This is Christmas week, and so I thought we might reflect on the hymn, “O Holy Night” by John Dwight.

“O holy night! The stars are brightly shining. It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.”

Jesus came into the world to save us and so we feel valuable and our soul feels its worth. Perhaps the most quoted verse in the Bible is John 3:16. It tells us that Jesus came because “God so loved the world.” He came so that our souls would feel their worth to God.

This hymn also asks us to consider the fact that the King of kings was born as a human infant and placed in a manger. “The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our Friend. He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger. Behold your King, before Him lowly bend.”

Isn’t amazing that there were some who were willing to worship him even while merely a babe in a manger? The hymn then talks about how we should respond to one another in humility.

“Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother, And in His name all oppression shall cease.”

We no longer have slavery in this country, but many people are still enslaved to various forms of sin and need Jesus as their Savior. And we as believers are to model the humility that Jesus demonstrated when He stepped out of eternity into time and gave up His rights as God.

This is a message we not only need at Christmas, but every day.

This is Christmas week, and I thought it might be worthwhile to spend a moment to reflect on the words to the hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” It was written in 1867 by Phillips Brooks (an Episcopal pastor from Philadelphia). He had been in Israel two years earlier and had celebrated Christmas in Bethlehem. He wrote this song to reflect on what the night of the birth of Jesus might have been like.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

While the streets of our cities are quiet on Christmas day, most likely that day was just like any other day for the people in Bethlehem. But as evening came, the town grew quiet and something remarkable took place.

In the second verse the hymn says, “While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.” This is just like today. Our world goes about its business, usually oblivious to the spiritual realities around it.

Jesus came into the world quietly. Yes, there was the angelic announcement to the shepherds, but most other people were unaware of the fact that the most significant event in history was taking place. God became a man. But he was born in a stable and laid in a feeding trough. There was no pomp or circumstance as you would expect of a King.

Jesus came not only to live among us but to ultimately die for our sins. He took upon Himself the sins of the world (your sins and my sins) and paid the ultimate penalty that we deserved to pay that we might have everlasting life.

During this Christmas week, I hope you will stop long enough to consider what happened in that little town of Bethlehem. But even more so, I hope you will think about what Jesus did for you at Calvary.

Although we usually sing the carol “Joy to the World” during the Christmas season, the hymn isn’t really about the incarnation of Jesus. Isaac Watts wrote it and has often been known as the “Father of English Hymnology.” He composed “Joy to the World” in 1719. It was originally titled “The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom.” The original title illustrates why there is no reference to angels, shepherds, or wise men. It is really about Christ’s second coming. That doesn’t mean we can’t sing about the coming of Christ as King during the Christmas season since His first coming foretells His second coming.

The hymn is actually a paraphrase of Psalm 98: “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praise.” It then answers why: “for He [the Lord] comes to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness, and the people with equity.”

Psalm 98 was originally a song of rejoicing for the Lord’s protection of His chosen people. Isaac Watts used it as a New Testament expression of praise. Remember what the angel said to the shepherds: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy.”

The hymn proclaims that the earth should “receive her King” and every heart should “prepare Him room.” That has not happened yet, but there will be a time when as the hymn says “the Savior reigns.”

“No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.” Because of the Fall, we now have thorns and thistles. But in the New Heaven and Earth, the curse will be gone.

Christ will also come as Judge and Ruler. The hymn proclaims that: “He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.”

The carol “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is an English translation of a Latin hymn that is sung during Advent and Christmas. The text goes back to at least the 18th century (and perhaps much earlier) while the music put to it goes back to the 15th century.

“O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel. That mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”

Emmanuel means, “God with us.” Even before the coming of Christ, we see passages in the Old Testament that remind us that God was with Israel. In 1 Kings 8 we read, “Praise the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us.” In Psalm 46, we read that, “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.”

One of the most visible reminders of God’s presence was during the Exodus. God was with the Israelites as a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day. His presence was with them in the Tabernacle and later the Temple in the Holy of Holies.

But the most important aspect of Emmanuel is found in the New Testament. John tells us in his gospel, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). This is the miracle of the Incarnation. God put on human flesh and came to Israel so that He might give His life for all of us. Paul writes to Timothy, “Here is the great mystery of our religion: Christ came as a human” (1 Timothy 3:16). This is what we celebrate at Christmas.

One song we often sing during the Christmas season is “What Child Is This?” William Chatterton Dix wrote the lyrics in 1865 when he was an insurance company manager and had been struck by a severe illness. After a spiritual renewal in his life, he wrote a number of hymns. This one was set to the tune of the traditional English folk song, “Greensleeves.”

“What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing: Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.”

The hymn then asks who this child is that was found by the shepherds not in a palace but in a manger. “Why lies He in such a mean estate, where ox and donkeys are feeding?” The next verse reminds us, Jesus was essentially born a peasant king.

“So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh, Come, peasant, king, to own him. The King of kings salvation brings, let loving hearts enthrone him. Raise, raise a song on high, the virgin sings her lullaby. Joy, joy for Christ is born, the babe, the Son of Mary.”

While the shepherds must have wondered who was born in a manger, this verse reminds us that the wise men apparently believed him to be royalty and brought him gifts. Both the shepherds and the wise men had access to baby Jesus because He wasn’t born in a palace that would have guards and bureaucratic protocols.

Isn’t this a great picture for us today? All of us have access to Jesus and merely need to place our trust and faith in Him.

How can we resolve the apparent tension between the scientific presentation of evolution and the Bible? Christians attempt to reconcile the two views by saying that evolution is true, and that’s the mechanism God used. Prominent organizations such as Biologos insist that theistic evolution (sometimes called evolutionary creation) is a superior view because of the evidence for evolutionary theory.

Authors of a new book challenge that assumption based on their scientific understanding and their theological concerns. The book, Theistic Evolution: A Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Critique, is edited by scientists like Stephen C. Meyer, philosophers like J. P. Moreland, and theologians like Wayne Grudem.

Stephen Meyer was on my radio program recently to talk about his articles and contributions by other scientists. He said that he feels that many pastors and theologians believe they are under an obligation to accept an evolutionary worldview. Then they feel they have to interpret Scripture through that evolutionary hermeneutic. But the contributors to this book argue that is hardly necessary given the current status of the evolutionary model.

Meyer believes there is a very large disparity between the public presentation of the evolutionary theory by science popularizers and textbook writers and the actual status of the theory as you find it in the peer-reviewed literature. In fact, some leaders in the field are calling for a new theory of evolution and for a new mechanism for evolutionary change.

The book not only raises scientific questions about evolution but also deals with the philosophical and theological questions that arise once you adopt a view of theistic evolution. Where does the fall and human sinfulness fit into an evolutionary narrative? Is Adam a mythological figure or an historical figure? These are important questions raised in this new book that will challenge you to consider what you believe about origins.

Last week the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on a case that will have quite an influence on religious liberty. Lawyer David French was in my radio studio the other day and said that he has “never seen a case more mischaracterized in my entire legal career.” He has seen lots of cases, so that is quite a statement.

The case involves Christian baker Jack Phillips. When two men visited his Masterpiece Cakes bakery in 2012 and asked for a same-sex wedding cake, he refused. The men filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and launched a campaign against Phillips. Lower courts ruled that Jack Phillips discriminated against the two men and was ordered to make cakes for homosexuals.

The case has been mischaracterized because he does serve homosexual customers and even offered a cake but balked at the message the men wanted to put on the cake. Unfortunately, some commentators have made it seem like Jack Phillips is comparable to Southern segregationists.

The Supreme Court decision won’t come down until next year, but will have a far-reaching impact in other cases. The court’s decision may also determine the fate of Aaron and Melissa Klein (Sweet Cakes) in Oregon and Barronelle Stutzman (Arlene’s Flower) in Washington and other such cases.

In the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, Justice Kennedy did make room for religious disagreement with same-sex marriage in what some have called “the golden paragraph.” His opinion seemed to provide some assurance to religious groups that the First Amendment gives proper protection to their beliefs.

Next year we will find out how serious he is and the court is about religious liberty. This cake case out of Colorado will set a precedent that will be quoted many times in the coming years. That’s why I believe it may be the most important case to come before the High Court this year.

Many members of the millennial generation think they are special. At least that is the conclusion of a recent study of college students. One newspaper report on the study put it this way: “If you asked a college freshman today who the Greatest Generation is, they might respond by pointing in a mirror.” The study of college students documented young people’s unprecedented level of self-infatuation.

Psychologist Jean Twenge found that over the last four decades of research on college freshman, there has been a dramatic rise in self-confidence. For example, they describe themselves as “above average” in academic ability and in their personal lives. The problem is that there is a stark disconnect between their opinions of themselves and their actual ability.

She has found that students suffer from what she calls “ambition inflation.” As their ambition increases, it reaches levels of unrealistic expectations. She has also found in another study that there has been a 30 percent increase toward narcissism in students since 1979.

The changing culture is part of the reason for this dramatic change. She explains: “Our culture used to encourage modesty and humility and not bragging about yourself.” If someone did that in the past, we called that person “stuck-up” or conceited. Today the culture often rewards such attitudes and behavior.

I would also argue that social media encourages and accentuates this trend. Students posting pictures of themselves on Facebook and Instagram, uploading videos on YouTube, and leaving numerous comments on Twitter receive positive feedback for such behavior. These technologies provide additional vehicles to feed their narcissism.

These studies remind us that this generation needs guidance from pastors and parents so they can apply biblical perspectives on success, humility, and self-image.