Christmas season is always a joy-filled time for me. Everything about it… beginning with the story itself of God’s great love for all mankind. The characters, Mary & Joseph, Elizabeth and Zachariah, the shepherds, the angels, the Magi, all centered around this baby boy born to lie in a feed trough outside of Bethlehem… the Lord of Heaven, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Amy Grant was inspired to write the lyrics and perform this song in 1992, and from that moment it became one of my all-time favorites among the plethora of great lyrical pieces all capturing the spirit of Christmas. According to Amy Grant these words explore “the journey of Mary, mother of Jesus, as she contemplates her role and the immense responsibility of giving birth to the Son of God.”
This past week my wife shared something from a friend of hers on Facebook. The post was written on November 23rd this year by Izabella Fabrizio, of whom I know absolutely nothing except the words of this post. Yet, these words ring true from all my personal study regarding the names of God revealed in Scripture.
If possible, I’d like for you to read these words through the lens of that baby boy leaving Mary’s womb, taking His first breath, snuggling close to His mother’s heart, and the mystery of His personal destiny on the cross.
Here is what Izabella Frabrizio wrote:
“There was a moment when Moses had the nerve to ask God what His name is. God was gracious enough to answer, and the name He gave is recorded in the original Hebrew as YHWH. Over time we’ve arbitrarily added an ‘a’ and an ‘e’ in there to get YaHWeH, presumably because we have a preference for vowels.
But scholars and Rabi’s have noted that the letters YHWH represent breathing sounds, or aspirated consonants. When pronounced without intervening vowels, it actually sounds like breathing.
YH (inhale: WH (exhale).
So baby’s first cry, His first breath, speaks the name of God.
A deep sigh calls His name – or a groan or gasp that is too heavy for mere words.
Even an atheist would speak His name, unaware that their very breath is giving constant acknowledgment to God.
Likewise, a person leaves this earth with their last breath, when God’s name is no longer filling their lungs.
So when I can’t utter anything else, is my cry calling our His name?
Being alive means I speak His name constantly.
So, is it heard the loudest when I’m the quietest?
In sadness, we breath heavy sighs.
In joy, our lungs fell almost like they will burst.
In fear we hold our breath and have to be told to breathe slowly to help us calm down.
When we’re about to do something hard, we take a deep breath to find our courage.
When I think about it, breathing is giving him praise. Even in the hardest moments!
This is so beautiful and fills me with emotion every time I grasp the thought. God chose to give Himself a name that we can’t help but speak every moment we’re alive.
All of us, always, everywhere.
Waking, sleeping, breathing, with the name of God on our lips.”
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What amazing words and thoughts.
It was a very short 30+ years from the first breath of Jesus breathing in and out the name of God, until he hung from a Roman cross, having come to die for all Mankind.
And with His dying breath he uttered these words, “It is finished”
The Breath of Heaven’s work was complete.
As I was saying... 