Consider what this passage forces us to wrestle with and reconcile in our hearts:Ĭhrist's humanity - "For to us a child is born"Ĭhrist's lordship - "And the government shall be upon his shoulder"Ĭhrist's wisdom and discernment - "And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor"Ĭhrist's supreme authority - "Mighty God"Ĭhrist's loving influence - "Everlasting Father"Ĭhrist's grace, mercy and forgiveness - "Prince of Peace" The sad truth is that when someone rejects Jesus as Christ, he/she is communicating a rejection of accountability, help, divinity, authority and peace, for those are the identifiable traits of His character as prophesied by Isaiah.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Yet how can a baby born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago offend anyone unless He was MORE than just a baby? Today, we are bombarded by political correctness which replaces "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays" in order to NOT be offensive to those who do not share our personal faith. Therefore, we need to consider our response when we listen to O Little Town of Bethlehem or While We Were Sleeping, because its eternal implications are far too important to gloss over. People will die not ever hearing the Gospel message, or hear it and pridefully reject Jesus altogether and the notion they need to be saved from anything at all. In many ways, While You Were Sleeping is a reality check which reminds us that while we as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus and the subsequent impact His life, death and resurrection have on our eternal destination, the cold, hard fact remains that souls will be lost as well. Because whether Bethlehem, Jerusalem, or the United States of America, billions of people throughout the ages have simply missed the true meaning of Christmas.
Undoubtedly, 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' is one of the most recognizable Christmas carols ever written, but how many of us are familiar with its contemporary counterpart, ' While You Were Sleeping' by Casting Crowns?Ĭonsidering I am almost always a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas carols, this brilliant, contemporary adaptation of the original grips my heart every time I hear it and is an integral part of my holiday season every year.
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