Come Let Us Adore Him

A reflection on Christmas

Christmas is a time for joy and gifts. It's a time to enjoy the company of relatives and friends, especially if they live far from you. It's a time for a traditional Christmas turkey (or goose, or duck, or ham, or whatever you traditionally eat for Christmas). It's a time for children ripping open the wrappings of their gifts to see what Santa gave them.

But for Christians, Christmas is oh so much more than that. It is one of the holiest times of the year. It's the time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our King. It's a time to reflect on the past year, good and bad. It's a time to look to the future, a rebirth of our commitment to Jesus.

Chris Tomlin's song "Adore" (lyrics) presents a beautiful rendering of Christmas, from the perspective of a humble follower of Jesus. He begins, reminding us Jesus came down from heaven, only begotten Son of the Father. He came humbly; he wasn't the son of a great king or nobleman or even a prominent citizen but came as the son of a carpenter, born in a manger. He came as the light of the world.

What ripples occurred with his birth? Wise men, astrologers, came from the east, bringing him presents of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Angels told the shepherds in the fields of his birth. Not kings. Not princes. But the lowly shepherds. The shepherds understood and bowed in recognition of the great birth. The angels sang, knowing that Jesus and his message will in the end bring peace on earth. What can we do? What is our best offering? Our best offering to Jesus is not gold, not victories over our fellow humankind, not land, not burnt offerings, but ourselves, dedicating our lives and our strength to delivering his message of truth, peace and love.

The refrain reminds us of the popular Christmas song "Come All Ye Faithful." Christ calls us to come and adore Jesus. Prince of Peace. Bringer of the good news of salvation. Savior of us all. Christ, the Lord.

The song, in it's quiet insistence, reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas and the true message that we should rededicate ourselves to bringing to this fallen world. Let us adore Jesus and walk in his footsteps.

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A blog dedicated to understanding Christian rock