A Changed Man: The Miracle of Christmas Morning
“Best and happiest of all, the Time before him was his own, to make amends in! ‘I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future,’ Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. ‘The Spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.’”
(Scrooge, A Christmas Carol, Stave 5)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Advent Day 24 — A Changed Man: The Miracle of Christmas Morning
Theme: Love made visible — living redeemed in the light of Christ.
Few moments in literature capture the sheer wonder of rebirth like Ebenezer Scrooge’s awakening on Christmas morning. Dickens paints the scene with contagious joy:
“Best and happiest of all, the Time before him was his own, to make amends in! ‘I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future,’ Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. ‘The Spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.’”
The cold-hearted miser, once a prisoner to greed and fear, leaps out of bed with laughter and tears. He is no longer who he was. The old Scrooge is gone — the new Scrooge is here. His heart, long frozen, now beats with warmth and love.
This is not merely a moral reform. It is transformation. And in that, Dickens’ story mirrors the Gospel truth at the heart of Christmas: when Christ enters a life, everything changes.
The Incarnation — God with us — becomes God in us.
The same divine love that entered a manger now enters human hearts. The same Spirit that brought life to the world now breathes life into our souls.
Scrooge’s laughter that morning is a glimpse of resurrection joy — the joy of one who has passed from death to life. It is the joy of new creation. What Dickens imagined in fiction, Christ accomplishes in truth.
To be “in Christ” is to awaken as Scrooge did — blinking in the light of grace, overwhelmed by the mercy that gives us not what we deserve, but what we could never earn. Like Scrooge, we are given “the Time before us… to make amends in,” not as penance, but as participation in redemption’s work.
And so, on this final day of Advent — on the threshold of Christmas — we celebrate not only that Christ has come, but that He has made us new. The miracle of Christmas morning is not confined to Bethlehem or to Scrooge’s London; it happens wherever a heart opens to receive Him.
As you listen to the Advent Playlist, letting carols like “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” or “Joy to the World” fill your heart with gratitude and praise.
The story ends — and begins — with joy. Love has come. Peace has been made. Hope fulfilled. Christ is born — and because He lives, we are made new.
Prayer
Redeeming Savior, thank You for the miracle of new life. You have taken my past and given me a future filled with grace. You have turned my mourning into laughter, my selfishness into love. As Scrooge awoke to a new morning, may I awaken each day to Your mercy. Let my life shine with the joy of one made new in You. Make me an instrument of Your hope, peace, joy, and love — this Christmas morning and always. Amen.
Joy to the World
Poem, 1719
Written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Hymn, 1839, 1848 (revised)
Tune written by Lowell Mason (1792-1872)
O Come, O Come Immanuel
Latin Hymn, 12th century
Translated by John M. Neale (1818-1866)
Joy to the World
Poem, 1719
Written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Hymn, 1839, 1848 (revised)
Tune written by Lowell Mason (1792-1872)
Playlist Daily Highlight
We’ve provided multiple versions of this classic Christmas carol. Listen to your favorite style, but also try something new!
See if you find a new appreciation for this song or a different version than what you’re used to.
Take the time to listen . . . really listen to the words of this song and reflect on them. Let God speak to you in this moment.