Faithfully yours - Christmas is a time to read
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- Published on Saturday, November 26, 2016
By Neil Strohschein
Neepawa Banner
As you read these words, we are one month away from our annual celebration of Christmas.
That should come as no surprise. Despite howls of protest in the United States and similar cries in Canada, businesses have been selling Christmas decorations, homes have been decorated and Christmas specials have been playing on TV since early November. Today is Black Friday; with its sales and insanity that officially mark the beginning of the annual Christmas shopping season. And we are all bracing ourselves for the annual barrage of envelopes, emails, text messages and phone calls asking for our year-end charitable donations. This is how it happens every year.
In all the hustle and bustle, the story behind Christmas is often overlooked. We read it; but what we read is one small segment of a larger story, the events of which span at least four years.
So I suggest that we take some time to read the whole Christmas story. It can be done in a week. The passages to read each day are listed below.
Day One: John 1:1-14; Philippians 2:3-8. These verses summarize Christ’s activity before his birth as a human baby. We read about his role in creation, the work he did with the Father in heaven and his choice to lay aside his perogatives as God and come to earth in human form.
Day Two: Luke 1:5-25. The story of two people; a priest named Zechariah and Elizabeth his wife; both of whom will have prominent roles in the days leading up to Christ’s birth.
Day Three: Luke 1:26-56. Our introduction to Mary, the mother of Jesus. She receives a visit from the angel Gabriel, who informs her that she is to become the mother of the son of God. Mary travels to the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth, where she receives a message that reaffirms everything Gabriel said and assures her that every promise made to her will be kept.
Day Four: Matthew 1:18-15. The discovery that Mary is pregnant out of wedlock causes grave concern in the family of her fiancé Joseph. He now receives a visit from the angel Gabriel, telling him that his fears of Mary’s infidelity are unfounded, that he is to take her as his wife and give her and her unborn son the protection of his home and his name.
Day Five: Luke 2:1-20. The story of the journey to Bethlehem, the birth of Christ and the visit by the shepherds. This is the part of the Christmas story with which we are all familiar.
Day Six: Luke 2:21-36. Even though he was God the Son, Jesus was raised as a child of the Law and as such obeyed all of the commands that were given in the Law of Moses. Here we see him going through the first two rites of passage expected of all Jewish males—the circumcision and naming ceremony; and the presentation in the temple.
Day Seven: Matthew 2:1-23. The visit of the wise men, the reaction of King Herod to their arrival and message and the slaughter of the innocents in Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary take the child Jesus and seek refuge in Egypt. When they finally return to Nazareth, Jesus will be almost three years old.
This week’s assignment—read the whole story. See how all the parts fit together to provide us with a seamless record of the greatest miracle to ever take place on this planet—the miracle of God himself, coming to earth in human form. It’s a story that only God could write.
