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WHAT CHILD IS THIS? And she brought forth her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in the manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke2:7) Can you imagine being the one God chose to bring forth the One who would be called King of kings; the One who would die to take away the sins of the world; the One who would be our Savior; the One who, even as an infant, would be praised and worshipped as the Son of the Most Highest? I surely can’t. I would be afraid to drop Him or make a mistake, but Mary wasn’t. She held Him gently and lovingly, knowing God was with her. Her faith in God would be her strength to take care of Jesus. Our faith in Christ needs to be just as strong. We can’t do just good works and expect to be alright with God. We need faith and hope in Christ Jesus—just as the shepherds did that night while watching their flock. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and told them, “do not be afraid for I bring good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12) So the shepherds left to find this Babe. When they found Jesus with Mary and Joseph, they glorified and praised God for all they saw. Jesus was brought to earth and God’s word was made flesh. He was given gifts of gold, (symbolizes royalty—He was and is Christ the King); frankincense which was a fragrance (a very expensive oil for the common people) and myrrh which was the ointment of death (Christ was wrapped in cloth and myrrh was poured on his body before burial). All were used in the life of Christ, not just given as gifts at His birth. What kind of gifts do we give to Christ our Lord? He wants our life, just as He gave His life for us. He wants our hearts—so He can give us a heart like His. If we give Him our hearts and lives, surely He will fill us with His. What better gift can we give Him this Christmas than the ones we possess that cost no money? Give Him all of you, and He will bless you more in spirit than all the physical gifts any money could possibly buy. I hope and pray you all have a blessed Christmas—one in Christ Jesus! ~ Melody Krauser |