Mystery In The Manger

Christmas Joy is never-ending

When humble hearts receive

The gift of cradle and the cross

The moment they believe

The Mystery in the manger

Was truly God made known

The eternal gift of heaven

Through the cross of Christ alone

©  Julie Jablonski

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. . .an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

“Joseph son of David,

do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,

because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a son,

and you are to give him the name Jesus,

because he will save his people from their sins.”

- Matthew 1:20-21

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Mary's Son

Silent snow so gently falling

Peace within my spirit calling

Remembrance of a winter night

So long ago, star shining bright

Leading to a manger low

Winds of change began to blow

In heavenly peace, an infant sleeping

Adoring mother, softly weeping

Holding close the Holy Child

Blessed Savior, meek and mild

One day her heart will ponder why

For her sins too, her Son must die

Songs of angels fill the night

Lifting up their praise in flight

Holy, Holy is God of Heaven!

Unto man His Son is given!

Truth that echoes through the years

Transforming hearts, calming fears

Mary's Son, born to be

The Sacrifice to set us free

 ©  Julie Jablonski

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, 

keeping watch over their flock by night. 

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, 

and the glory of the Lord shone around them, 

and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, 

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings 

of great joy which will be to all people. 

For there is born to you this day in the city of David 

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe 

wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel 

a multitude of the heavenly host 

praising God and saying:

 “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” 

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, 

that the shepherds said to one another, 

“Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, 

which the Lord has made known to us.” 

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, 

and the Babe lying in a manger. 

Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known 

the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 

And all those who heard it marveled 

at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

 - Luke 2:8-19

His Arriving

Christmas is a time that always finds ways to inspire me. 

Often that inspiration comes from witnessing more peace, more love, a little more goodwill toward men in the days of December, and the repeating sound of joy all around us as we walk through the weeks of Advent.

There’s a whisper that comes on the wind gently reminding, “He’s coming.” 

A whisper, that brings a thrill of hope to me and to so many in this tired and weary world.

The hope, joy, and songs of the season can cause many thoughts to whirl around in my heart and mind and sometimes I just feel the need to release them – to piece them together in a way that gives at least a glimpse of the wonder that was stirring deep inside.

Quite a few years ago, I began to think deeply about these words from a favorite Christmas hymn…

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room,

and heaven and nature sing."

Can you imagine the wonder of it? Of the earth that God created, receiving her King once again with joy, and then all of heaven and nature singing and rejoicing along with her?  

The thought of it just makes my heart beat a bit faster and sends so many pictures tingling through my mind.

God is such a beautiful mystery! 

The unexpected wonder of Him becoming small, coming to live with us, so that He could die for us, to rise again, and then live within us? 

That is jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, amazing truth, that will for all ages cause men, including me, to fall down on their knees to worship Him and to continue to sing all about the “wonders of His love.” 

There are so many of these wonders we love to sing about at Christmastime and it was the words of the song “Joy to the World”, that were the inspiration for this poem:

With His glorious arriving

On the first Christmas night

The earth must have been glowing

Renewed by His Light

And radiantly beaming

Through the dark midnight mist

So long she’d been waiting

For her face to be kissed

With the light of His Love

As again God came down

Not to Garden of Eden

But to a small town

On this night like no other

She welcomed her King

Every mountain and valley

Lifting voices to sing

Their praises to God

The Almighty Creator

The Light of the World

And the One who had made her

With a joy bursting forth

From the rocks and the trees

And sweet music from heaven

Carried soft in a breeze

Oh so gently – she held Him

As only earth can

So amazed by her God

Who had made Himself man

Coming to save

Men He’d made from her dust

The Savior and King

Immanuel

God with us

©  Julie Jablonski 

   

Joy to the world ~ the Lord has come!

Immanuel ~ God with us!

I’ve written many poems relating to Christmas over the years and I'm hoping to share one here each week during this season of Advent.

If you missed the new short poem I posted last week, you can click here to read: 

Love Child

This week’s post is also part of a monthly blog circle

"Circle of Faith in Words and Image" 

I've had so much fun linking up with this wonderful group of friends and you may have guessed that our theme this month is Christmas. :)

For more Christmas wonder please visit their pages too:

Connie at: Live, Love, Laugh, Hope

Patricia at:  Pollywog Creek

Marty at: What Marty Sees

Love Child

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      Starlight ~

      On a silent night

      Piercing the dark

      Lighting a path

      To where wonder lies

      Sleeping

      Breathing

      Heart-beating love, love, love

      For God so loved

      Extravagantly

      Magnificently

      Loved

      That He gave

      Himself

      Wrapped Himself

      Small enough

      To be held

      To behold 
      His glory

      In the face. . .

      Of a child.              

            © 2015 Julie Jablonski 

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For God so loved the world that he gave

His one and only son, that whoever believes in him

shall not perish but have eternal life.

 - John 3:16

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son,

who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 - John 1:14

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