O Radiant Dawn: December 25

How beautiful upon the mountains

    are the feet of him who brings good tidings,

who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good,

    who publishes salvation,

    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice,

    together they sing for joy;

for eye to eye they see

    the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth together into singing,

    you waste places of Jerusalem;

for the Lord has comforted his people,

    he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm

    before the eyes of all the nations;

and all the ends of the earth shall see

    the salvation of our God.

Isaiah 52:7-10

In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs.

For to what angel did God ever say,

“Thou art my Son,

today I have begotten thee”?

Or again,

“I will be to him a father,

and he shall be to me a son”?

 And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

Hebrews 1:1-6

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”) And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

John 1:1-18

Now it’s our turn. Every word, every action, every gift that we give in his name becomes a witness to the gospel, a way in which we join the ranks of those beautiful feet who have preached his coming.

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
Our Jesus Christ is born!