Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the birth of a child is always significant. But not all people respond the same way. Some people aren't really interested. Other people are. Some might say congratulations. Others might come and see the baby. Some may even pick up. and hold the child. People can respond in different ways to the birth of a child. That's also true with regard to the birth of Jesus. People can and do respond in different ways. The account of his birth itself is fascinating, isn't it? Think of how it all happens. Most of what we know of it comes from the Gospel of Luke and a little bit from Matthew. Think of how it began with that angel Gabriel visiting a woman, a young woman living in Nazareth named Mary, a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph of the house of David. And he tells her she's going to conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. and choose to call his name Jesus. and he will be called the Son of the Highest, the Son of God. And not only that, the Lord will give him the throne of his father David, and he's going to reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Mary apparently doesn't tell Joseph about any of this, and sometime later Joseph finds out Mary's pregnant, and he makes plans to quietly cancel the marriage. But then an angel appears to him and tells him not to be afraid to marry her, because the child she is carrying is conceived by the Holy Spirit. And he goes on to tell him also to call his name Jesus, and he explains why. For he shall save his people from their sins. And so Joseph takes Mary as his wife. But he doesn't know her intimately till after the birth of the child. And finally, the time comes close for him to be born, for the child to be born. But then a decree goes out from the Roman emperor that all the world should be taxed. And that means that Joseph and Mary now have to go to Bethlehem. And so they do. What a difficult journey that must have been. And when they get there, they can't even find a proper place to stay. When the time comes, Mary delivers her firstborn son and wraps him in swaddling clothes and lays him in a manger, a feeding trough for animals, because there was no room for him, for them in the inn. And then that same night, he's born, an angel appears to the shepherds and tells them that they'll find that there's born in this day to them in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And they'll find him wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And then suddenly there's that multitude of the heavenly hosts that suddenly appear, and they declare glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. The shepherds see all this and they go and they find Jesus and they find it just as the angel had told them and they go and tell everybody they can about all the things that they had seen and heard. The birth of Jesus really is a fascinating story, isn't it? But not everyone responds to it in the same way. Some people aren't really interested at all. They don't even acknowledge it. Others do, but then they simply go on with their lives. Or perhaps they're uncertain, uncertain about how to respond. Some people, they find his birth troubling. They're bothered by it. They might hide that. They might appear to be happy about Jesus' birth, but inside they're full of fear. They're full of even anger and hatred. But to others, The birth of Jesus is most precious. They not only acknowledge it, but this one who was born is everything to them. That is really how it should be. Because Jesus is not an ordinary baby. And that's what we've been reminded of over the last few weeks, haven't we? For those of you who are visiting with us today, the last several weeks, we've been looking at the prophecy of the birth of Jesus in Isaiah 9, verses 6 and 7. And it says in those verses, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. Upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." These words were written 700 years before the actual birth of Jesus, but it's clearly speaking about him and about his birth. And that means that He, the One whose birth we are remembering today, ought to be exceedingly precious to all of us. He should be everything to us because of who He is. And that is really the message that our passage this morning, Matthew 2, verses one through 12, is reinforcing to us. It's showing us the wise, the proper, the sensible response to the birth of Jesus. It can be summed up in what the wise men say at the end of verse two. We are come to worship him. This passage is calling us to be like the wise men, to make Jesus everything to us because of who he is. My prayer is that God will use this passage this morning to work that in you and me by His grace, whether for the first time or again, and more and more so. So our theme is the wise respond to Jesus' birth. We'll notice four ways they do so. First, by seeking Him. Secondly, by rejoicing in Him. Third, by worshiping Him. And fourth, by serving Him. The wise respond to Jesus' birth, first of all, by seeking Him. That's what we see the wise men doing in verses 1 through 8. We're going to spend most of our time on this first point. Look with me at verses one and two. What do they tell us? Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him. Who were these people? Where exactly did they come from? And what was the star that they saw? How did it show them that the king of the Jews was born? How did they even know there was a king of the Jews at all? The text doesn't tell us much. We do know from the book of Daniel that the king of Babylon in the Old Testament times had wise men who studied the stars and interpreted dreams and gave advice to the king on various matters. The one thing we can say for sure is that they were not Jews, they were Gentiles. That's clear from their question, right? They don't say, where is he that is born our king, but where is he that is born king of the Jews? And so they're Gentiles. It may be that they came from Babylon, or perhaps even further east. Maybe they were familiar with the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, like the ones in the book of Daniel. But whatever the case, they see this special star that somehow indicates to them that the king of the Jews has been born. And then what do they do? Do they shrug their shoulders and say, oh, that's interesting? No, they don't, do they? These Gentiles get up and they go to Israel. They are made truly wise by the grace of God and are drawn to go and look for this king of the Jews. The wise respond. to Jesus' birth by seeking Him, by seeking Him whatever the cost. That's what these wise men do. They leave their homes in the East and they come to Jerusalem. That's naturally the first place they go because Jerusalem is the capital city, the city of the kings in the Old Testament. But that wasn't just a walk down the street. That wasn't even a 20-minute drive to church. No, the distance they had to travel is roughly about the distance between here and Vancouver in BC. That's a long ways. And remember, they didn't have cars back then. Maybe they had camels. But even if they did, their trip would have taken at least several weeks, maybe even more than a month. And yet they did it anyway. They made this long, difficult trip to seek Jesus. They seek Him whatever the cost. It's a little bit like... when my brother lost his glasses in that swimming hole that I told you about last Sunday in the morning service. They looked for those glasses, whatever the cost, in spite of the cost, the water was brutally cold. But they went in anyways. They went in to seek, to look for those glasses. Of course, they didn't find them. And so they eventually did give up. And that's okay, because at the end of the day, it's just a pair of glasses. But that can't be said about this Jesus. He's the promised King. He's the wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He, this King of the Jews, is the Savior we need. Do you understand that? Well, then it will show, won't it? It will show in our seeking Him whatever the cost. Does that describe you? How helpful in this connection are these words from J.C. Ryle. It would be well for all professing Christians, if they were more ready to follow the wise men's example. Where is our self-denial? What pains do we take about our souls? What diligence do we show about following Christ? What does our religion cost us? The wise men seek Jesus whatever the cost. Not only that, they seek Jesus persistently. Look, do you see them there? They're coming into the gates of Jerusalem. Do you see them? What are they doing? They're stopping someone, someone who's passing by. It looks like they're asking him something, but what's he doing? No, he's giving them a strange look. He's shaking his head, he's shrugging his shoulders, and now he's turning away and leaving. What's that all about? Now, look, they're stopping another person. Let's get closer to find out what's going on, to find out what they're saying. Listen, do you hear them? Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and we are come to worship him. Look, this man too is giving them a strange look, almost a frightened look. And now he's talking, listen. What? What star? Are you nuts? I don't know of any King of the Jews. The only King I know of around here is Herod. Sorry, I can't help you. Do us a favor, will you? Stop asking. Herod's not exactly fond of rivals. And there's no telling what he might do to you or to us if he hears about this. You know what, it's probably best if you just turn around and go home. What are these wise men going to do now? Are they going to give up? No. They don't. They keep asking people where this King is because they know He has been born and they've come to worship Him. They simply must find Him. They seek Jesus persistently. How different from the Jews in Jerusalem. How different from God's own covenant people. When they hear these wise men telling them that their King has been born, How do they respond? They respond with being indifferent and even troubled by it. That's somewhat understandable, of course. The Jews, they had been without any new words from God for 400 years, and life was hard, especially under Herod. Herod was a man driven by a lust for power, and he was extremely cruel. He would kill anyone whom he thought would threaten his power, even his own children. The Jews are understandably discouraged and fearful, and yet that doesn't excuse their response to the wise men. God's word was clear. Their king was coming, and his kingdom would prevail, and he would care for his people like a faithful shepherd. The very prophecy they quote makes that clear. You see, Herod eventually did hear about the wise men and their mission. And verse 3 says, when he does, he's troubled and all Jerusalem with him. And so what does he do? Verse 4, and when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not, are by no means, the least among the princes of Judah. For out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule, literally shepherd. my people Israel. It's a reference to Micah 5 verse 2. And the point is here that God's word was clear that their king would come and that he would not fail. And now these wise men have come and said, where is he? He's been born, where is he? But they're unmoved. No one goes with the wise men to seek their king, even though he's so close, so close. He's in Bethlehem. That's only a two hour walk away. There are people. Who have given up, there are people who would rather be at peace with Herod. than at peace with God. They don't want the trouble this new king would cause them. In John Calvin's words, they cared less about the grace of God than about the frown of a tyrant. God's own covenant people have given up seeking their king. That happens, and it can happen here too. You can fail to seek Christ because you don't want the trouble that he will cause you. You don't want your life to be upset. You're comfortable the way things are. You'd rather stay in your bondage to sin and to Satan than be at peace with God. And so you don't seek Jesus. You think he just messed things up. Or maybe you are looking to him. Hopefully, hopefully you are. But maybe if you're honest, you're tempted sometimes to just give up. It's so hard. It's so hard seeking Him. Maybe it seemed okay at first, but now there's trials, now there's hardship, now there's opposition. Now you feel the rage of Satan. Is it really worth it? Is it really even true? Oh yes, yes, yes it is because of who He is. He's the King and He's come to save and to care for all His people, for all who trust in Him, Jew and Gentile. Oh then let's seek Him and let's not give up. Let's seek Him persistently. That's how the wise respond to Christ's birth. They seek Him in spite of the cost. They seek Him persistently and they seek Him in true faith. That's what these wise men are doing. They're seeking Jesus Christ in order to worship him. Herod pretends to want to do that too. Verse seven tells us that he secretly calls the wise men and inquires of them diligently what time the star appeared. He's pretending interest in their discovery. In verse eight, he sends them on to Bethlehem and tells them to search diligently for the young child and report back to him so that he can come and worship him too. Truth is, he doesn't wanna come and worship him. He wants to come and wipe him out. He's pretending. But the wise men aren't doing that. They are seeking Christ in true faith. And shouldn't we? Shouldn't you? Think of all God has told us this child is in His words. Think just again of His name in Isaiah 9, that glorious name which we've been considering. Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace. Why would you pretend to seek Him? Why wouldn't you seek Him for real in true faith? He's the way to real and eternal salvation and blessing. The only way. And He's come. He's come. He's been born. Oh, then let's seek Him. But that's not the only way the wise respond to Jesus' birth. They respond not only by seeking Him, but also by rejoicing in Him. We see this in verses 9 and 10. What do the wise men do? When they had heard the king, they departed. And lo, the star which they saw in the east went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." Joy to the fourth degree. Do you see them? Just picture it for a minute. Do you see them coming out now of Jerusalem? It's late in the day. It's already dark. We're getting close to dark. And as they leave, that miraculous star that they had seen back home, it suddenly reappears. And the men are thrilled. They're overjoyed. You can almost hear them saying to each other, look, look, there it is. There it is. Do you see it? Do you see it? And look, look, it's moving. It's guiding us. It's leading us. It's showing us where to go. That's what it does. It literally moves ahead of them, leading them on their way to Jerusalem, or to Bethlehem, I mean. And then, it stops. And where does it stop? It stops right over the house, the place where Jesus and Mary and Joseph were. Oh, how joyful they are. What's that saying? It's saying the wise respond to Jesus' birth by rejoicing in Him. Why? Why do these wise men respond with such extreme joy? Well, the text doesn't tell us explicitly, but I can think of only one reason. They understood. the significance of Jesus being the King of the Jews. They understood that he is indeed good tidings of great joy, which shall be not just to the Jews, but to the Gentiles like themselves too. They understood that this young child they are seeking, this king who has been born, is a savior, just as the angel told the shepherds that night when he was born, that he is a savior from sin, that he is a savior they themselves needed. And they understood that He is a Savior willing and able to save them too. And they had finally found Him. Or rather, He had found them. What else could make them rejoice the way they did over this King of the Jews? How else do you explain it? You see, when you understand you're a sinner, And when you understand something of the seriousness of that, what greater joy can there be than to learn there's a Savior from sin? A Savior also for you. That's what the birth of Jesus, this great King, is all about. It's about a Savior from sin. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 1 verse 15, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to what? To save sinners. To save sinners from the guilt of their sins. To save them from the punishment of their sins. To save them from the power of their sins. To save them from the presence of their sins. And to save them from all the consequences of their sins. to save them, and not by works that they have done, but by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, so that all who come to Him, all who look to Him alone, they might be saved. They might be saved through His life and through His death on behalf of sinners. That's what Jesus' birth is all about. That's why He's born and all to find such a Savior also for you. Is that not reason to rejoice in Him? Are you? How can we not? Unless, perhaps, we don't realize we're sinners, or how serious that is, or we just don't care. We like sin too much, and we don't want to let it go. Oh, then that you would see what sin really is, what you yourself really are, a vile, wretched sinner under the wrath of God. Oh, that you would see then the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, this one whose birth we are remembering especially today. And what you do, you see, you can't help but rejoice in him. Yes, even like these wise men did, they don't just rejoice. They rejoice with joy. And they don't just rejoice with joy, but they rejoice with great joy. And they don't just rejoice with great joy, but they rejoice with exceeding great joy. Their joy is so great, it's inexpressible. You say, you say, how can I rejoice, Pastor? How can I rejoice like that when things are so hard? You don't know what I'm going through right now. There can be times like that, can't there? Times when things are tough, times when things are hard, when lament is right and proper. Peter writes about that in 1 Peter 1. He writes to believers about how they have been grieved, distressed by various trials as they wait for the coming again of Jesus Christ. And yet, and yet he says also this of them, though now ye see Christ not, Yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." In other words, you see what he's saying? When you belong to Christ by faith, and you're walking in true love to Him, then you can rejoice in Him with exceeding great joy, even in distressing times. Because He has been born, and one day He will come again for salvation, the fullness of salvation, and He will set all things right. You see, when you understand that, and you can and do rejoice in Him, even as you suffer distress at the same time, you're rejoicing in Christ. Will you? That's how the wise respond to Christ's birth. But they also worship him. And we see this in the first part of verse 11. The star has stopped over the house where the young child is. The wise men have finally found the king they've been seeking. And so they approach the door, and verse 11 says, and when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshiped him. Already in verse two, when they were in Jerusalem, they said that's why they had come. We are come to worship Him. And now that they found Him, that's what they do. That's how the wise respond to Jesus' birth, by worshiping Him. They honor Him as divine. They honor Him as God. That's what the wise men's worship indicates. It indicates honoring Him as God, not just as a king. And that shouldn't be surprising, especially if they knew the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, since many of them point to His being God. Think of Isaiah 7, verse 14, that says, He shall be called Immanuel, God with us. Or Isaiah 9, verse 6, when it says, His name shall be called the mighty God. The point is, Jesus is not merely a human being like us. He is. He is fully human, though without sin. But He's more than that. He's also fully God. He is God incarnate. God made flesh. And so the wise response, the sensible response, is to worship Him, to honor Him as God. Not doing that is really folly. It's foolishness. That raises the question, do you worship Jesus? Do you honor him as God? Do I? Do we bow to Christ's authority? Do we heed his commands? Do we believe his promises? Do we trust his strength? Do we do those things? Do we do them always? Do we heed all his commands or just the ones that suit us? Do we always believe all his promises? Do we always trust his strengths? Aren't those convicting questions? They are for me. What about you? Do you honor Jesus as God perfectly? Who of us really does? And yet we should because He is God. So let's seek to honor Him as God. And let our shortcomings and failures humble us all so that together we fall down before Christ like these wise men did. That's the secret to real gospel unity. It's falling down together in humility and submission and worship as needy sinners before the Lamb, before the Prince of Peace, confessing our sins and sinfulness and casting ourselves on His mercy and seeking to live in complete submission to Him. Are we doing that? Are you? Whom are we worshiping? Oh, don't you want it to be Jesus? As Matthew Henry put it, it will be the wisdom of the wisest of men, and by this it will appear they know Christ and understand themselves and their true interests if they be humble, faithful worshipers of the Lord Jesus. That's how the wise respond to his birth. They seek him, they rejoice in him, they worship him, and lastly, more briefly, they serve him. What do the wise men do after falling down and worshiping Jesus? Middle of verse 11. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. In other words, these wise men, they are serving Jesus. The wise respond to Jesus' birth by serving Him. They give Him their treasures. That's what these wise men do. They give Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Now each of these gifts may have separate significance. We don't have time to look at that today. But the main point is that all these gifts, they show us who Jesus is. According to Isaiah 60, gold and frankincense are the gifts that would be given to the Lord when His glory is revealed in Christ the Redeemer. Psalm 72 also speaks of gold being given to the Messiah, the one who shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth, the one who saves the poor and needy. And then Myrrh perfumes the garments of that divine King that is spoken about in Psalm 45. And so these gifts, they're telling us who Jesus is. He's the divine King, the Messiah of God. And they serve Him. They give Him their treasures. They devote their precious things for His service. And so should we. He hasn't changed. He's the King. He's so worthy, not just of our things, but of our lives. Oh, then let's give ourselves and all that we have to Him, to His service. Yes, let's devote ourselves entirely to Him. That's what the wise men do in verse 12, isn't it? When God warns them in a dream not to return to King Herod, they have to make a choice. What king will they serve? Herod or Jesus? They choose Jesus. They devote themselves entirely to Him. Well, let us do the same as we remember his birth. Yes, let us, like the wise men, make Jesus everything to us, because he's none other than the one of whom Isaiah 9, verses 6 and 7 speaks. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. Upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. People respond in different ways to the birth of Jesus, but the wise respond by seeking him, rejoicing in him, worshiping him, and serving him. all through faith in him. Let us so be wise by God's grace. Amen. ♪ Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful ♪ ♪ Isn't Jesus, my Lord, wonderful ♪ ♪ I can see He's a friend ♪ ♪ His reformation prospered ♪ ♪ Isn't Jesus, my Lord, wonderful ♪ ♪ Singing, Jesus was born ♪ ♪ Christmas day, Christmas day ♪ ♪ If you Jesus was born Christmas day ♪ ♪ God's last day is at work ♪ ♪ It's recorded in God's word ♪ ♪ If you Jesus was born Christmas day ♪ ♪ Shepherds heard angels sing, angels sing, angels sing ♪ Shepherds heard angels sing, Christmas Day. Eyes have seen, ears have heard, things pre-chorded in God's Word. Hail, ye kings of God, for Christmas Day. Angels say, glory to God on high, God on high. Angels say, glory to God on high. The highest I've seen is at birth. It's sweet, holy, and proud to birth. Angels say, glory to God on high. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. ♪ Coming my way today ♪ ♪ And I'm so happy, so very happy ♪ ♪ That Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day ♪ ♪ And I'm so happy, so very happy ♪ ♪ That Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day ♪ Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp your feet. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart I'm so happy, so very happy. I'm so happy, so very happy. Happy birthday to you. ever said one to another, let us not go to bed at one half, and see this kid which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. Oh, how holy. Faithful. Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. ♪ Come and behold him ♪ ♪ Born the king of angels ♪ ♪ O come let us adore him ♪ ♪ O come let us adore him ♪ ♪ O come let us adore him ♪ ♪ Christ the Lord ♪ Praise ye the Lord, for He is good, His thanks and blessings in vain. His lovingkindness changes not, From age to age the same. Thank you. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. John 1, verse 1. The same was in the beginning with God. John 1, verse 2. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. John 1, verse 3. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1, verse 4. and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. John 1 verse 14. John 1 verse 14b. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. For unto us is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2, verse 11. But you, Bethlehem of Pharaoh, thou, you, be little among the thousands of Judah. "'Yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me "'that is ruler to be in Israel, "'whose goings forth have been of old from everlasting.'" Micah five, verse two. "'And the angels said unto them, "'Fear not, for behold, "'I bring you good tidings of great joy, "'which shall be unto all people.'" Luke two, verse 10. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in that inn. Luke 2 verse 7. ♪ Look down on the mountains over the hills and everywhere ♪ ♪ Oh, tell of a day that Jesus Christ was born ♪ ♪ The shepherds kept their watching ♪ ♪ For silent walks by night ♪ ♪ People through the heavens and air ♪ ♪ There shone a holy light ♪ ♪ On Caledonia day ♪ ♪ O'er the hills and everywhere ♪ ♪ There was a Caledonia day ♪ ♪ That Jesus Christ did come ♪ ♪ With tears and trembles ♪ ♪ When low above the earth ♪ ♪ Reigned out the angels' forebest ♪ ♪ That hailed the Savior's birth ♪ ♪ Earth, go tell it on the mountains ♪ ♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪ ♪ Go tell it on the mountains ♪ ♪ Till that Jesus Christ is born ♪ ♪ Down in a lowly manger ♪ ♪ The humble Christ was born ♪ ♪ And God sent a salvation ♪ ♪ That blessed Christmas morn ♪ ♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪ So tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born. Yeah. O come, all ye faithful joyful and triumphant, O come, all ye faithful joyful and triumphant, born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom reign. Thou our own eternal spirit, rule in all our acts alone. I'm going to go first, and then you. Christ is born today. Christ is born today. Christ is born today. Christ is born today. Christ is born today. Rejoice! ♪ As open heavens open we are blessed forevermore ♪ ♪ Christ is born for us ♪ ♪ Christ is born for us ♪ ♪ New Christians let's rejoice ♪ Jesus Christ was born to save. All to God and all to God, to him is everlasting love. Christ was born to save. Christ was born to save. Glory to God, Glory to God in the highest, in the highest, in the highest. Praise to your name. Glory to God in the highest. Glory to God in the highest. Peace be your way. Peace be your way. Peace be your way. ♪ Praise ye our Lord ♪ ♪ To the people, to the people ♪ ♪ Who proudly they stand ♪ ♪ To the people, who proudly they stand ♪ ♪ Who proudly they stand ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ In the highest ♪ ♪ In the highest ♪ ♪ In the highest ♪ ♪ Peace be on heaven ♪ Peace be on earth to me, from whom God delights me.