You Came!!

I am a huge fan of Jonathan David & Melissa Helser's music.  When I heard this song the other day, I couldn't help but think of it as a Christmas one - even though it's really about Lazarus and bringing him back from the dead.  I hope they're okay with me explaining the lyrics differently.  Please listen to it before reading further, since this is how this post was birthed - and turn it up!  It is an awesome way to go into Christmas morning (or any morning for that matter)!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7NdBVTtvcg&list=RDf7NdBVTtvcg&t=14

You stood outside my grave

With tears still on your face

I heard You say my name

My night was turned to day

You came, I knew that you would come

You sang, My heart it woke up

I'm not afraid, I see Your face, I am alive

You came, I knew that You would come

Today is the day He came!  That's what we are celebrating.  He left the glory and comfort of His throne and came to this humble, smelly, dirty, messy earth - because He loves us and wanted to make a way to be with us (Rom 8:3).   All the prophesies that foretold this day, we now celebrate - we knew He would do it!  He told us He would!

Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

I believe the words from the song apply to Jesus' birth just as much as they do bringing Lazarus back from the dead.  I believe the emotion of this event that had been foretold for so long had to be so overwhelming that it left God with tears on His face.  Watching Jesus, His Son, leave His side and enter this disordered mess.  In love, He began to weep.  At first, they may have been very sad tears for He knew the purpose of Jesus' life.  He was standing outside the grave - the tomb - foreseeing what He would go through.  For this was his destination - as John Piper has said, in His incarnation, he was "locking himself into death row".
But then, they turned to happy tears.  For He knew that as Jesus sacrificially took our sins, He was making a way to be with us!  He would be able to say our names and we would hear His tender whisper, and we would be able to see Him face to face because we had been made clean.  Our hearts would be awakened by His songs.  And, we would no longer be afraid, for the Prince of Peace had arrived.  Hallelujah!!

"You are familiar with the gererosity of our Master, Jesus Christ.  Rich as He was, He gave it all away for us - in one stroke He became poor and we became rich." (2 Cor. 8:9, The Message)

When we look at the lyrics to the song again and imagine the scene of Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead, can you see yourself?  Do you see and hear Him calling your name?  He told Lazarus to "come out!" (John 11), and He says the same to us.  We are pretty much, like Lazarus, in a grave until we allow the gaze of His eyes to penetrate our soul and call us out.  Christmas is God going go to the greatest measure for us to experience life!  He came and destroyed death, and now we have the power to live lives without fear.  I've gotta believe that Lazarus' life after this adventure with Jesus was a bold one - what more is there to fear?  We have the same opportunity.  He came to wake up our hearts to live unafraid!

Flickr photos by: Martin van der Merwe & Sic Itur Ad Astra LRPS