It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

1. Romans 8:18-23
   
2. Mary and Joseph delivered Jesus in a stranger’s barn. They were poor and far from home. Jesus first bed was a feedbox not a cradle, and His nursery was shared with multiple other species. But these problems didn’t prove God wasn’t paying attention. Not at all. This was God entering into the suffering of His world. Angels watched in wonder and roused a heard of clueless shepherds. Kings came and knelt on the ground grateful just to see His face. The glory of God was there amidst the trials of that first Christmas. Emmanuel.
   
3. God is with us still. What is one situation in which you need to acknowledge God’s presence?
   
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5. For Deeper Thought…
   
6. ​Time is coming to a close; then will Christ usher in God’s perfection and banish all semblance of evil. This carol follows an oft repeated pattern in Christian hymnology. The final verse drives home the truth about our own mortality and the temporary nature of mankind. How can knowing and believing the truth about death and the conclusion of humanity make our faith that much fuller and sweeter?