20 years ago, I began a tradition of writing a poem to Jesus for Christmas. It seemed the least I could do for Him, who gave His life for me.
Here is poem #5, which I wrote in December, 2009!
A More Profound Joy
(A Glance at the Painful Realities of Christmas.)
¹Will you ponder the pain of First Christmas,
When angels proclaim, “Christ is born”?¹
Yet beneath their joyous pronouncement
Hides hardship on Bethlehem morn.
²For Mary and Joseph are suspect,
Of conduct that few would condone,
As nothing short of unholy,
Whom the Law requires to stone.²
³Arriving in time for the Census,³
“No Vacancy” hangs at the Inn;
They wander out back to the stable,
Much to the couple’s chagrin.
⁴And soon it is Mary who labors
In waves of unbearable pain;
This night she’s awaited with courage,
Will certainly not end in vain.
⁵Eight days later⁴ Jesus is taken
To the Temple to be circumcised;
And Simeon there casts a warning⁵
So ominous they are surprised.
⁶When the Magi leave from their visit,⁶
King Herod drafts a decree,
That all babes within nearby hamlets,
Will forfeit their lives without plea.⁷
⁷So pain is the constant companion
Of these characters long, long ago,
But still, there is One hidden Hero,
Who’s often left out of the show.
⁸He’s holy, and He is transcendent,
The Father of Jesus, the King,
Who sent Him upon a great mission,
To lay down His life for our sin.
⁹What love would prompt such a forethought?
What love would freely give all?
What love would plan such a rescue?
‘Twas Jesus who answered that call.
¹⁰Now we see, First Christmas was costly,
For all who cherished this boy;
And perhaps we do well to remember,
Their pain birthed a more profound joy.
Jesus, our Profound Joy, in a Painful World.
This Christmas, will we remember how much others paid, to make the Savior accessible to us? Their suffering. Our profound Joy.
¹ Luke 2:11
² John 8:4-5
³ Luke 2:1
⁴ Luke 2:21
⁵ Luke 2:33-35
⁶ Matthew 2:1, 12
⁷ Matthew 2:16
Next, Christmas Poem 6: Jesus is Better Than ...