He who built the starry skies
Dear Friends,
There’s some seriously good theology in the carols we sing at Christmas – which is a good job, or else we shouldn’t be singing them at all! For instance, how about this verse from ‘See, amid the winter’s snow’? (I hope we can forgive the reference to snow!)
Lo, within the manger lies He who built the starry skies;
He who, throned in height sublime, sits amid the cherubim.
It’s a marvellous antidote to sentimental notions about ‘baby Jesus’. It’s quite possible at Christmas time to get the impression that Jesus was only ever a baby. Few people seem concerned to ask what happened to the baby, and why we should be celebrating his birth in any case. Sure, Jesus was a real human baby, but he was also the Lord of glory. He built the skies under which he was born.
When the Word became flesh (John 1:14), he didn’t cease being the same Word who was with God and was God (John 1:1), and through whom all things were made (John 1:3), including the starry skies. And the baby grew up and lived a perfect life so he could die for our sins and be exalted to his Father’s right hand, where once again he sits amid the cherubim, throned in height sublime.
Yours in Christ,
Chris Hobbs