Bob Blackman

Copyright ©1989

In the little town of Bethlehem,

T'was born a Son of the great I Am.

The angels sang o'er hill and dell,

Announcing the birth of Emmanuel.

Emmanuel - was the name He was given,

For God had come, to us, from Heaven.

In the fields, strange sounds filled the air,

And the shepherds stopped to boldly stare.

The sky was bright with heavenly glory,

The Messiah had come - as a baby boy.

Stunned shepherds, heard the angels sing,

"The Child just born, shall be your king!"

And thus they came, the King to see,

And praised the Child on bended knee.

The angels called Him, "The Son of God,"

But to one lowly shepherd it seemed too odd -

In worthless rags the babe was dressed,

Could one so poor, be God's most blessed?

If this is - the Prince of Peace,

Why isn't he wrapped in a royal fleece?

If this truly is, the Lord Incarnate,

Why wasn't He born in a mansion great?

Why does He lay with the barnyard beasts?

Where are the rabbis, where are the priests?

Jesus, Master, Emmanuel -

What's the significance of the nail

That's in the straw below Your feet,

Or the cross that's formed where the rafters meet -

What of the thorns that grow by the door,

Or the spear on the wall - what is it for?

Isaiah spoke of the stone rejected,

And a suffering Servant, long neglected.

Zechariah wrote of weeping and friction,

And David told of a crucifixion.

But what of the Priest who brings good news,

Are You the Messiah, King of the Jews?

A hundred questions filled his head,

As he stared at the child on a beggar's bed.

The hope he felt, when the angels sang,

Gave way to a troubling doubting pang.

There was joy in the air - that, he could feel,

But for all the excitement, it didn't seem real.

The doubt in his heart, left a burden of guilt,

So he spoke not a word of the doubt he felt.

He joined the festivity - enjoyed the fun

Even praised the Child they called God's Son.

He said to himself, "This celebration

Will have no effect on the world or this nation.

Tomorrow we'll all go back to work,

So tonight I'll enjoy this season's quirk."

All America celebrates nativity,

We hang mistletoe - decorate a tree,

We put up a star, and a Christmas bell,

And search for a gift we can buy on sale.

We deck our homes with lights and joy,

To celebrate the birth of the Christmas Boy.

O Lord, we ask for Your forgiveness,

For mockery thrives, in this Christmas business.

Protect us from the status quo,

And from our hearts, let Your love flow,

Through every Christmas song we sing,

Unite our hearts with Christ the King.

In every gift that we might give.

Please let Your gift, of Jesus live.

And to every gift that we receive,

We'll add a prayer, for the world to believe.

That the gift You gave on Christmas day,

Will bring peace to all, who believe and pray.