Our Daily Bread Christmas: Gift Of Grace / Day 6

Our Daily Bread Christmas: Gift Of Grace

Day 6 of 10 Christmas in the Village. My earliest childhood memories of Christmas date back to a cluster of small villages nestled among cocoa farms and tall mahogany and palm trees. Wearing our new clothes provided by our parents for Christmas, we were a happy group of eight- to ten-year-old kids walking from village to village like the Magi who were looking for Baby Jesus (Matt. 2:1–2). Baby Jesus was not there in person, but we found plenty of friendship and goodwill. Later in the day, our mothers sent us with bowls of food to our neighbors. To us in the village, Christmas was a time of benevolence. But something was missing—the authentic Christmas story. In our merry-making, we missed the reason for the festive season. There was no church in any of the villages and no one told us the Christmas message—that God so loved the world that He gave His Son to be our Savior (John 3:16). It was like attending a birthday party without the birthday person! Not like the magi. Their foremost pursuit was to seek Jesus: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” they asked (Matt. 2:2). And when they found him, “they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they . . . gave him gifts” (v. 11). They first found him and worshiped him before presenting their gifts. Whether we are children or adults, the truth is the same: Christmas goes beyond the festivity and focuses on Christ. The Son of God came that we may have “a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10). —Lawrence Darmani Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season. Matthew 2:1-11 Matthew 2:1-11 NKJV 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.