Week Fifty-Two, 2023
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:10)
It was some time after Jesus was born that the three kings of the Orient bearing gifts traveled from afar. The gifts, which the three men carried, were fit for a King. Equivalent to today’s prices, a pound of frankincense was worth $500 a pound, and a pound of myrrh was $4,000. Gold is symbolic of Christ’s deity as King, frankincense represents His purity as Priest of God, and myrrh is suggestive of His anointed work as a Prophet and of His death.
Gold in the Bible is symbolic of God. It represents the most precious of metals and is extremely rare in its purest form. The intrinsic value of gold has been established since ancient times and gold was used to honor kings. Frankincense is an aromatic, clear resin obtained from trees in northern India and Arabia. Myrrh was a spice used for medicine, cosmetics, and anointing oil. It was mixed into the oil that was used to anoint prophets for the divinely appointed work of revealing God and communicating His will and words to His people.
wise men
At Christmas time we give gifts to one another as we celebrate God’s indescribable gift of Jesus (2 Cor. 9:15). We make a Christmas list, we plan, we shop, and we present those gifts of love to one another as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Hopefully by now, most of your Christmas shopping is done.
But what about Jesus? What are you giving Him this Christmas?
God tells us specifically what He wants for Christmas – He wants us to present our very lives back to Him as a generous, sacrificial present.
Consider how you would feel if you had a birthday party to celebrate your life, but rather than presenting birthday gifts to you, your family and friends only exchanged them with one another?
As you give presents to those on your Christmas list, let me ask you, What are you giving Jesus for Christmas? Maybe you’re wondering what the Creator of the World could possibly want as a present. Here’s what the Bible says, “Therefore, my brothers, in view of God’s mercy, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1
What does Jesus want for Christmas? YOU.
Merry Christmas to all from John and Beverley Grant.
SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES
Oh, Little Town No More
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, is set to remove Christmas decorations as a gesture of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, reported the Jerusalem Post.
City officials, through social media channels and official spokespeople, announced the decision to dismantle Christmas decorations that had adorned the city’s neighborhoods for several years. The move is described as a tribute to the martyrs and an expression of support for the people in Gaza who have been affected by the conflict.
“Bethlehem Municipality crews announced the dismantling of Christmas decorations installed several years ago in the city’s neighborhoods and removing all festive appearances in honor of the martyrs and in solidarity with our people in Gaza,” the city posted on Facebook, according to the New York Post.
A spokesperson for the city elaborated on the decision in a statement to The Telegraph.
“The reason is the general situation in Palestine; people are not really into any celebration, they are sad, angry and upset; our people in Gaza are being massacred and killed in cold blood,” the spokesperson said.
“Therefore, it is not appropriate at all to have such festivities while there is a massacre happening in Gaza and attacks in the West Bank.”
Despite Bethlehem’s significance to Christians and its status as a destination for religious tourism during the Advent season, the city has a predominantly Muslim population.
Over the years, the Christian community in Bethlehem has experienced a steady decline, with Christians constituting over 80% of the local population in 1950, but now making up around 10% in a Muslim-dominated region. Factors contributing to this decline include persecution, religious harassment, and low birth rates among the Christian population.
The Christian exodus is not confined to Bethlehem, as reported by The Times. Christians in the West Bank, in general, have faced challenges leading to a decline in their numbers. Presently, approximately 185,000 Christians reside in Israel, constituting just under 2% of the population, according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.
QUOTES YOU CAN USE
Be fair and gracious in your judgments, always rejecting religious or moral hypocrisy, but without compromising the truth. Edgar Aponte
There is no such thing as a little freedom. Either you are all free, or you are not free. Walter Cronkite
Invest your life in the lives of others. Edgar Aponte
Think Deeply. Think Gently. Love much and often and be kind.
To be happy you must let go of what’s gone and be grateful of what remains, while looking forward to what is coming next.
Awareness of ignorance is the beginning of wisdom. Socrates
Anxiety never solved a problem, never dried a tear, never lifted a burden, never removed an obstacle. It never made bad things good or good things better. James Merritt
It’s the emotion of having fears of an unknown or anticipated future that disrupts the possibility of peace, rest and joy in the present.
The secret of getting ahead is getting started. Mark Twain
Israel is the only nation on earth that inhabits the same land, bears the same name, speaks the same language, and worships the same God that it did 3,000 years ago. Charles Krauthammer.
A godly woman doesn’t need to be test driven like car, because a godly man knows who built her. She’s quality.
Opportunity doesn’t need appointments, you have to be ready when it arrives.
Water is the most essential element of life, because without water you can’t make coffee. Peanuts
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