The Sounds of Christmas

We all have our attachments to the sights and sounds of the Christmas season. Christmas music is certainly one of the key pieces of that for each of us. Personally, I have to be really ready for Christmas music before I can listen to it. My timetable is a little different each year but when I’m ready, I’m ready. After listening to Lauren’s Radica group perform tonight, I am most definitely ready!

There are definite highlights (and a few lowlights) with Christmas music. I’ll admit that there are some secular songs that are good and help get you get in the mood for Christmas. However, there are some others that make me lunge for the dial to switch over to another station - we won’t mention those by name lest they might get stuck in our head…ha.

While I definitely love a great rendition of my favorites like O Holy Night, the unquestionable peak of the Christmas season is a choir version of Hallelujah in Handel’s Messiah. There is nothing like the power and majesty of that song. The Christmas season just wouldn’t be complete without it.

The lyrics of the song come, in part, from the following passage in Isaiah that point to the coming of Christ over 700 years before he is to be born:

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

These descriptive “throne” names for Christ are all very important in our faith - Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Furthermore, they are interdependent and interconnected. In other words, if He is either all of them or. none of them. Only God’s son could fill this throne.

As our Wonderful Counselor, Jesus is not our therapist, but instead is our “Helper” who comes along beside us. We are told this in several places in scripture - particularly in the Gospel of John. As our “Helper,” He provides trustworthy wisdom and daily direction in our lives. He’s more than just that but the “throne name” of Wonderful Counselor addresses this aspect of his being.

His door is always open and he is always approachable. Don’t let the busyness of the season keep you away from coming to Him with any request.

Stay hungry,

Big E

Matt 5:6