Christ Has Come, All Is Well
by Dan Chappel
Christ's incarnation on that first Christmas evening demonstrated that God was willing to step into the darkness of all that was not right and speak a message of hope, a message of peace, a message that would, in time, demonstrate that all is well even though all does not seem so. As you read this meditation take time to reflect on the coming of Christ, who He is for us, and the full ramifications of His first appearing (John 1, Colossians 1:15-23, Philippians 2:1-10).
The Apostle John tells us that Christ was the true light coming into the world and the darkness could not overcome this light (Jn. 1:5). Christ's incarnation announced that the light would win, and it cast a bright hope across a horizon representing the expectant waiting of Israel.
We still wait with hope, believing that the light is still winning. And this time we wait with an expanded understanding of Christ's light. On the other side of the resurrection, we wait for his second coming, one that will bring to a conclusion all that was inaugurated on that evening in Bethlehem (Romans 8:25, Galatians 5:5, Titus 2:13).
The coming of Christ proclaimed a message of peace on earth, a message to be declared to all and charged with meaning far beyond that first night. It proclaimed that the longsuffering of Israel was coming to an end and God had brought a deliverer. But far beyond anyone's wildest dreams and earth-bound expectations, God was proclaiming a spiritual peace with unlimited significance for His people and all created in His image. Today, the charge is to continue that hope in light of all that Christ has done and will continue to do. We proclaim that what began in a manger was fulfilled on a cross and brought reconciliation and the proclamation of God's justice for all who bear his image.
Today, much like Israel, we face many circumstances that tell us all is not well, and many proclaim a message of an uncertain future. Many of the most vulnerable among us live closer to this uncertainty and the message of hope seems lost in a sea of hopeless intrusions. As we celebrate the incarnation, we have the opportunity to beat back the messages of hopelessness with the message of hope that God has come, He is with us, and behold He is making all things new! He has stepped into the darkness of all that is not well and proclaims, in Christ, that all will indeed be well. We seek His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Hallelujah, Emmanuel, God with us!
Click the play button above to hear "All Is Well" performed by DBU Grand Chorus, Adrianne Duvall (soloist)
Recording Engineer: Jake Kreifels and Jesse Hopkins | Written by: Michael W. Smith and Wayne Kirkpatrick
Dan Chappel, Executive Director at Identify Network, is a current Ph.D. in Leadership Studies student with a concentration in Ministry Leadership at Dallas Baptist University.
The DBU Grand Chorus is the university’s mass choir featuring the majority of the College of Fine Arts’ music and music business students. The choir performs regularly for annual university events including the Christmas Festival, the Mary Crowley Chapel, and the Russell H. Perry Free Enterprise Award Dinner.
Adrianne Duvall graduated from Dallas Baptist University with a Bachelor of Music in Church Music.