Dad has a large collection of Bibles in many different versions. Recently he gave me two of them. Very precious gifts, indeed. They represent countless hours of study and recording, because the margins are filled with his notes.
When I say countless, I’m not exaggerating. On numerous pages, Dad has squeezed five or six lines of fine, tiny printing in the upper margin, a space just ¾” wide. I almost need a magnifying glass.
To read his collection of word meanings, explanations, and applications has been bittersweet. Dad now has severe arthritis and Parkinson’s disease. Although he is still an avid reader, he is no longer able to write.
As Christmas has approached, I’ve wondered, what might Dad have written in his Bibles about the birth of Jesus?
The first note that caught my attention was from his New American Standard, Ryrie Study Bible (1976, Moody Press). The note concerns Mary’s song, the Magnificat, found in Luke 1:46-55). We looked at her beautiful prayer last Thursday, in the post titled, “Mary’s Song.”
Mary began her song by saying, “My soul exalts the Lord” (NAS). The New International Version translates that sentence, “My soul glorifies the Lord.”
Before we proceed to the quote itself, let’s examine those words, exalt and glorify. (No doubt that’s what Dad would do. And surely somewhere in one of these two Bibles I’ll come across a pithy definition or two for exalt and glorify. For now, I’m on my own!)
Exalt means to raise in status, to elevate, to glorify and praise.
Glorify means to give glory, honor, or high praise, to exalt.
Put in simple terms: to exalt and glorify is to compliment truthfully and profusely.
Now here’s what Dad wrote:
To exalt the Lord at Christmas, we need to refocus our attention on the event we celebrate rather than on the celebration of the event.
Oh, Lord Jesus. My eyes fill with tears as I think of all the times my attention has been on the celebration and not on the sacred moment when you became flesh and made your dwelling among us. Too often my focus has been on…
…the gifts under the tree instead of the implausible Gift of Yourself. You left the glorious riches of heaven, to be born into the depravity of humanity. I cannot fathom the depth of such love.
…the joyous, boisterous family get-togethers, instead of the supernatural get-together of all believers (including me, of all people) and God Almighty. Your birth, and especially your death and resurrection make our relationship with you possible. I cannot fathom that kind of sacrifice.
…the decorations and twinkling lights that make the house sparkle and glow, instead of You, the Light of the world, who makes my sin-bent heart sparkle and glow. I cannot fathom such transformation.
For these last precious hours of the Christmas season, 2012, I want to focus on You. I want to give you honor and praise for everything Your birth has made possible: the experience of your love, the benefit of your sacrifice, and the glorious transformation you generate within each of us. In the name of our Savior, Christ the Lord, Amen.
*See the post titled, “Mary’s Song,” from December 20, 2012.
From the Inside Out 
There’s a video going around about Christmas. It says that without Christ there would be no Santa Claus. How does the miraculous birth of our Savior tie in with the commercialism of Santa Claus? With our Lord, it’s all love, love, love. With Santa it’s all buy, buy, buy. I don’t get it.
Merry Christmas, Grace! Thank you for taking time to read yesterday’s post. I haven’t seen the video that says without Christ there would be no Santa Claus. They may be referring to the Saint Nicholas who really did live in Asia Minor. Not much is known of his life because he lived so long ago (the 300s A.D., they think). There are stories of how he used his sizeable inheritance to help others, but always secretly. Later in life he became a bishop. Even after several centuries he was still revered. Hundreds of churches were named after him. So, perhaps, the point of the video is: without Jesus, Saint Nicholas would not have become a generous, kind, helpful man who inspired thousands after him. We would not remember him today as the inspiration of Santa Claus. How sad that “Santa Claus” now symbolizes consumerism instead of the love-in-action the real Saint Nicholas demonstrated so consistently.
How wonderful to be blessed with such a Godly earth father as you are, Nancy! (Very sorry to hear about his present challenges, however.) It is, indeed, unfortunate how the devil uses commercialism to influence man to take our eyes off of the real reason for Christmas. Even those belonging to Christ can get temporarily distracted by the superficial lights and tinsel of man. It kind of boggles the mind how those who don’t even believe in Christ and Salvation do inadvertently celebrate CHRISTmas…commercially…without one thought of Christ! I rejoice that I belong to Him…a gift from our Heavenly Father…the best present ever given. Oh, how it pained God to know that someday his precious miracle baby boy would have to die on the cross for OUR sins. Praise His Name!
Your worshipful comments blessed my heart, Cheri. I, too, rejoice that the all-powerful, all-wise, loving God of the universe is my Heavenly Father. I can’t imagine life without him.