Yes Christmas is coming, the world will be merry, With turkey, plum pudding—with port wine and sherry; Sad hearts will be gladdened wherever you go, With greetings and presents—with yule logs aglow, And houses all trimmed with the evergreen fir; As Christmas you see, comes but once in a year.
What means this great feast-time the sad world is keeping? -
Explain all the mirth that shall banish the weeping; "The birthday of Jesus", perhaps you will say, "(No room at the inn, so they laid Him on hay) When God The Eternal incarnate became, To ransom a people from bondage and shame; Bright angels in glory attended the birth of Him Who created the heavens and earth".
Though Scripture is silent regarding December,
Some heart-searching facts it would have us remember;
We stripped Him and flogged Him—we crowned Him with thorn,
Dividing between us the clothes He had worn;
With hammer and nails (how sad to repeat)
We fastened His hands—yes and also His feet,
Securely there to a terrible tree,
And raised Him aloft for humanity's glee.
"He's finished", we scoffed, as we sealed up the tomb;
Unwittingly then we were sealing our doom; -
That God has forgotten, let none of us think,
While lauding The Babe as we banquet and drink; -
No surely, consider, the grave and the stone
Were powerless to hold Him—He's now on the throne -
Is coming in judgment;—oh how shall we stand
Explaining the scars in His feet or His hand? -
For God has declared every knee shall be bowed
Unto Him Who was mocked by the onlooking crowd.
- Forgiveness is offered—just let me begin -
Salvation to all who acknowledge their sin;
But sinners alone—(no others may claim),
And only the ones who believe on His Name.
No Bethlehem stable completed His mission;
For shedding of blood must accomplish remission
The substitute victim God's counsel supplied,
So Jesus the sinless One willingly died.
A.E.H