Sunday Writing... 12-22-19... "WHAT MATTERS"

Good morning!

In today's writing entitled "WHAT MATTERS" we dispel some myths about Christmas that are perpetuated by carols we sing, plays that are performed, decorations used, etc.  Through it all we learn what really matters.

Blessings,
Jan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Devotional: 

"WHAT MATTERS"

by

Jan Andersen

We are in the week of Christmas, and all around us we see and hear reminders of this special holiday.  But how much of it is accurate?  We already discussed Santa Claus vs St. Nicholas a couple weeks ago.  Let’s look at a few more things. 

Jesus was born December 25th in the year 1 A.D.  Actually, December 25th is just the day the western Christian church decided to use to commemorate his birth.  Tradition held that Christ was conceived on the same day of the year that he was crucified, so they counted 9 months forward.  Others hold that it was chosen to take the place of a pagan festival.  The year Jesus was born was not 1 A.D. due to a miscalculation in the calendar years.  He was actually born possibly between 6 and 4 B.C.  Whatever the actual date, does it matter?

Many carols talk about winter and snow.  It is more likely that Jesus was born in spring.  That is when sheep were give birth, when the shepherds would have been watching over their flocks at night.  Then there are the angels.  Many of our carols portray the shepherds surrounded by angels singing glory to God.  They certainly were praising God, we just don’t actually know if they were singing or not.  And the Bible says nothing about an angel at the nativity scene.  Do these details actually matter?

Was there no room at the inn, so Jesus was born out back in a stable surrounded by animals and laid in a manger?  It might have been an inn as stated in some translations, but some say it was a guest room at a relative's home, since they were in Joseph's home town for the census. At night domestic animals were brought inside the homes for safety.  Jesus was laid in a manger, but the Bible doesn’t say there were animals there at the time.  Does it matter what the room was or if animals attended his birth?

A bright star shone in the heaven the night Jesus was born, to lead the 3 kings to the manger?  There is a lot here to pick apart.  First, it was wisemen, not kings, and we don’t know how many there were. Three is used a lot because of the 3 gifts listed, gold, frankincense and myrrh.  They didn’t arrive on the day of the birth of Jesus, they came sometime in His first 2 years - that is why Herod ordered all the babies age 2 and under killed when he tried to eliminate Jesus.  Finally, we don’t know when the star actually appeared.  It wasn’t mentioned by the angels who directed the shepherds to look for a babe in swaddling clothes in a manger.  Other things we don't really know include whether the wisemen came on camels, or Mary on a donkey.  How much of all of this matters?

Whether or not we get the extraneous things surrounding the Christmas story right or not is less important than whether we get the true meaning of Christmas right in our lives. God coming to earth in human form as Jesus is the heart of Christmas.  He is Love, come down from heaven above, to bring salvation and great joy to everyone.  Let’s celebrate the important things that really matter - the fact that Jesus loves even you and me, in spite of anything we may or may not have done - none of those things matter! Only that we believe in Jesus as our Savior and live out our faith in Him.

John 3:16 ESV [Jesus said:] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” 

Dear Father in heaven, we thank you for what really matters - for sending Jesus to earth as a tiny baby to grow up and experience the same joys and sorrows we all have. But He lived that earthly life perfectly and then sacrificed his life for us on the cross and rose again so that we all can have eternal life.  Help us to remain faithful and to share Your love with everyone!  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Song:

WHEN LOVE WAS BORN

by Mark Schultz

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prayers are lifted up daily for you by the Devotional Writers and the Monthly Writing Staff of Women's Focus Ministries

Blog writers:

Sandy Billingham, Karen Bennett,

Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward,

Bre Miller, Lynda Kinnard, Amie Spruiell,

Debbie Rodriguez, Carol Steficek,

Jan Andersen and Corinne Mustafa