My Favorite Christmas Song.

It's "O Holy Night," hands down. The ambiance is peaceful, the melody is dynamic, and aside from all the nostalgia the lyrics are incredibly dense with meaning. Here's one stanza that stuck out to me in particular, and how it explains exactly what Christmas is all about:

"A thrill of hope"
We tend to think of hope as wishful thinking, as in "I don't know for sure, but I hope." But the hope mentioned in this song isn't wishful, it's actually a confident anticipation of what we know will surely come to pass. You see, in the past, God revealed Himself through clouds, fires, plagues, floods, miracles, and disasters that all spoke of a distant and powerful God. But not this time. This time it wasn't a split in the sea, a fire in the sky, or a quake in the earth; not an untouchable burning bush, but a small, vulnerable child, needing to be held.

"and they will call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)."

Unlike before, God isn't just presiding above. He isn't a far away ruler, God is with us. The thrill is that heightened excitement you get on a rollercoaster when your heart jumps to your throat. In a single new indescribable instance, God is with us, and we're thrilled with hope. Why?

"The weary world rejoices"
In the past, men tried arduously to build their way to heaven. This is not foreign to us, we still do it today with religion and good works. Ultimately every man will try to build his way to that elusive heaven. The world is full of weary people, tired hands piling up an endless amount of good deeds in search of peace for their soul. The Bible is distinct from religion -- not once does it ever say that being a good person will get you into Heaven. Yep, not once. Quite the opposite, all it took was one sin for Adam and Eve to be banished from the garden of Eden forever. It's no wonder the world is weary. But now, on this night, the world is rejuvenated. Because of this single solitary life, the world is rejoicing. Why?

"For yonder breaks"
Out in the distance, a tiny sparkle of light. Now breaking over the horizon, a faded, foggy glow. This is the Christian hope. This is the confident anticipation in what we know will surely come, because we see it -- because we see him. Our eyes turn to gaze over yonder. Why?

"A new and glorious morn"
Because this night is just the beginning.

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

We know Jesus won't stay a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. He will grow up to become a person that every history book would affirm as unlike anyone else ever known. And he will live, to one day die on a cross for the sins of men, where that aforementioned glorious morn will finally break into day and God's love will be fully revealed. Why?

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him, should not perish but have everlasting life."

Salvation isn't about your good works, it's about the work that was done for you on the cross. This is the thrill of hope, the rejoice of the weary world, and the glory of the yonder breaking morn. This is Christmas, and Christmas is unequivocally Jesus.