This Christmas

On the fifth day of Christmas, My true love sent to me 5 golden rings. 4 calling birds, 3 French hens, 2 turtle doves, And a Partridge...

Tis the Season! While this should be the season we celebrate Jesus, it tends to be the season of shopping, activities, and things like 5 golden rings (well, maybe not 5, perhaps 1, and I'm not sure I have ever bought 2 turtle doves). In any case, this season is not the O Come O Come Emmanuel that it originally was intended to be. Instead of Away in the Manger our Christmas Carol should be away with my pocket book.

I’m not trying to make you feel bad for being excited about getting or giving Christmas presents. I'm inviting you to rediscover the reason for the season. In Matthew 2:1-12, We 3 Kings come to worship the new born king (historically we don't know if there was 3 or if they were kings, magi, or Wiseman).

These Wiseman or kings had amassed a lot of wealth. And yet in the scriptures it says at the sight of the newborn king, Jesus, they collapsed with adoration and offered up all they had (Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh). They recognized, experienced, and received Jesus. As expensive as their gifts were, their gifts were measly offerings compared to the gift they were given by Jesus.

No human gift could compare to the gift that God gave us through the birth of the newborn king, Jesus. A baby boy, God in the flesh, the one who came to redeem and rescue us from our sin. The one who would go to the Cross and take the punishment for the crimes we committed. Any gift, that had been given by the Wiseman was merely a response to what had already been given to them.

Matthew 2:10-11 | When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
So this Christmas may your life be a reflection of the Gift that the One True King has given you.

​By Alex Hardt

December Sermon Series
Week 1 - The King's Perspective
Main: Matthew 2:1-12
Memory: Proverbs 11:25
Week 2 - The Shepherd's Perspective
Main: Luke 2:8-20
Memory: Psalm 139:23-24
Week 3 - The Family Perspective
Main: Luke 1:30-35, Matthew 1:18-25
Memory: Ephesians 4:32
Week 4- The Jesus Perspective
Main: Luke 2:25-35
Memory: Hebrews 4:14-15