As we approach the day we call Christmas we hear much said and sang about shepherds, angels, sheep, the manger; these however are not the real “Christmas” story, they are only props surrounding the real message of the occasion, the message delivered by the angel to the shepherds in Luke 2:11 was, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” The door of salvation was now being opened to “all men, especially of those who believe” 1 Timothy 4:10. And that message was confirmed by “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying; Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” verses 13-14 of Luke 2. Some try to place the wise men of Matthew 2 in the Christmas story, which can lead to an erroneous picture for they did not visit the manger or hear the angels announcement, but coming from a distant land arrived sometime later to a house, not a stable, bringing their precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. There are many “precarious suppositions” about the significance of these gifts, but one thing is likely, that they were the best and most valuable that they could bring from their country, in other words they gave Him their best as they bowed before Him in homage and worship. We too, must do likewise by giving Him our heart, our body, our possessions, our all; only then can we experience the fullness of the peace and goodwill that the angels declared had come!
This day of all the year
Selected by Rose Hill, Author and copyright unknown
O night of glory, when the star
Lit all the Orient sky,
When hill and valley, near and far,
Rang back the angel’s cry,
When men saw Heaven’s bright portals ope,
With sounds of holy cheer –
O night of glory night of hope!
O night of all the year.
To Him this day our prayers arise,
Each soul its tribute pays:
The precious myrrh of sacrifice,
The incense sweet of praise,
The glowing gold of sacred love
That knows no stain of fear,
These gifts we bring to Christ above
This day of all the year.
Give us the calm and tranquil soul,
The loving open heart,
The life that sways to thy control,
And dwells in Thee apart;
The peace that makes life’s thorny way
Seem beautiful and clear:
Grant us these gifts on this Thy day,
This day of all the year.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version copyright 1982 by Thomas nelson Co. used by permission.