(For a Microsoft Word or PDF file of this poem, see the very end)
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‘Twas the night before Christmas,
The first on the earth.
A virgin awaiting
Her precious child’s birth.[1]
The moment was coming
Foretold long ago
To Adam and Eve
And our soon conquered foe.[2]
A child to be born
In this small Jewish town,
Out here in a stable[3]
With livestock around.
Oh, but who is this child
And what is the plan,
And how is a baby
Conceived without man?[4]
This one, it turns out
Is far more than a man,
And He’s come to do something
Nobody else can.
This one who will be called
Both Savior and Lord,
Who by angels and shepherds
Will be so adored,
Is none other than God,
Our Creator and King,[5]
Stepping into creation,
Salvation to bring.[6]
Yes, the Creator of matter
And all living things,[7]
Who gave mountains their heights
And eagles their wings,
Who spread out the cosmos
And ignited the sun,
Then established the day[8]
By the earth which He spun,
Has in a move
So amazing, yet mild,
Reduced Himself down
To the size of a child.
He’s become one of us,
Both to help us relate
And to save us all from
The most horrible fate.
For with sin, He can’t live,
For He’s perfectly just,[9]
No, He can’t ignore one,
So punish He must.[10]
But, suffer Himself,
That’s what He’s come to do,
By His death on the cross,
He can save me and you.
For justice demands
That all sin will bring death[11]
And sacrificing for us,
He will give up His breath
So possessing the power
To rise from the dead,[12]
He’ll go in our place
And He’ll suffer instead.[13]
Thus, like a father who’s paying
A fine for his child,
Mercy’s provided,
While justice isn’t defiled.
So, knowing His cost,
While causing time to begin,
That providing ‘free will’
Would give us freedom to sin,
He put into motion
His magnificent plan
Of justice and mercy
To save sinful man.[14]
Thus, to make us His children,[15]
To give us the choice,
‘Accept Him as Lord
And forever rejoice,’ [16]
He’s come to us now
And He’ll go to the cross,[17]
Temporarily counting
His glory a loss.
And, without hesitation,
To save us from Hell,[18]
For we’re worth it to Him
As the morning will tell.
And after His death,
He’ll rise in plain sight,[19]
So we can say Merry Christmas
And to all a good night.
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[1] “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” –which means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23
[2] And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15
[3] Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Luke 2:11-12
[4] “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:34-35
[5] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. John 1:1&14
[6] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. John 3:17-18
[7] In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
[8] GE 1:14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years,
[9] He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:4
[10] Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. . . And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. . . If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11,12,15
[11] For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
[12] He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again. Luke 18:32-33
[13] For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 1 Peter 3:18
[14] The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
[15] How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1
[16] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:1‑4
[17] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! Philippians 2:8
[18] “Then he will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ Matthew 25:41
[19] For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, 1 Corinthians 15:3-6
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