Our Deliverer Has Come

 I stood in the middle of the kitchen and wept. The radio was on and I heard for the first time the details about the shooting that had taken place that day at an elementary school. I felt overwhelmed by sorrow. In my mind I could see the faces of my own children and grandchildren at that young age. I grieved for the children and the families and for all of us because these children in some ways belong to all of us.

“A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:18) This too is part of the Christmas story. Why did Jesus come? He came to be the deliverer to rescue us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Sometimes I feel that at Christmas time everyone should be happy but this reflects a very shallow understanding of why Jesus came. Jesus came in response to the tender mercy of our God to be our deliverer to save us from the Power of Darkness. Jesus came, “To give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 2:77-79)

Last Sunday we sang “Our Deliverer is Coming” by Rich Mullins. The song was particularly touching because we had a small choir of young children who sang the chores. These are the word to the song;

Joseph took his wife and her child

And they went to Africa

To escape the rage of a deadly King

There along the banks of the Nile

Jesus listened to the song

That the captive children used to sing

They were singing’

My deliverer is comin’, my deliverer is standing by

My deliverer is comin’, my deliverer is standing by

Through a dry and thirsty land

Water from the Kenyon heights

Pours itself out of lake  Sangra’s broken heart

There I the Sahara winds

Jesus heard the whole world cry

For the healin’ that would flow from His  own scars

The world was singn’

My deliverer is comin’, my deliverer is standin’ by

My deliverer is comin’, my deliverer is standin’ by

He will never break His promise

He has written it upon the sky

My deliverer is comin’, my deliverer is standin’ by

My deliverer is comin’, my deliverer is standin’ by

I will never doubt His promise

Though I doubt my heart, I doubt my eyes

My deliverer is comin’, my deliverer is standin’ by

My deliverer is comin’, my deliverer is standin’ by

He will never break his promise

Though the stars should break faith with the sky

Father, yesterday the thin membrane that separates us from the evil one was ruptured. I am reminded of that first Christmas when there was the sound of weeping and lamentations, mothers weeping for their children refusing to be comforted because their children had been taken from them. Two thousand year later the sound of weeping mothers can be heard again. Thank You, for sending your son into this broken world to be our deliverer.