Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
A
Christmas Rose
Matthew 1:18-25
The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
Matthew 1:18-25
The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
In contrast to many of the
resounding carols proclaiming the Savior’s birth, “Lo, How A Rose E’er
Blooming” is a gentle song. Its words and music capture the hushed, almost
preposterous assertion that a rose of hope has bloomed in the world’s winter of
despair. Written in the 15th century by an unknown German poet, it stands
quietly in the midst of our modern Christmas rush, bearing a message of joy for
all who will pause to listen.
Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming,
As men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming,
As men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.
The song speaks of a season when
roses don’t bloom and of a night half gone, a time when people often give in to
despair.
Christmas can be an emotional
winter, a dark night when the holiday lights are dimmed and cheery greetings
are muted by loneliness or fear. Yet there is this word of hope:
This Flower, whose fragrance
tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere;
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere;
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.
A Rose has bloomed at midnight in
winter. Christ the Savior is born!
PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank you for being born for the redemption of our sins.Amen.
Dear Lord, thank you for being born for the redemption of our sins.Amen.
THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY
The message of the cradle proclaims the mission of the cross.
The message of the cradle proclaims the mission of the cross.