December 25, 2024

“And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, nlt)

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My mind and heart can’t shake the oft-sung carol of Christmas, “O Holy Night.” Here’s my favorite stanza . . .

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth;

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

’Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.*

What strikes me most about that stanza is the phrase, “the weary world rejoices.” If anything is true, we live in a weary world—weary of conflict, weary of war, weary of turmoil, and weary of the brokenness that humans experience.

In our centennial year at Dallas Theological Seminary, we have highlighted our thankfulness for God’s faithfulness in the past, our gratitude for His provision today, and our hope for a bright and fruitful future. That hope flows directly from the unlimited fountainhead of grace poured out on the world at Christ’s birth.

The Bible reminds us that no one escapes the penalty of sin’s condemnation, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Yet, the message of Christ is a message of hope—a hope that Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, came to set us free from sin. That message of hope fuels everything we do at DTS. The message of Christmas rings with the hope of forgiveness.

Because of Christ’s finished work of redemption on the cross, the weary world can rejoice! You and I rejoice this Christmas, alongside countless millions of believers around the world, because in Jesus our Savior, our sins have been forgiven.

Let’s do as the hymn writer declares and fall on our knees in hope-filled worship of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. And join us this season in sharing this message, won’t you? May a weary world rejoice anew in the hope of Christmas: Jesus!

 

Dr. Mark M. Yarbrough
President
Professor of Bible Exposition