The Heavenly Father sent His beloved Son to Bethlehem to rescue us poor sinners who would otherwise be left behind all alone to sinfully bleed and die in this dark and cursed world.  This babe appears as our dearest and best friend, rescuing us from slipping into the outer darkness of forever in Hell.

Think of a civil war battlefield.  A young man is hit with many rifle shots.  He falls to the grass.  His lifeblood is bleeding out onto the ground.  Darkness falls.  The guns and cannons are stilled.  His fevered brow perspires, but the cold night air makes his limbs shiver and his teeth clatter.  He dreams and hallucinates, thinking how he’ll never again see his newlywed wife, let alone ever hold his unborn child in her womb.  Death is near.  He drifts into unconsciousness.

Hours later, he’s stirred awake.  It’s sunrise.  His best and dearest friend has returned to the battlefield to find and recover him.  The friend pours water into his mouth, wipes his wet forehead, bandages up his wounds, shouts across the field to a medic.  A stretcher is brought.  He’s wrapped in soft and warm blankets.  They carry him to a nearby hospital.  His wounds are dressed.  He’s laid into a comfortable bed with clean sheets.  A tender nurse hovers over him.  He slips into a deep, therapeutic sleep.  Days later he awakes to see a bunch of fresh flowers basking next to his bed in the sunlight.  His friend is there asking if he can write a letter for him to his newlywed wife.  Every tender mercy he could imagine has been provided by his friend.  All is well!  All is well!

Zacharias prophesied of the blessings that would come with Messiah’s arrival: “Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the sunrise from on high shall visit us.  To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death” (Luke 1:78-79).

“The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light, and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them the light has shined . . . For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:1, 9).

All is well!  All is well!  Jesus is in the manger.  Our best and dearest friend has come.

 
All is well all is well
Angels and men rejoice
For tonight darkness fell
Into the dawn of love’s light
Sing A-le
Sing Alleluia
All is well all is well
Let there be peace on earth
Christ is come go and tell
That He is in the manger
Sing A-le
Sing Alleluia

All is well all is well
Lift up your voice and sing
Born is now Emmanuel
Born is our Lord and Savior
Sing Alleluia
Sing Alleluia
All is well

Born is now Emmanuel
Born is our Lord and Savior
Sing Alleluia
Sing Alleluia
All is well

Lyrics: Wayne Kirkpatrick
Music: Michael W. Smith