Skip to main content

Bows and Ribbons

Luke 2:11 – “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

When my wife and I were first dating I would bring her different gifts to express my feelings for her. I usually wrapped the gifts in the comic section of the Sunday newspaper or used some type of sales circular or printed paper. The wrapping paper was inexpensive and there was no beautiful ribbons or bows.

We are entering into the Christmas season. This is a festive time that will be filled with family gatherings and Christmas shopping for our family and the ones we love.  For many in our secular society this season has become about little more than ribbons and bows. It is about elaborate presents wrapped in beautiful paper with colorful ribbons and bows.

The first gift of Christmas was not wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bows. The first present of Christmas was a savior. In Luke 2:8-11 there is an angelic announcement, “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” 

This Savior was born in a lowly stable to a young Jewish mother. Luke writes in Luke 2:7 that Mary “wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.” Swaddling clothes were strips of cloth that were used to wrap the baby at birth.  He wasn’t born in a sterile hospital, but in a lowly stable and laid in a feeding trough. 


His birth was the first and greatest gift of Christmas.  In John 3:16 we learn, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  This gift didn’t come wrapped with beautiful ribbons or bows. As we spend time buying and wrapping presents for those we love let us remember the One who came wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rebuilding the Broken Altar of Prayer

In Matthew 21: 12-13 , “ Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” Jesus made this declaration, “My house shall be called a house of prayer!”  I believe that God is calling us back to the altar of prayer.  For several weeks the Lord has dealt with me about rebuilding the broken altar of prayer in our personal and corporate lives.  If we are going to see spiritual breakthrough in our churches and communities then we must rebuild and return to the altar of prayer. Wayman Rogers writes, “The ministry of prayer is the most important of all ministries in the church.  Prayer creates the atmosphere and binds the powers of darkness so the gospel of Jesus can go forward and the church can prosper....
Post a Comment
Read more

The Shout of a King is Among Them

Numbers 23:21 - “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God  is  with him, And the shout of a King  is  among them.” In this passage of Scripture, the king of Moab had hired the prophet Balaam to speak a curse over the children of Israel.   He saw Israel as a threat to his kingdom.   Numbers 22:2-3 – “Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel.” When the enemy sees the people of God rising up in faith, he becomes very concerned and moves to keep us from fulfilling our assignment.   We learn in Numbers, Balaam could only speak what the Lord gave him to speak.   Instead of a curse he speaks a blessing. The enemy seeks our destruction, but God!   Listen to the conversation between God and Satan in ...
Post a Comment
Read more

They Turned Back in the Day of Battle

Psalms 78:9 – “ “The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.”             Ephraim was the younger of two sons of Joseph.   His first born was Manasseh.   It was Ephraim that received the blessing of Jacob.   The tribe of Ephraim became the largest of the ten northern tribes of Israel.   Many times the Bible used the name Ephraim to represent the whole nation of Israel.             In verse 9 they are armed and carrying bows.   They are dressed, equipped, and ready to battle.   Yet we learn that they turned back in the day of battle.   The Bible identifies this as sin.   To turn back in the day of battle was displeasing to God.               To be armed meant that they were equipped with armor, a sword, and a shield. ...
Post a Comment
Read more