The Days of Christmas & What Must We Do?
Oftentimes at Christmas, we hear people singing the melody “Twelve Days of Christmas,” and smile because the sing-song repetition of the words proves for great fun. In fact, not so many years ago, we traveled to my Uncle Steve and Aunt Susie’s house one Christmas for a family gathering to surprise my Grandma Hall. On this particular trip, I remember hiding with the whole bunch in the upstairs, careful not to move as someone brought Grandma into the living room. We could hear their chatter, listening intently for the signal to “Go,” to descend the stairway where we knew for sure we would bring joy to grandma when she saw all of us (her whole family) in one place.
During that festive time, I remember one part of the evening when we paired up and acted out the melodious lyrics, forming a plan before singing so that each action of each “Day” of Christmas would bring delight and humor into the living room. As my Aunt Susie pounded out the melody over and over and over, we “acted out” and “loudly sang” the song, laughing and enjoying our time so much.
Twelve Days.
Twelve Days to Consider What “My True Love Has Brought to Me.”
On this 7th Day of Christmas (the 1st Day of January), many people will begin their year with one or two or with even six or seven RESOLUTIONS they wish to keep. We know the basics:
- Lose Weight.
- Make Healthier Food Choices.
- Exercise More Faithfully.
- Go to Church More Often.
- Get More Sleep.
- Have Better Daily Habits to Improve Life.
- Work Less.
- Spend More Time With Those We Love.
On & On & On & On.
And the saying goes each year: “I give them a week, and then their New Year’s Resolution will be broken.”
What Say You?
What Says Us?
Have we fallen into that pattern before, one where we “resolve” to do life BETTER, only to fail miserably by the length of a mere seven days?
OR
Maybe we decided years ago to NOT make any resolutions because we knew: Why set ourselves up for failure when it’s just easier to create a list of Zero Resolutions to Make or Strive to Keep?!!!
Today, let us consider for a moment two things: The TWELVE DAYS of CHRISTMAS & BEING RESOLVED TO DO WHAT WE KNOW WE MUST DO!
Just seven short days ago, we celebrated Christmas morning.
We remember—right?
The memories are still there, hazy maybe from the lack of sleep we received last night from ringing in the new year, but there, in our thoughts, still the same—Christmas—the birth—the Messiah.
Consider how, just seven short days ago, we focused on the story of the Messiah’s birth, seeing the angels and the shepherds and the mother Mary and the father Joseph—and the Baby Jesus.
God’s Word speaks of the Messiah’s birth and the days and events leading up to this miraculous event but do not believe me; READ with me & SEE.
“Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,
In order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
In the same region were some shepherds, staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’”
(Luke 2: 4-11)
I once recorded in the margin of my Bible how this particular passage is the Only Place in the four Gospels where “the Savior,” & “the Messiah,” & “the Lord” are all grouped together.
In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, in chapter 43, we are told how Emmanuel—Is Always With Us, & How we should not worry or fear or fret because the LORD has called us by name and calls us His own.
In Jeremiah, chapter 29, we are told how the Lord—Knows the Plans He has for Us, & How His plans for our welfare & plans for our future—Is for our Hope.
Thus, today (on this 1st Day of the New Year) when the world seems to be creating resolutions that they may or may NOT faithfully keep, let us instead look back at the Christmas story of the Messiah’s birth and see those present at Jesus’ birth. Let us see the way they were “resolved” to DO the Lord’s will.
Joseph—He traveled from his current home to the city of Bethlehem because he had to register his family for taxation. Despite the reason for GOING, Joseph was faithful to the Lord because Joseph was engaged to be married to a woman who carried (not his child but) the child of God in her womb. Joseph was faithful to do just as the Lord bid him to do!
Mary—She was certainly afraid, but there she was, nine months pregnant, ready at any moment to give birth but GOING (still the same) with Joseph. Despite her fear of all the things she had been told and had seen, still she carried the baby, gave birth, and cared for the baby during this journey. Mary was faithful to do just as the Lord bid her to do!
Shepherds—They were out in the fields, in the middle of the night (the darkest time of the night) awake, watching, listening, DOING the work of a shepherd by caring for their flock. Despite their task and despite their fear when they saw the angel of the Lord, these men, the shepherds did exactly as the angels instructed. They did not cower in fear, stay in the fields, and brush off the angelic presence as a dream or vision or an impossible revelation. NO. They went to see this baby—the Messiah. The Shepherds were faithful to do just as the Lord bid them to do!
Angel of the Lord—The Angels certainly work for the Lord, but we also know angels can fall away from God (just look at Satan and the third of the heavenly host that fell from heaven). Yet, this angel chose to DO, to PROCLAIM to the shepherds, to FOLLOW the will of God, to SPEAK the “good news of great joy which will be for all the people; . . . .” This angel obediently chose to boldly proclaim, “In the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). The angel was faithful to do just as the Lord bid him to do!
Proof of a true resolution is Action! It’s faithfully “doing” what we have resolved to do & “going” where we need to go, “speaking” to whom God has sent us as we “proclaim” the Gospel message. Despite the struggle, Despite the fear, Despite the world’s unbelief, Despite the hardship, Despite Whatever—To Be Resolved Is To Faithfully Do Just As The Lord Bids Us To Do!
Us—What is the Lord asking us to DO during these 12 Days of Christmas?
Us—Where is the Lord leading us to GO as we walk through these 12 Days—since the celebrated Messiah’s birth?
Us—What emotion are we allowing to stand in our way of DOING, of FOLLOWING the Lord?
And Finally, What does it truly mean to Follow Jesus?
The answer to ALL the QUESTIONS remains the same—a single response.
WE MUST FAITHFULLY DO JUST AS THE LORD BIDS US TO DO!
Today, I end this writing with a beautiful passage written by Moses, the man of God, who reminds us how to see the authority of our LORD & who reminds us of the important work God provides for us to DO as we journey through life:
“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were born
Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting
You are God. . . .
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm [give permanence to] the work of our hands [for our work is Your work, Eternity work—Oh God].”
(Psalm 90: 1-2)