David Bahn – Reflections

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

Luke 2:8-18

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

John 1:1-4, 14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

A quick Google search revealed the following about this hymn, O Come All Ye Faithful:

The invitation to “come, all ye faithful, . . . to Bethlehem” places the singer both among the shepherds who rushed to see the Christ child, and in the long procession of the “faithful” that have journeyed to Bethlehem in their hearts for over 2,000 years.

Of particular note is the second stanza that draws heavily upon the Nicene Creed:

True God, of true God,
Light from Light Eternal,
lo, he shuns not the Virgin’s womb;
Son of the Father,
begotten, not created.

This paraphrases the text of the Creed very closely:

“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten of the Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
Very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
Being of one substance with the Father;
through whom all things were made.”

Thus, singing stanza two establishes a link to the church that reaches back to 325 A.D., at the Council of Nicea, where the Creed originates. [Discipleship Ministries]

This is a call to worship for the faithful people of God. It highlights the profound mystery of Jesus as God in the flesh of a baby boy born in Bethlehem. It calls for the confession made only by the power of the Holy Spirit, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3) There is so much great Christology here.

Perhaps that’s why I so love Christmas carols and Christian Christmas songs: They expound the central confession of our faith that Jesus Christ is true God and true man. Why else would we sing songs in praise of a baby? Why else would we come and adore him? Why else would we call him Lord? Jesus is Lord because he is our redeemer. That’s why he came to earth: so that he could redeem us.

All this is set aside in so much of the popular and secular so-called Christmas music today. The idea of a white Christmas is not a bad one. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire is a treat that I’ve actually experienced (though it wasn’t all that great IMHO). Dashing through the snow is a fun thought. And we’re the house to which people would go over the river and through the woods…if people were to come to grandmother’s house today. It’s all nice, but so far from the profound mysterious blessing that is Christmas. Sadly, it seems that the world will go to any extreme possible to avoid bringing Jesus into its Christmas celebration.

So the call goes out, O come all ye faithful! Come and behold him, the King of angels. True God from True God is he, light from eternal light, born of a virgin, the only-begotten Son of God. Come and join the angel chorus glorifying God. Indeed, to Jesus may all glory be given.

That is what I want to celebrate and sing. I hope you do too!

This, from Westminster Abby, is a rich high church celebration of this invitation to worship Christ the Lord.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

Psalm 98

Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
² The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
³ He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

⁴ Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
⁵ Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
⁶ With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

⁷ Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who dwell in it!
⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands;
    let the hills sing for joy together
⁹ before the Lord, for he comes
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity.

Luke 2:10-11

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

A quick Google search revealed the following about this hymn, Joy to the World:

Since 1719, “Joy to the World” has been a Christmas staple. Its lyrics were crafted by Isaac Watts, and to date, it remains one of the most-published hymns in Northern America. However, the fun fact is, the song wasn’t even intended to be a Christmas carol, as its original version had no such link with Christmas. It wasn’t even supposed to be a song!

Regardless of whether this was initially to have been a Christmas carol, it is certainly today a barn burner! I love this hymn. Most likely so do most readers of this blog. It’s easy to sing, and I can even play it on the piano; it’s a simple scale key of C major. And certainly the words capture the hearts of believers. For joy is found in God’s salvation. And Jesus is God’s gift for the salvation of all people.

Yesterday at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas, Pastor Jeff Doria reminded us all of the blessings God brings to us in the birth of Jesus – no matter our circumstances. Loneliness. Depression. Fear. Anger. Despair. Disappointment. Gnawing anxiety. I’m thinking of families that are split because of careless words, unreleased grudges, hurt feelings, and stubborn willfulness. I’m imagining deployed soldiers who can’t be home for Christmas and their families who wait for their return. I know there are those facing their first Christmas without a husband, dad, and granddad. And those who are facing their fifth such Christmas alone and still grieving.

But the Lord has come! He brings joy that transcends outward circumstances. God is not aloof. He has not abandoned us. He is not holding a grudge. He forgives us. He offers us an eternal hope that will never disappoint. He announces it to shepherds with a choir of angels. All of heaven is rejoicing in the birth of Jesus. Now, as we remember and celebrate this birth, we sing, too: Joy to the world the Lord has come!

And when we sing others join the song. Children sing – sometimes nearly yelling the words. Choirs sing the descants as the congregation sings the melody. When that happens, our joy is increased. Joy shared is joy multiplied. That’s so appropriate for this joy is to the world.

I love this hymn because it calls for the world to rejoice in the Savior’s birth. Heaven and nature sing! Repeat the sounding joy! Celebrate the wonders of his love. Every heart prepare him room. Let all their songs employ. Rejoice in the glories of his righteousness.

That last thought is where I want to stop and ponder. The righteousness of God is revealed in the Good News of Jesus. It is a righteousness of faith. It is righteousness from God, given to us for Jesus’ sake. For Jesus is purely and perfectly righteous. That never changes. My outward circumstances may change. My faithfulness may waver. My love may ebb and flow. None of that is righteous. But God’s perfect righteousness is a gift that never flags or falters. That is good news of great joy for me, for you, and for all the world!

Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing

Joy to the Earth, the Savior reigns
Let all their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders, of His love

Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing

Please join me in praying these psalms on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 18:1-3

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
² The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
³ I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 48:1-3

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
    in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, ² beautiful in elevation,
    is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
    the city of the great King.
³ Within her citadels God
    has made himself known as a fortress.

Psalm 78:1-4

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
    incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
² I will open my mouth in a parable;
    I will utter dark sayings from of old,
³ things that we have heard and known,
    that our fathers have told us.
⁴ We will not hide them from their children,
    but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
    and the wonders that he has done.

Psalm 108:1-4

My heart is steadfast, O God!
    I will sing and make melody with all my being!
² Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
³ I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
⁴ For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Psalm 138:1-2

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
² I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

Genesis 1:3-4 

 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. 

Luke 2:8-14

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

I cringe just a little at the closing line of this song. It’s not that I don’t believe that the culmination of God’s redemption story will be praiseworthy. Nor is it that I don’t believe angels will rejoice on that Great Last Day. But I’m just not certain that the song of the angels will be greater than that which was sung on the night Jesus was born.

Maybe their song will be a greater song on that Great Last Day. After all, the angels will take an active part in the events of that day. On that day, God “will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven” (Mark 13:27). It will be a grand day, the culmination of all that God had planned from the foundation of time. The trumpet will sound. The dead will be raised. We will be forever with our Lord (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:52).

The new heaven and the new earth will become our eternal reality. No longer will the glory of God be hidden. No longer will we need to live by faith. We will see Jesus for who he truly is. Every knee will bow – some under duress, others in delightful worship.

The problem I have with the final thought of this song is the unspoken implication that Jesus is not now reigning. In fact, however, he is. Over all things. Nothing escapes his notice. Nothing is apart from his providential care and sovereign rule. Thankfully God also rules in grace. The classic definition of the Kingdom of God is, the gracious reign and rule of Jesus in the heart of the believer.

Jesus is ruling even now in our hearts, and for the good of all by his grace. He will return on the Great Last Day and we will forever be with him. Sin, death, and the devil will no more plague us. That will indeed be a great and glorious day. And we will join with the angels and all believers singing God’s praises forever. He is truly worthy of all praise and honor – not just because of his sovereignty, but also, and maybe even more because of his grace.

In the First Light

In the first light of a new day
No one knew He had arrived
Things continued as they had been
While a newborn softly cried.
But the heavens wrapped in wonder
Knew the meaning of His birth
In the weakness of a baby
They knew God had come to earth.

As His mother held him closely,
It was hard to understand
That this baby not yet speaking
Was the Word of God to man.
He would tell them of His kingdom,
But their hearts would not believe
They would hate Him and in anger
They would nail Him to a tree.

But the sadness would be broken
As the song of life arose
And the First born of creation
Would ascend and take his throne.
He had left it to redeem us,
But before His life began
He knew He’d come back not as a baby
But as The Lord of ev’ry man.

Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to earth
When He comes again

Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to Earth
When He comes to rule the Earth!
When He comes back, When He comes back
To rule the Earth!

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Robert John Kauflin
In the First Light lyrics © Bridge Building Music, Organon Key Music

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

Genesis 1:3-4 

 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. 

John 1:1-5, 14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 is one of my go-to Bible verses. There’s so much here: Word becoming flesh, and grace and truth, to name just two. I love how this verse encourages transparency, humility, no pretentiousness here. I love the marriage of grace and truth. As I like to say, “Grace makes truth bearable. Truth makes grace precious.”

The song, Truth be Told (see below) captures the reality of our sinful state. We don’t even want to admit to our sins, failures, or our deepest hurts. But truth be told we need God’s mercy, love, forgiveness: grace. John writes, “If we say that we are without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 4:8). But there is more to facing the truth than just admitting we need God’s grace. Jesus’ first recorded sermon in Mark’s gospel calls us to “repent and believe the gospel [emphasis added]” (Mark 1:15). Jesus himself said that if we continue in his word we will know the truth and the truth will set us free (John 8:32).

God’s truth is never divorced from his grace. Facing the truth of our sin renders the grace of God evermore precious and powerfully freeing. Grace: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace: undeserved favor and kindness. Grace: the unmerited blessings of God poured out for all. Grace, a lavish fountain of life and joy.

The glory of God is displayed in this child. In grace, God has come to save us. Truth incarnate lies in the manger. By God’s grace, we come to the Father through the One who is the way, the truth, and the life. What good news this is!

I’ve not been one to try to put on a show. I try to be real; just me. Once in a while I’ll channel someone else’s style, voice, or mannerisms. But I’m quickly called on that by my wife. I’m not Ozzie Hoffman, Martin Luther, or Michael Ziegler. I’m me. Acoustic. Unfiltered. Natural. But before you go the wrong way with that, remember, too that I am redeemed. I am made new by the grace of God! Truth be told, yes I’m a sinner. That’s the truth. But by God’s grace I’m also a saint. That’s also true. I’ll struggle in that until I’m with my Lord in heaven.

But I can be real because of God’s grace. And I am thankful that the Word became flesh so that I could stand in that gracious truth.

In the First Light

In the first light of a new day
No one knew He had arrived
Things continued as they had been
While a newborn softly cried.
But the heavens wrapped in wonder
Knew the meaning of His birth
In the weakness of a baby
They knew God had come to earth.

As His mother held him closely,
It was hard to understand
That this baby not yet speaking
Was the Word of God to man.
He would tell them of His kingdom,
But their hearts would not believe
They would hate Him and in anger
They would nail Him to a tree.

But the sadness would be broken
As the song of life arose
And the First born of creation
Would ascend and take his throne.
He had left it to redeem us,
But before His life began
He knew He’d come back not as a baby
But as The Lord of ev’ry man.

Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to earth
When He comes again

Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to Earth
When He comes to rule the Earth!
When He comes back, When He comes back
To rule the Earth!

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Robert John Kauflin
In the First Light lyrics © Bridge Building Music, Organon Key Music

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

Genesis 1:3-4 

 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. 

Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
² For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will be seen upon you.
³ And nations shall come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Suddenly it dawned on me! Have you ever said that? Has it ever dawned on you? Late to catch the joke… then it dawns on you (not pleasant but not disastrous). Suddenly remembering why you came into the room (not necessarily a problem). Realizing that you were to have been at an important meeting two hours ago and suddenly realizing that was the nagging feeling you’d forgotten something that had been with you all morning (YIKES!  Not so good.).

But there is a different kind of dawning that we all need: we must be awakened to the reality of God’s gift of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ. By the grace of God, we have been awakened with the message of the angels, “Behold I bring you good news of great joy for all the people. Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

It’s true, no one knew the Savior had been born that first Christmas night until the angel appeared to the shepherds. No one knew of the Savior’s birth until the shepherds spread the word. No one knew of God’s gift of Jesus until God revealed it. The light of the Lord had risen on his people. And no one is born with the innate knowledge of God. By nature we are blind, dead in our sins, and enemies of God.

We are without excuse in regard to our state, because we do have the natural knowledge of God. Creation testifies to this:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. – Romans 1:19-20

And we also have our consciences, the law written on our hearts which bear witness to right and wrong in our lives (Romans 2:15).

But God in his great mercy, while we were still sinners, sent his Son to be our Savior. We were on the road to perdition, destruction, damnation, doom, and death. And God flagged us down. He opened our eyes to his mercy and love, his goodness and grace. The light dawned on us. We need God. And he has come to us, to be with us. To redeem us. To save us. On us the light has dawned.

That which was at first hidden in a Bethlehem manger shines brightly in the lights, celebrations, proclamations, songs, carols, and services of this season. O that we would be the light that points others to Jesus this Christmas and always!

In the First Light

In the first light of a new day
No one knew He had arrived
Things continued as they had been
While a newborn softly cried.
But the heavens wrapped in wonder
Knew the meaning of His birth
In the weakness of a baby
They knew God had come to earth.

As His mother held him closely,
It was hard to understand
That this baby not yet speaking
Was the Word of God to man.
He would tell them of His kingdom,
But their hearts would not believe
They would hate Him and in anger
They would nail Him to a tree.

But the sadness would be broken
As the song of life arose
And the First born of creation
Would ascend and take his throne.
He had left it to redeem us,
But before His life began
He knew He’d come back not as a baby
But as The Lord of ev’ry man.

Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to earth
When He comes again

Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to Earth
When He comes to rule the Earth!
When He comes back, When He comes back
To rule the Earth!

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Robert John Kauflin
In the First Light lyrics © Bridge Building Music, Organon Key Music

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

Genesis 1:3-4

 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. 

John 1:1-13

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

You’ve likely seen them: bright beams of light sweeping across the sky. Something’s going on over there, I think. They beg for our attention. Usually it’s a car dealership, a grand opening, or some such place. And they don’t want just your attention. They want your money! But there is a different kind of light. Rather than calling attention to itself, it calls attention to that on which is focused. Look at this! See what is here! Behold! 

Jesus was born in obscurity. But he would not remain in obscurity. The maji who come to worship the newborn king so distress Herod with their question that he undertakes a quest to kill the once unnoticed child. They come bearing gifts fit for a king.

Behold! A virgin has conceived. Behold! A Savior has been born to you. Behold! Wise men from the east have come to worship him. Behold! The kingdom of God is at hand. Behold your king (a sarcastic and derisive comment by Pilate as Jesus stands before the crowd bloodied and battered)! Behold, I make all things new! Behold I am coming soon.

The prophet Isaiah calls out to us, inviting us to…

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
² For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will be seen upon you.
³ And nations shall come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your rising. – Isaiah 60:1-3

Our king has come. The Savior has been born. He is the true light coming into the world enlightening everyone. The heavens have been split open with an angelic chorus, “Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth. Good will toward men.”

In the days of the Exodus the glory of God was seen at night as a pillar of fire. It was a sign of his presence. Now we see the glory of God in a manger, in the life, ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But it is so veiled now. For the worship of the wisemen is all too much of an exception. The world’s wise men and women have little care for Jesus. Kings and religious leaders too easily and often dismiss Jesus’ unique grace and truth.

Soon, however, we will see Jesus coming on the clouds. This song reminds us that as glorious as the angelic chorus was on the night of Jesus’ birth, the glory at his Second Coming will be even greater.

Regarding that last thought in the ending of the song, I believe Jesus is ruling even now at the right hand of God. His is a rule of grace and steadfast love. On that Great Last Day the majestic glory will be fully revealed. Jesus will be honored by all – some under duress, others with joyful delight. Then we will truly rise and shine and rejoice in the full revelation of the Light of the world.

In the First Light

In the first light of a new day
No one knew He had arrived
Things continued as they had been
While a newborn softly cried.
But the heavens wrapped in wonder
Knew the meaning of His birth
In the weakness of a baby
They knew God had come to earth.

As His mother held him closely,
It was hard to understand
That this baby not yet speaking
Was the Word of God to man.
He would tell them of His kingdom,
But their hearts would not believe
They would hate Him and in anger
They would nail Him to a tree.

But the sadness would be broken
As the song of life arose
And the First born of creation
Would ascend and take his throne.
He had left it to redeem us,
But before His life began
He knew He’d come back not as a baby
But as The Lord of ev’ry man.

Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to earth
When He comes again

Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to Earth
When He comes to rule the Earth!
When He comes back, When He comes back
To rule the Earth!

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Robert John Kauflin
In the First Light lyrics © Bridge Building Music, Organon Key Music

PS: You might find it interesting to read this biblical examination of the song.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

Genesis 1:3-4

 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. 

John 1:1-13

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Light! Let’s have some light! That’s a line from a children’s recording of The Purple Puzzle Tree. It’s an engaging and edifying series of 36 stories of the Bible. I use the Genesis 1:3-4 verse as a signature Bible verse on my personal email. As an avid amateur photographer light is everything. It’s all about the light.

That opening lyric of this song got my attention. In the first light of a new day no one knew he had arrived. How so very true! Jesus’ birth in a stable, his first cradle a manger, his humble parents, the obscure village conspire to make Jesus’ birth unnoticed by all but those few to whom the angels appeared that night. Indeed, things did continue as they had been while the newborn softly (or loudly?) cried. But the obscurity of this scene hide the cosmic significance of the moment: in the weakness of a baby, God had come to earth.

Both this song and Mary did You Know? were written in 1984. They both explore the mystery of the incarnation and reflect on Mary’s ponderings (cf. Luke 2:19). Both expand the scope and implications of his birth beyond the birth itself. That is in keeping with the biblical emphasis on Jesus’ birth. Luke records the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. Matthew gives an account of Joseph’s part in the birth and escape to Egypt. John gives us this wonderful cosmic and eternal significance of the Word becoming flesh. Mark makes no mention of it all. Paul mentions it in Galatians 4.

But the Gospel writers spend paragraphs and pages recounting Jesus’ earthly ministry. As much as 1/3 of the Gospels focus on the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. As one website puts it: The break down according to each of the Gospels:

• A third of Matthew, from Matthew 21-28
• A third of Mark, from Mark 11-16
• A quarter of Luke, from Luke 19-24
• Nearly half of John, from John 12-20

This song pays homage to that reality. As good as Jesus’ birth is – and it is good news! – the rest of the story is being lived out and will culminate on the Great Last Day and the life of the world to come.

In the First Light

In the first light of a new day
No one knew He had arrived
Things continued as they had been
While a newborn softly cried.
But the heavens wrapped in wonder
Knew the meaning of His birth
In the weakness of a baby
They knew God had come to earth.

As His mother held him closely,
It was hard to understand
That this baby not yet speaking
Was the Word of God to man.
He would tell them of His kingdom,
But their hearts would not believe
They would hate Him and in anger
They would nail Him to a tree.

But the sadness would be broken
As the song of life arose
And the First born of creation
Would ascend and take his throne.
He had left it to redeem us,
But before His life began
He knew He’d come back not as a baby
But as The Lord of ev’ry man.

Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to earth
When He comes again

Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to Earth
When He comes to rule the Earth!
When He comes back, When He comes back
To rule the Earth!

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Robert John Kauflin
In the First Light lyrics © Bridge Building Music, Organon Key Music

PS: You might find it interesting to read this biblical examination of the song.

Join me in praying these Psalms on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 11:7

For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
    the upright shall behold his face.

Psalm 41:1-3, 13

Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
    In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
² the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
    he is called blessed in the land;
    you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
³ The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
    in his illness you restore him to full health.

¹³ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.

Psalm 71:1-3

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame!
² In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me, and save me!
³ Be to me a rock of refuge,
    to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psalm 101:1-2

I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
    to you, O Lord, I will make music.
² I will ponder the way that is blameless.
    Oh when will you come to me?

Psalm 131

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
    my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.
² But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.

³ O Israel, hope in the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®)
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” ²⁹ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Pastor Chris Bodley walked across the chancel from left to right, all the while recounting the arc of God’s redemption story. He went from creation to Abraham, Moses and the Exodus, Joshua and the Promised Land, David and his glorious reign, Isaiah and his prophecies, Malachi and his last word in the Old Testament era. Then he continued on to Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, suffering, death and resurrection. He then pointed us toward our final hope of glory when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead.

By the time he was finished, I was nearly in tears. It was a powerful reminder of God’s work throughout history. I can close my eyes and see him doing this some 30 years later.

In this song, Mark Lowry does a forward-looking reminiscing as he has Mary ponder the things that would happen in the future of Jesus. It’s a clever technique: He takes us back to a time when Jesus was born, and asks Mary if she had any idea of the things Jesus would do – all of which we know today. And what glorious things Jesus has done:

• Walking on water – in the dark of the stormy night – and calming the hearts of his disciples and stilling the storm. – Matthew 14:22-33
• Healing 2 blind men as he left Jericho, asking them, “What do you want me to do for you?” They answer, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” ³⁴ And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. – Matthew 20:29-34
• Jesus is the Son of God who became flesh so that Mary would literally kiss the face of God. – John 1:14
• Unblocking the ears of the deaf man, “…taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. ³⁴ And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” ³⁵ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. – Mark 7:31-37
• Being moved with compassion at the pool of Bethesda, “Jesus said to [the lame man], ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk.’ ⁹ And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.” – John 5:1-29
• He was and is the perfect Lamb of God as John testified: “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world…And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” – John 1:29-34
• Jesus is the Great I AM. He himself made this remarkable claim: Before Abraham was, I AM.” – John 8:48-59

Such a wonderful rehearsal of Jesus’ ministry. All this leading up to the ultimate act of miracle and mercy: Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. By this he has delivered not only Mary, but you and me. We look forward to that Great Last Day when we who look to him in faith will be delivered into his presence with joy and eternal praise for this baby boy who now reigns at the right hand of God.

Mary Did You Know?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy
Has come to make you new?
This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Will calm the storm with his hand?

Did you know that your baby boy
Has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby
You kiss the face of God

Mary, did you know?
Mary, did you know?
Mary, did you know? Did you know?
Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know?
Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know?
Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know?

The blind will see, the deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb

Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy
Is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
That sleeping child you’re holding is the great, I Am

Mary, did you know? (Mary, did you know?)
Mary, did you know? (Mary, did you know?)
Mary, did you know? Oh

Songwriters: Mark Lowry / Buddy Greene
Mary, Did You Know? lyrics © Greensleeves Publishing Limited, Word Music, LLC

PS: You might find it interesting to read this biblical examination of the song.