Ps.85:10,11 – Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Truth has sprung up from the earth, the Son of God from eternity took on a body made from the earth to become one of us, He is the Truth that sprung up from the earth. Because of His birth mercy and truth have kissed. The truth is that we are part of a fallen race in rebellion against a holy God, mercy has sprung from the earth as the Son of Man (the last Adam) and poured mercy on all who come to Him. This is our Christmas celebration, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”. Here is an amazing quote from Augustine that describes this verse.

“When Sublimity cloaked itself with Subtlety like this, who stands to gain? Well, there’s no dividend here to the Divine Treasury that I can see. Apparently, if we have any faith at all, we’re the sole beneficiaries. Hence, Humanity, this is a wake-up call for you! God’s becoming a human being is for your advantage alone. “Rise up, you who’re still dead asleep,” as Paul shouted to the Ephesians, “and Christ’ll sweep the sleepers from your eyes”. It was for you, my dear Brothers and Sisters, that God was made man. If He hadn’t been born in our time, you’d still be sleeping the sleep of death. If He hadn’t donned the same fatal flesh that Adam had, you’d never have been liberated from the sin of the flesh. If this Mercy hadn’t happened to you, Perpetual Misery would possess you whole and entire. If He hadn’t come to die the death for you, you wouldn’t have been born again. If He hadn’t propped you up, you’d have flopped yourselves down. Quite simply put, if He hadn’t come, you’d be dead as a doornail.”

The earth was fast asleep that night in Bethlehem when Christ was born. His birth was a burst of light into this dark world calling the sleepers to awaken. Today much of the earth is still fast asleep unaware of the significance of the birth of this Holy One in Bethlehem so long ago. Of course most people kind of know the story but they are still sound asleep not knowing the love of this One Who came to die for all of us. Maybe you have had a tendency to doze off and are not quite in tune with this One Who has sprung up from the earth. Let the light that shines from the Savior born in Bethlehem awaken you this year to His glorious day.