Last week, in a moment of musical need, I downloaded the largest and cheapest Christmas album I could find. Five bucks and less than five minutes later, “21 Classic Christmas Favorites, Volume 2” was mine for the listening. The whimsical “Winter Wonderland” followed a festive “Frosty the Snowman,” and the serene strains of “Silent Night” melded into a rockin’ rendition of “Jingle Bells.” But right before “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” led the way for Santa’s sleigh, Willie Nelson started singing “Amazing Grace.”
The song caught me by surprise because I don’t count it as a carol, but it shouldn’t have because no two words sum up the story better. Amazing Grace—grace that gave up heaven to help us here on earth. Amazing Grace—grace that kept a promise when we had broken all of ours. Amazing Grace—grace that brought us everything when we could offer nothing. Amazing Grace—grace that endured hell and defeated death to give us life. Amazing Grace—grace that is as real and fresh and potent today as it was two thousand years ago. Amazing Grace—grace that rescues and resuscitates a wretch like me and keeps me alive breath by breath. Amazing Grace—grace that brought eternity to the now and secured a fantastic forever. Amazing Grace—grace that is greater than all our sin.
“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” (John 1:16).
Willie couldn’t have picked a better song for Christmas.
Awesome God. Astounding Love. Amazing Grace.
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