Christmas Has Its Cradle and Easter Has Its Lord!

The miracle of Christmas is not an end in itself.

We must see it as the fulfillment of prophecy that it is.

God's divine wisdom had fore-ordained this moment

from eternity past to lay out a path to eternity future.

To find and follow that path we must know not only

the baby of the manger, but the Christ of the cross.

One of my favorite Christmas carols is now

"Christmas Has Its Cradle."  I thought of this song's

powerful words as I saw new stained glass windows

installed in my church this week.  I hope the words of

the song and these beautiful images are an inspiration

and source of hope to you as we celebrate our Lord's

birth.  This central event in human history is still

transforming lives each day.  Because our Savior lives!

Christmas has its cradle, where a Baby cried;

Did the lantern's shadow show Him crucified?

Did He foresee darkly His life's willing loss?

Christmas has its cradle and

Easter has its cross.

Christmas has its cradle, shepherds came to see

Little Son of Mary, Lamb of God to be;

Had His Father warned Him,

none would grant Him room

Save in the Christmas cradle

and in the Easter tomb?

Christmas has its cradle, wise men came to bring

Myrrh and gold and incense, off'rings for a King;

Myrrh alone stayed with Him,

death's balm for this Boy,

From the Christmas cradle and to His Easter joy.

Christmas has its cradle, where that Baby cried;

In the Easter garden, Christ lay, crucified;

When death's pow'r was conquered,

God's life through him poured;

Christmas has its cradle

and Easter has its Lord!

Luke 2: 1-40

Matthew 28: 1-20