yet obeyed. Also Mary had the Lord as her Saviour, for she said, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, (Luke 1:46-47). A woman in particular, who has the Lord as her Savior and obeys his commands at any cost is an asset in the kingdom of God and not a liability as viewed in some countries in the world.
Zechariah's Song: Benedictus - “Blessed” (Luke 1:76-79)
Zechariah was a priest. Both he and his wife, Elizabeth were blameless people. Yet they did not have a child. So childlessness is biblically not a sign of unrighteousness or unblessedness. (v.6-7). At the birth of the miracle baby, John, the dumb Zechariah began to talk. The people on seeing the miracles one after the other exclaimed, “What then is the child going to be?” (v.66). Zechariah’s song is an answer to this question. The second part of Zechariah’s song contains words of blessing to his son. “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." (v.76-79) John undoubtedly was blessed as a great man of God. Jesus himself praised John in many occasions.
Living in a world with deteriorating values, some of us have the question, "What is my child going to be? How am I going to raise my kid?" One thing we can do is to speak blessing to our children. Blessed parents would in turn bless their children. We can speak out/sing words from the Bible to them. The Gaithers were like most of us parents, praying for their third baby. They were seriously thinking about raising their kid during a difficult time in the US history. They were undergoing pressures in their family lives and their ministries too. It was during their time of anxiety about the future of the child, that God gave Gloria and her husband Bill, this wonderful song:
How sweet to hold a new born baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
The Angels Song: Gloria in Excelsis Deo - “Glory to God in the Highest” (Luke 2:14)
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests" was for sure a blessed news in a time of Roman oppression for the people of Israel. The angels passed the message of peace and blessing to the right kind of people, the shepherds. They were not given an astronomical sign like a star which was given to the wise men. Look at the sign given to them: Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (v. 9-12). The wise men went to the wrong place first. But the shepherds found the manger straight away. It is said that these shepherds were tending sheep meant for sacrifice at the Jerusalem temple. It was in such mangers in that area that these sacrificial lambs dwelt. What a divine co-ordination it is to see that JESUS the Lamb of God, was born among these sacrificial lambs. The shepherds not only were blessed to see the sacrificial lamb, JESUS, but they also spread the blessed message about their Saviour. We need divine discernment to find out who are the right people in our context for us to share the blessed news, so that, they in turn would spread the blessed news across.
Simeon’s Song: Nunc Dimittis - “Now Dismiss” (Luke 2:29-32)
Simeon was an old man waiting for his death. He was a righteous man. He was also waiting for the Saviour to come into this world. When he saw baby Jesus and his parents, he was moved by the Holy Spirit and he started to praise God: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." Blessed people are ones like Simeon, who look for salvation from the Saviour Jesus Christ. Jesus is the greatest blessing one can ever have in their lives. His people have a blessed end for they do not die for ever, but live with him for ever! What a blessed end!
Mary’s Song: Magnificat - “To Glorify” (Luke 1:46-55)
This is how, Mary calls herself blessed in her song: “From now on all generations will call me blessed!” (v.48). Elizabeth twice addresses Mary as a blessed woman: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! (v.42) Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" (v.45)
God in particular blessed Mary, by choosing her as an instrument to carry baby Jesus. Even if someone has a thesis that, it was Eve, a woman who brought sin into the world, here is an anti-thesis that another woman, Mary offered herself as an instrument to bring forth the Saviour. But we should know that for being an instrument to carry Him, she needed to be obedient to the word of God brought through the angel (v.38). She was asked to give birth to the Savior as a virgin, which she could not understand at all, yet obeyed. Also Mary had the Lord as her Saviour, for she said, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, (Luke 1:46-47). A woman in particular, who has the Lord as her Savior and obeys his commands at any cost is an asset in the kingdom of God and not a liability as viewed in some countries in the world.
Zechariah's Song: Benedictus - “Blessed” (Luke 1:76-79)
Zechariah was a priest. Both he and his wife, Elizabeth were blameless people. Yet they did not have a child. So childlessness is biblically not a sign of unrighteousness or unblessedness. (v.6-7). At the birth of the miracle baby, John, the dumb Zechariah began to talk. The people on seeing the miracles one after the other exclaimed, “What then is the child going to be?” (v.66). Zechariah’s song is an answer to this question. The second part of Zechariah’s song contains words of blessing to his son. “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." (v.76-79) John undoubtedly was blessed as a great man of God. Jesus himself praised John in many occasions.
Living in a world with deteriorating values, some of us have the question, "What is my child going to be? How am I going to raise my kid?" One thing we can do is to speak blessing to our children. Blessed parents would in turn bless their children. We can speak out/sing words from the Bible to them. The Gaithers were like most of us parents, praying for their third baby. They were seriously thinking about raising their kid during a difficult time in the US history. They were undergoing pressures in their family lives and their ministries too. It was during their time of anxiety about the future of the child, that God gave Gloria and her husband Bill, this wonderful song:
How sweet to hold a new born baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
The Angels Song: Gloria in Excelsis Deo - “Glory to God in the Highest” (Luke 2:14)
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests" was for sure a blessed news in a time of Roman oppression for the people of Israel. The angels passed the message of peace and blessing to the right kind of people, the shepherds. They were not given an astronomical sign like a star which was given to the wise men. Look at the sign given to them: Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (v. 9-12). The wise men went to the wrong place first. But the shepherds found the manger straight away. It is said that these shepherds were tending sheep meant for sacrifice at the Jerusalem temple. It was in such mangers in that area that these sacrificial lambs dwelt. What a divine co-ordination it is to see that JESUS the Lamb of God, was born among these sacrificial lambs. The shepherds not only were blessed to see the sacrificial lamb, JESUS, but they also spread the blessed message about their Saviour. We need divine discernment to find out who are the right people in our context for us to share the blessed news, so that, they in turn would spread the blessed news across.
Simeon’s Song: Nunc Dimittis - “Now Dismiss” (Luke 2:29-32)
Simeon was an old man waiting for his death. He was a righteous man. He was also waiting for the Saviour to come into this world. When he saw baby Jesus and his parents, he was moved by the Holy Spirit and he started to praise God: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." Blessed people are ones like Simeon, who look for salvation from the Saviour Jesus Christ. Jesus is the greatest blessing one can ever have in their lives. His people have a blessed end for they do not die for ever, but live with him for ever! What a blessed end!
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