I am the rose of Sharon[1],
and the lily of the valleys. (Song 2:1)
Lo, how a Rose e'er Blooming
Lo, how a Rose e'er
blooming
from tender stem hath
sprung!
of Jesse's lineage
coming,
as those of old have
sung.
It came, a floweret
bright,
amid the cold of
winter,
when half spent was
the night.
Isaiah 'twas
foretold it,
the Rose I have in
mind;
with Mary we behold
it,
the Virgin Mother
kind.
To show God's love
aright,
she bore to us a
Savior,
when half spent was
the night.
The shepherds heard
the story
proclaimed by angels
bright,
how Christ, the Lord
of glory
was born on earth
this night.
To Bethlehem they
sped
and in the manger
they found him,
as angel heralds
said.
This Flower, whose
fragrance tender
with sweetness fills
the air,
dispels with
glorious splendor
the darkness
everywhere;
true man, yet very
God,
from sin and death
he saves us,
and lightens every
load.
This quaint old Christmas Carol is of German
origin - the first two stanzas from the 15th century, and the last by Friedrich
Layritz in 1854. The musical score is titled, Es ist ein Ros. The words
describe the beauty of the Promise of Christ and of the unfolding beauty of that
great event.
"Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming from tender
stem hath sprung! of Jesse's lineage coming, as those of old have sung. It
came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter, when half spent was the
night." The ancients had a far keener sense of beauty than does the modern
man, so obsessed is he with his gidgets and gadgets. The ancients could see the
beauty of the higher Creation illustrated in the natural beauty of the world
around. The Rose is, in its budding state, a sure promise of an unfolding
beauty. It sprang up in hope of all the natural prerequisites for its full
growth and development. It seemed so frail as a tiny sprig, but with absolute
determination, one detects a tiny bud has formed. By and by, that bud grows and
begins to unfold revealing a majestic and heavenly beauty beyond man's ability
to duplicate. Not only is the appearance lovely, but it emits a wonderful
fragrance that is carried to all around by the breezes of the morning. That
Rosebud was the beginning of the promise made by God through the prophet
Isaiah: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a
Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon
him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." (Isaiah 11:1-2)
Jesus Christ is our Rose of unfolding beauty.
The more pages of His Word we digest, the greater the number of petals that are
spread out upon which we feats our eyes. The effects of His Word in our hearts
is as a magnificent fragrance that sweetens the atmosphere that surrounds His
people. In the cold of winter, the longest day of the year, Jesus was born. It
was also the longest dark night of the spirit when, in the fullness of time,
Christ came to lift our unbecoming yokes and warm our hearts. He came to make
us a part of His New Creation in the bleak winter night of our lives. Just as
the Creation of the worlds began in darkness, "and the evening and the
morning were the first day," so does the spiritual Creation of Christ
begin for us in our darkness and hopeless despair. That darkness will end in
the brilliance of eternal day for all who have believed.
"Isaiah 'twas foretold it, the Rose I have
in mind; with Mary we behold it, the Virgin Mother kind. To show God's love
aright, she bore to us a Savior, when half spent was the night." Mary
became that pure and delightsome Rose branch from which a single Rose was
produced. She was the branch, but God was the Gardener. This young virgin lady
bore the shame and abuse of an early pregnancy in obedience to her Lord. She
endured three days journey by donkey in her late term bearing the Lord Jesus in
her blessed womb. Bedding down in a stable - for like today, there was no room
elsewhere for the Lord Jesus Christ - Mary experienced the pains of birth on
that cold winter night. Though the skies are pristine and filled with bright
stars in that land, the air can be bitterly cold and piercing. Mary was both
called and chosen to bear her child. She never demurred, but was perfectly
obedient to God in her child-like innocence.
"The shepherds heard the story proclaimed
by angels bright, how Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger they found him, as angel heralds
said." Here we sing of the sacred events associated with that first
Christmas morning while it was yet dark. Here is only a portion of the
wonderful story related by St. Luke: "And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And,
lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round
about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with
the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to
pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said
one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is
come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste,
and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had
seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this
child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them
by the shepherds." (Luke 2:8-18)
The shepherds provide an excellent example of
how we should respond at the wonderful news of Jesus. God seems to always
choose those special people who are at their labors, not idling in some
luxurious estate. So He chose these poor shepherds. These shepherds were
suddenly startled by a magnificent vision in the heavens. A huge and great
angel filled the sky resplendent with glorious beams of light. The shepherds
were afraid. Were you afraid when you first realized who you were, and who
Jesus is? But God always brings comfort and solace. "Fear not!" was
the salutation of the angel. Good news is always a welcome blessing. Jesus did
not become the Savior - He was born our Savior. In the Providence of God, all
that He wills shall come to pass and is as good as done! The angel gave a sign
to the shepherds - where to find Jesus, and what would be his appearance. This
was the greatest news since the morning of Creation when the stars sang
together. The hosts of heaven had also awaited this event with bated breath.
They could contain their exhilaration no longer! " And suddenly there was
with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
What would you have done after hearing this most
blessed news, Reader? "And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away
from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even
unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath
made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and
the babe lying in a manger." When God first revealed to your heart your
lostness and depravity, and that there was a Savior for you, what did you do?
Did you immediately flee to His Throne of Mercy and petition for pardon? Did
you find Christ? And what did you afterwards? What did the shepherds do?
"And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was
told them concerning this child." If you just on a fifty million dollar
lottery, would you remain silent to all around? A lottery is nothing compared
to the benefits and riches of Christ. You cannot keep silent about finding
Jesus no more than could the lepers that Jesus healed, or Jairus and family
after their little girl was restored to life. We must speak out of a full
heart, else it will burst for joy! The Christian cannot conceal Christ secretly
in his heart.
"This Flower, whose fragrance tender with
sweetness fills the air, dispels with glorious splendor the darkness
everywhere; true man, yet very God, from sin and death he saves us, and
lightens every load." A beautiful rose cannot be hidden. Its blood red
beauty serves as a flag of its presence. Even is fragrance draws the honey bees
from miles around. The beauty and sweetness of a rose is such a gentle and
tender beauty. It never flaunts itself for it does not need to. All of the rose
is its natural adornment. If there is even a slight hint of light, the red rose
reflects it. Jesus is the Light of the World, and darkness cannot exist in the
presence of even a single candle - much less the Sun of Righteousness and Daystar.
Jesus saves us from our sentence of death, and He lifts our burdens from our
backs and gives us a new yoke which supports, rather than weighs down, our walk
in life with Him. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30) Have you heard the news?
Have you found Jesus this Christmas?
[1]
Rose of Sharon is a
common name that applies to several different species of flowering plants that
are highly valued throughout the world. The name's colloquial application has
been used as an example of the lack of precision of common names, which potentially
causes confusion. "Rose of Sharon" has also become a frequently used
catch phrase in lyrics and verse.
Chavatzelet HaSharon (Hebrew חבצלת השרון) is an onion-like flower bulb. (Hebrew חבצלת ḥăḇaṣṣelaṯ) is a flower of uncertain identity translated as the rose
of Sharon in English language translations of the Bible. Etymologists have
inconclusively linked the biblical חבצלת to the words בצל beṣel, meaning 'bulb', and חמץ ḥāmaṣ, which is understood as meaning either
'pungent' or 'splendid'. The name "rose of Sharon" first appears in
English in 1611 in the King James Version of the Bible.
The most accepted interpretation for the Biblical
reference is Pancratium maritimum, which blooms in the late summer just above
the high-tide mark. The Hebrew name for this flower is חבצלת or חבצלת החוף (coastal ḥăḇaṣṣeleṯ). It is
commonly assumed by most people in Israel that, the Sharon Plain being on the
coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the Biblical passage refers to this flower.
