The Easter Story at Christmas
It’s always tempting at #Christmas to focus on the story of the birth of #Jesus. After all, the reason we’re celebrating is the #nativity. However, it’s super important to also remember the #Easter story. As we learn from Luke 24:1-7:
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:
‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”
Without the resurrection of Jesus, his birth would be no more important than yours or mine. Instead, Jesus rising again from the dead definitively demonstrated that he is the Messiah; the King of Kings. The Easter story is why Christmas is so important to begin with.
Three Wise Men
It’s Christmas! Let us rejoice and remember when the Three Wise Men travelled to #Bethlehem from afar, guided by a star, to bring gifts to baby #Jesus as we continue that tradition to this day.
This story is from Matthew 2:9-11:
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Oh how joyful they must have felt when they met Mary with baby Jesus! I am delighted to share in that joy today when celebrating Christmas.