God and sinners reconciled

Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Listen, the heavenly hosts proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ and the ushering in of God's incredible plan to save humanity from their self-imposed and deserving destruction. God, who is love, extends this indescribable love to His chosen people, His undeserving beloved, by becoming flesh, becoming an embryo, a baby growing in the womb, by being born, living, healing, declaring, being brutally tortured and dying on a cross for all man's wickedness and rejection and sins against God. He lived to die that death for us, subsuming all the wrath and punishment and consuming all the sin and proving stronger than death by rising to life. This Jesus Christ, a babe in a manger in Bethlehem, reconciled a sinner such as me to the Almighty, Holy, perfect and unchanging Creator God. This is peace. This is truly peace. That man can now approach God. That God and man can be in relationship. That we can speak and listen and grow and love and learn and be together. Now I live with Him and He lives in me, indeed His home is in my body, because a sinner such as me is made clean by the blood of the Lord Jesus, and I live to declare: "Glory to the newborn King!", "Glory to God in the highest!" and "Glory to risen and ruling Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ!".

He has brought me unending joy no matter how I feel or what time of day it is. 
He has brought me healing and comfort and peace. 
He has brought me eternal life by opening the way for me to know my Heavenly Father just as I grow to know my earthly father. 
He has brought me every spiritual blessing and will continue to guide me as I journey on this earth.
He will bring me home at the end of it all.
At the marriage of the Lamb.

Hark! Join in with creation in praise of the humbled and exalted Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Amen and Merry Christmas.

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!""
Luke 2:8-14

For my 2016 Christmas post, reflecting on the 3rd verse: http://emilyseto.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/light-and-life-to-allhe-brings.html

For my 2015 Christmas post, reflecting on the 2nd verse: http://emilyseto.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/the-word-became-flesh-and-dwelt-among-us.html