Painting above: The Wise Men in the House of Herod, James Tissot (1836-1902) ————————– Matthew 2:1-12 tells the story of the Wise Men’s visit to the Holy Family after the birth of Jesus. This is one of the most familiar of all Bible stories. We hear it every year. We see three Wise […]
2741) The Wise(?) Men (a) Read More »
Dutch painter Govaert Flinck (1615-1650); Angels Announcing Christ’s birth to the Shepherds (1639) ———————– I have often wondered about the shepherds in the Christmas story. Luke 2:20 says that after they saw the baby Jesus “they returned glorifying and praising God,” and they “made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning
2740) Feeling Sorry for the Shepherds Read More »
Several years ago my brother and I traveled to Haiti to visit the work of a missionary in Port au Prince. Before leaving, we collected school supplies, clothing, and toys to bring to the children at a school we would be visiting. It was fun giving so many things to children who had
Adoration of the Shepherds, Rembrandt, 1646 ————————— Every year brings changes into our lives, but then at the end of the year, on Christmas we are brought back to the old story that never changes: “For unto you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” I hear those words
2738) One Thing Never Changes Read More »
(…continued) In Matthew 2:11 we read that the wise men brought expensive gifts to the baby Jesus– gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This is where the tradition of gift giving at Christmas comes from. This giving of gifts gets way over done these days, but the tradition itself goes all the way back to that
2737) Going Home for Christmas (b) Read More »
In 1923 Buck Ram, a young, homesick college student, was feeling sad because he would not be able to go home for Christmas that year. Sensing that his mother might also be sad about him not being home, he wrote a little poem to send to her, along with a letter.
2736) Going Home for Christmas (a) Read More »
Painting on the wall of the Kempele Old Church, Kempele, Finland, by Mikael Toppelius (1734-1821) ———————————- (continued…) There is another word in the Christmas story that can serve as an illustration of the meaning in the words ‘for you.’ The word ‘manger’ is used in the story three times: first in verse seven when
2735) For You (part two of two) Read More »
Martin Luther once preached an entire sermon on just two words from the Christmas story– the words FOR YOU. The angel said, “Today… there has been born for you a Savior” (Luke 2:11). The Christmas story, Luther said, is a nice story. A young couple named Mary and Joseph are
2734) For You (part one of two) Read More »
Father and Son, 2002, Corbet Gauthier (prints available at http://www.artbarbarians.com) ———————— (…continued) It was at that point that the angel appeared to Joseph and said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son
Joseph’s Dream in the Stable, 1645, Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) —————————– There are four Gospels in the New Testament, four accounts of the life of Jesus Christ by four different men. But only two of the four tell the story of Christmas. The Gospels of Mark and John don’t even mention it. Only
