Christmas 2024: December 11

Many of the Christmas hymns we sing today were originally written to teach little children to understand and remember the significance of the biblical account of Jesus' birth through song. "Silent Night," "Away in a Manger," and today's hymn, "O Little Town of Bethlehem," are among our favorites. Its rich theology and gentle melody resonate and encourage believers all around the world. Its author, Thomas Brooks, was reflecting on a visit a few years before to the village of Bethlehem outside Jerusalem. It was the Christmas season, and as he meditated on his trip, he scribbled down a poem he thought could be sung for the Christmas service at his church. For the music, he approached the church organist, Lewis Redner.

Of course, Redner was under great pressure because of all that was already involved in the service. Not to mention, he was scheduled to teach the Sunday School class that same morning as well. Nevertheless, he agreed, but by the Saturday night before Christmas of 1868, Redner went to bed discouraged. He was still without a tune, but late in the night, he suddenly woke. It was as though a tune was whispering in his ear. He quickly scribbled down the notes on a piece of music paper. Neither Redner nor Brooks believed the song would endure beyond the four walls of their own church, but one of the church's members, Richard McCauley, had a bookstore on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. He had the song printed on leaflets for sale, and the song quickly spread around the world. Interestingly, though, in the United Kingdom, the song is sung to the English folk tune "Forest Green." Regardless, the hymn reminds us of the profound mystery of the incarnation and the joy that has come to the world in the birth of the child born to Mary. 

In the final lines of Brooks' poem, he alludes to Isaiah 60:19, "You will have the Yahweh for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory," but "light" is often used in Scripture as a synonym for God's righteous character and truth in contrast with the sinful world, as in today's passage from John 8. In fact, when Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world" (vs. 12), it was during the Feast of Tabernacles (sometimes called the "Feast of Booths"), a time when Israel commemorated God's provision and guidance while they were in the wilderness after being set free from their bondage in Egypt. Within that celebration was a ceremony called the "Lighting of the Lamps" in the temple court. These lamps were massively large and made of gold, symbolizing the time when God guided Israel as a pillar of fire (Ex 13:21-22). We can imagine the scene, then, as Jesus must have walked amidst these great lights as He spoke with the Pharisees. They knew just what the light from the lamps represented, and for Jesus to declare, "I am the Light of the world," was an unmistakable declaration that He is God - the very God who rescued Israel from bondage just over 1500 years before. But unlike the Israelites who followed that great Light in 1546 B.C., Jesus called all the world to follow Him. "Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life."