Late 2014, I had an overwhelming desire to write a Christmas song. It’s interesting how you go into a composition in one regard not knowing what the end result will look like. On the other hand, there are also expectations you have and more times than not, it turns out being so different than you had imagined. This song was a combination of the two and began from the simple thought of Jesus as a baby and those little hands and feet one day having nails being driven through them. It was a painful picture that was painted in my mind when I thought of it, but I also realized that is the reality.
And so from that thought, other parallels began emerging until finally there was a completed song. It’s a Christmas song that is not jolly or happy, but rather thoughtful and poignant, but also has that element of hope in it because of who Jesus was/is and what He would accomplish in coming to our world as a fragile infant.
We think of babies being innocent, and in a sense, they are. They haven’t known the pain or depth of sinfulness that is in this world, but we also know from scripture that they are “sinful at birth” (Ps. 51:5). But here was Jesus Christ, who was in every sense of the word, innocent. No sin or deceit was found in Him. I think it’s a mercy Mary didn’t know what would happen to her Son in the end. I can’t imagine being a mother holding my sweet baby and thinking about what their tiny, delicate body would endure as an adult as the Savior of the world.
But as believers, we have that aspect of knowing Who Christ the Lord was as a baby and what that meant for Him in later in His life. The celebration of Christ’s birth is very, very special, but it’s just the beginning of the story of our Savior’s life here on earth. Jesus was born to die, but His death would mean our freedom and liberty from sin and eternal life everlasting with the Father. What a miracle!
Rejoicing in the Lord!
Adriel
