SCRIP-BITS

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 Oh Friends, it’s CHRISTMAS DAY! That fateful day when Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour was born in Bethlehem of Judea, some two thousand years ago! Wow! Thank you Father God for sending your Son to earth to save us. There’s never been a greater act of LOVE in man’s history, and for that we’re eternally grateful. Ah Friends, our Bit plays out Jesus’ birth as something simple and down to earth: ‘And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger (feed trough); because there was no room for them in the inn.’ But I believe that in reality it wasn’t that simple at all. Now see if you can picture this scene. I don’t know how this will turn out, but it’s where the Spirit led me. It’s a cold but cloudless and bright starry night in Judea: ‘Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright.’ In the sleepy town of Bethlehem it’s even more peaceful. ‘O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.’ So Jesus is born in this rough and crude stable and laid in a feed trough because there’s no room for his family in the local inn. ‘Away in the manger, no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.’  And around the hills and valleys of Bruh David’s city, shepherds are guarding their sheep, bundled up against the bone chilling cold, when all of a sudden an angel, with God’s glory shining all around him, appears out of nowhere and startles them. This unexpected state of affairs obviously frightens the poor shepherds. ‘The first Noel the angel did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep, On a cold winter’s night that was so deep. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel. They looked up and saw a star, Shining in the east beyond them far, And to the earth it gave great light, And so it continued both day and night.’ The angel tells the shepherds where to find the baby, but before they could do anything, from out of nowhere again, a host of heavenly angels appear, the greatest choir ever assembled, and they begin singing and praising God. ‘Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled! Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies; With the angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem! Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King!’ Obviously after all this surprising pandemonium, the shepherds, with typical human inquisitiveness, decide to go and check out this baby Jesus that the Lord had seen fit to tell them about. So they hustle over to Bethlehem proper, and just as the angel said, they found Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in the manger. They paid their respects then went around spreading the good news, re what the angels had told them and they had seen – wish we could get some gossips to spread the good news today. (smile) Then the shepherds go back to their lonely jobs, but now in great spirits, thanking and praising God for all that they’d experienced. ‘Angels we have heard on high, Singing sweetly through the night, And the mountains in reply, Echoing their brave delight. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo.’ Oh Friends, the story gets better as the night rolls on, but I’m going to use a bit of poetic license here because the gospels are a bit confusing. Luke tells of the shepherds, but not the wise men, while Matthew tells of the wise men but not the shepherds, and most likely the two events didn’t occur on the same night, since Matthew says that the wise men entered a house. (Matt.2:11) However to enlarge the grandeur of the scene, I’ll put both episodes together.  So now it’s later on in the evening, and even more activity is happening in normally staid, quiet Bethlehem. That’s because three kings from the East, possibly descendants of Jewish captives in Babylon, because they know the scriptures and came to Jerusalem searching for this new-born King of the Jews, whom the unconcerned Jewish elite directed to Bethlehem. But Herod the king paid attention, telling them to come back and let him know where they found the baby. These kings had followed a big, bright cross-shaped star from way back home, and after leaving Jerusalem, the star was still before them. ‘We three kings of Orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse afar. Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star. O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect Light.’ And yuh know what mih people? ‘This star drew nigh to the northwest, O’er Bethlehem it took its rest, And there it did both stop and stay, right over the place where Jesus lay.’ And all God’s people said ‘Wow!’ Imagine the commotion around this old stable in quiet Bethlehem nuh with the camels and the entourages of these men. Then the three magnificently dressed men, long flowing robes and beards, jewel encrusted scimitars and daggers by their sides, enter this lowly stable. Probably never entered such a lowly place before, but they leave their egos outside.  And in all this commotion what happens? ‘The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.’ Yes friends, even at birth Jesus was aware of His royal heritage and how to behave. ‘Then entered in those wise men three, Full reverently upon their knee, And offered there in his presence, Their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense.’ These three powerful men prostrate themselves before Baby Jesus and offer Him symbolic gifts: Gold, because only the earth’s most valuable asset would do for such a mighty monarch. Frankincense, an incense like resin, akin to the stuff burned in the temple before God, because He was Deity. And the myrrh, used for anointing bodies before burial, to symbolize His epic death, some three decades later. Meanwhile, poor Mary and Joseph are sitting around the feed trough in which their godly Son lies, overwhelmed by all the hoopla, just kindly accepting the gifts and glad tidings from all who came to pay their respects. The Good Book says though: ‘But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.’ (Luke 2:19) Wise woman, that Mary! Oh Friends, I forgot to mention that throughout the entire event the heavenly choir was outside rocking up a storm of sweet music. Tunes like: ‘O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him, Born the King of angels; O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O Come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.’ And it wasn’t earth alone rocking nuh mih people; they were having a merry ole time in heaven too. Rocking to stuff like: ‘Joy to the world! The Lord is come; Let earth receive her king; Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.’  And Friends, the parties, both in heaven and on earth, went on until the morning light, until the daytime star arose in the east. (smile) Never before, or again, was there ever such a splendiferous night! Wow! And all God’s people wept with joy, then belted out in song: ‘Then let us all with one accord, sing praises to our heavenly Lord; That hath made heaven and earth of naught, And with His blood mankind hath bought. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel. ‘ Oh Friends, I sure hope the Christmas story was interesting, for I had a lot of fun writing it. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a happy New Year. Don’t overdo the eating and drinking, and find some time to get Christ involved. Much LOVE!…peace on earth…goodwill to all…those are the sentiments of the season…