Christmas Presents, Lights, Snowmen, Trees, Baubles & Babies

Christmas Presents, Lights, Snowmen, Trees, Baubles & Babies. These are some of the things that make up our modern Christmas and I’m sure there are a good deal more. This isn’t going to be a traditional or seasonal ‘Reformed’ bashing of these things – I love them. I wanted to step back a little from them and see if they point to something.

The important thing is to not miss the reality of The Saviour. And religion or religiosity will act as just a suitable distraction as Presents, Lights, Snowmen, Trees, Baubles & Babies.

I remember hearing a long time ago a sermon by A W Tozer and in it he commented on one of the Psalms and applied it to Jesus. He said vaguely something along the lines of ‘through the midst of all the sin in the world we can still trace the fragrance of Myrrh, Aloes and Cassia left by the one that visited our world’. It’s from Psalm 45:8  ‘your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;’

What I’m trying poorly to say is this: The Christmas Presents, Lights, Snowmen, Trees, Baubles & Babies all point ultimately to the glorious fact that someone was here. We still have some vestige of His walking here on earth and we see it, albeit dimly I grant, but see it we do. Yes, they point not just to something but to a person, a wonderful person, A Mighty Counselor, A Prince, even The Prince of Peace. Many will read some of the following words on Christmas Cards, sent deliberately or perhaps they ring of truth in the conscience. Here’s the verses from Isaiah in full.

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

To read more of this glorious person here’s a comment on Psalm 45:8 from the 19th Century preacher C H Spurgeon:

“All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia.” The divine anointing causes fragrance to distil from the robes of the Mighty Hero. He is delightful to every sense, to the eye most fair, to the ear most gracious, to the spiritual nostril most sweet. The excellences of Jesus are all most precious, comparable to the rarest spices; they are most varied, and to be likened not to myrrh alone, but to all the perfumes blended in due proportion. The Father always finds a pleasure in him, in him he is well pleased; and all regenerated spirits rejoice in him, for he is made of God unto us, “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.” Note that not only is Jesus most sweet, but even his garments are so; everything that he has to do with is perfumed by his person. “All” his garments are thus fragrant; not some of them, but all; we delight as much in his purple of dominion as in the white linen of his priesthood, his mantle as our prophet is as dear to us as his seamless coat as our friend. All his dress is fragrant with all sweetness. To attempt to spiritualise each spice here mentioned would be unprofitable, the evident sense is that all sweetnesses meet in Jesus, and are poured forth wherever he is present. “Out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.” The abode of Jesus now is imperial in splendour, ivory and gold but faintly image his royal seat; there is he made glad in the presence of the Father, and in the company of his saints. Oh, to behold him with his perfumed garments on! The very smell of him from afar ravishes our spirit, what must it be to be on the other side of the pearl gate, within the palace of ivory, amid those halls of Zion, “conjubilant with song,” where is the throne of David, and the abiding presence of the Prince! To think of his gladness, to know that he is full of joy, gives gladness at this moment to our souls. We poor exiles can sing in our banishment since our King, our Well-beloved, has come to his throne.

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