from several different perspectives. Since Christmas is primarily about “gift giving” in most people’s minds, let’s pause in our Christmas shopping frenzy and look at some of the unique and timely gifts that Joseph and Mary gave to Jesus. And if the earthly parents of the Messiah gave these gifts to their Son, perhaps we should consider giving the same kinds of gifts as parents to our children.
As I study that very first Christmas and the months and years that followed, I see at least 7 gifts that Joseph and Mary gave to Jesus. First, there was the gift of…
1.
Inheritance:
Obviously I am not speaking of a
financial or
material inheritance here. Unfortunately, that is usually how we narrowly define
inheritance today in our hyper-materialistic society. After a patriarch or parent dies, we often ask: “
What size of inheritance did they leave? How much did the children get?”
I am certainly not belittling the importance of a
financial inheritance that a parent may leave to his or her children or grandchildren. I am just saying that a
financial inheritance is not the most important kind of inheritance from a Biblical perspective. From God’s vantage point, a
spiritual inheritance is far more important than a
financial inheritance. While a
financial inheritance can bring blessings in this life, a
spiritual inheritance can bring blessing in this life and in the next. A
spiritual inheritance blesses for both
time and
eternity. While a
financial inheritance may result in
riches, a
spiritual inheritance results in
righteousness.
How many times all of us have seen or read about how some wealthy parent or business entrepreneur left a great
financial inheritance to their children – which only led to their downfall. The financial blessing proved to be a curse! So remember this principle: “
Riches without righteousness results in ruin.” On the other hand: “
Riches with righteousness results in responsible living.”
So God defines riches in terms of
relationships. The person who is “rich in relationships” is truly a wealthy person. That’s the kind of inheritance that Joseph and Mary gave to Jesus. As a “blue collar worker” who was a life-long carpenter, Joseph did not have a large financial estate to pass along to his first-born Son. Neither did Mary from her humble up-bringing. But because of the strong Jewish emphasis on family as the center of religious education and worship, they blessed Jesus with
rich relationships.
When you go back to the Book of Genesis and God’s sovereign call of Abraham, you clearly see God’s emphasis on the priority of
spiritual inheritance. In fact, that was the primary reason that God called Abraham. Even though God blessed Abraham with great financial and material wealth (Gen. 13:1-2), He wanted Abraham to pass along a
spiritual inheritance to his heirs. Read again this familiar verses…
“Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what He has promised him” (Gen. 18:18-19).
So God chose and appointed Abraham for the specific purpose of “…
directing his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.” That is a
spiritual inheritance.
We see this same emphasis in the wisdom of Proverbs where a wise father “…
leaves an inheritance for his children’s children” (Prov. 13:22). So the
spiritual inheritance was to be intergenerational. It was to go from one generation to the next – to a father and mother’s “children’s children.”
As Parents then, we either pass along a
Godly or an
ungodly inheritance to our children. Note again these sobering words from the very lips of the Lord:
“…I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me…” (Ex. 20:5-6).
So I trust that you will commit yourself as a parent to give the gift of
spiritual inheritance to your children this Christmas. Regardless of your past lack of giving in this area, it is never too late to begin to building a
spiritual inheritance to pass along to your children. And with the current recession and financial melt-down in the American economy, this may be a better time than ever to shift your emphasis from
physical gifts to
spiritual gifts!
But there was a second important gift that Joseph and Mary gave to Jesus. They gave Him the gift of…
2.
Integrity:
Basically, the word
integrity has to do with consistency. And who of us as spouses or parents who does not have struggles in this area? I know that I certainly do!
Integrity is a much-needed character trait that is needed in our world at every level – beginning in the home. Unfortunately, most Americans have bought into the moral lie that says we can separate “public performance” from “private behavior.” Nothing could be further from the truth. It matters not where it is a parent or a president, you just cannot separate your
beliefs from your
behavior. The space then, between how we behave “behind closed doors” and what we say publicly we believe – is called the
integrity gap.
We parents often manifest this
integrity gap when we say to our children: “Do what I say – not what I do! That just doesn’t wash with either children or teenagers. They see through that kind of moral hypocrisy. When that is our real MO as people and parents, we will not pass on real
spiritual inheritance to our children. At the end of the day, they copy our
behavior more than our
beliefs. How we live and act impacts their character development far more than what we say we believe. So there must be consistency between our
lips and
life if we are going to be parents of integrity and raise children of integrity.
As we ponder this spiritual “gift of integrity,” let me share some relevant verses about this characterlogical trait from the Bible.
• David made this commitment to God: “I will be careful to lead a blameless life…
I will walk in my house with blameless heart [Integrity]. I will set before my eyes no vile thing [Talk about a verse that challenges much of our TV watching and movie going!]. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me” (Ps. 101:2-3).
• King David’s reign was summarized this way: “And David shepherded them with
integrity of heart; with
skillful hands he led them” (Ps. 78:72).
• The wise man of Proverbs observed: “The
man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out” (Prov. 10:9).
• Even Jesus’ enemies said this about Him: “They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know
You are a man of integrity and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by man, because You pay no attention to who they are.’” (Matt. 22:16).
So nothing could be more important from the perspective of a Holy and Righteous God than that His people reflect His moral character. That because He is a
God of integrity – as Jesus demonstrated as the Messiah, that we are to be
people and parents of integrity. Not perfect parents – that’s impossible. But parents who are striving through the power of the Holy Spirit to live lives of integrity – beginning in our marriage and in our family.
From what we can in the lines and “in between the lines,” of the Christmas narratives, Joseph and Mary were people of
integrity. They had
parental character. And the word
character means to “engrave” or “imprint.” So while Joseph and Mary were sinners just like all of the rest of us as parents, they had spiritual
character. They had a religious and moral framework for their marriage and family – which they “engraved” on the human nature of Jesus as He was growing up. So
character rather than
convention or
convenience was the goal of their home.
But there was a wonderful third gift that Joseph and Mary gave to Jesus as His earthly parents. They gave Him the gift of…
3.
Instruction:
As Patt and I have often pointed our in parenting seminars, everything in the Jewish Religion was a “visual aid” to help the father and mother pass on a
spiritual inheritance to their children. All of the Feasts and Festivals were created by God as very practical ways of giving spiritual instruction to their children.
God revealed to the Jews that the
home was to be the primary place of spiritual instruction – not the Tabernacle, Temple or Synagogue. Any instruction that took place in those “houses of worship” was to be
secondary, not
primary. God knew well that the locus of all lasting spiritual instruction is the home. That’s because we spend far more of our lives there than we do in “religious buildings.”
It is important to remember then, that God designed the
home to be the first “Shabbat School” or “Sunday School” – not the Temple, Synagogue or Church. And Christmas reminds us of this crucial principle. It was in the
home that all of the “7 Feasts of Judaism” were celebrated –
with the father and mother being the priest and priestess of the home. Since each of these Feasts and Festivals are agriculturally based, the home and family was the logical locus for the commemoration and celebration of them. In this way, God used the
natural realm to teach about the
supernatural realm.
So within Judaism, the parents were in charge of the primary
spiritual instruction of the children – not the temple priests or rabbis.
Note a few very clear Biblical words of instruction about this…
• Concerning the annual telling of the Exodus story through the Feast of Passover, God instructed the parents that they should “…
tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord” (Ex. 10:2).
• God emphasized this same principle of parental instruction through Moses: “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.
Teach them to your children and to their children after them” (Deut. 4:9).
• The closest thing to a “religious creed” for the Jews is the
Shema. It is the Hebrew word for “hear” or “listen” or “pay attention.” Every faithful Jew recites it daily – and often multiple times a day. Note how it is centered around spiritual instruction in the
home rather than in the Tabernacle or Temple: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deut. 6:4-9).
• The Psalmist reflected this Jewish instruction in the home when he wrote: “Yet You brought me out of the womb;
You made me trust in You even at my mother’s breast” (Ps. 22:9).
• The wise man of Proverbs emphasized this spiritual teaching in the home from the mother and father: “
My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a
lamp, this teaching is a
light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life” (Prov. 6:20-23).
• It was because of this consistent spiritual teaching in the home that the Psalmist could recount: “…what we have
heard and known, what our
fathers have told us. We will
not hide them from their children; we will
tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done” (Ps. 78:3-4).
So as parents this Christmas Season, let’s do as Joseph and Mary did and give the gift of instruction to our children and grandchildren. But let’s not stop there. Like them, let’s also give the gift of…
4.
Imitation:
Here I am not meaning that we should
be imitations – but that we would give our children something spiritual to
imitate in our lives. We can clearly see from the Christmas Narratives that Joseph and Mary were deeply
religious parents. And by this I do not mean that they were just caught up in
religiosity – or the external commemoration of religious ritual, rules and regulations. The word
religion means “to bind back.” So through parental teaching the child is “bound back” to the laws of God.
Therefore, while Joseph and Mary did indeed keep the very “letter of the law” when it came to their practice of Judaism, their hearts were also intent on keeping the “spirit of the law.” For them, their
religion revolved around a
relationship with the Jehovah God of the Scriptures.
How do we know that? First we are told that Joseph and Mary “…did everything the law of Moses required” (Lk. 2:39). Secondly, we can see that they “engraved” this spiritual character in Jesus because we read that in His adult life and ministry He did three things “…according to His custom.” We are specifically told that He…
• “…
went to the synagogue according to His custom” (Lk. 4:16)
• “…
prayed according to His custom” (Lk. 22:39)
• “…
taught according to His custom” (Mk. 10:1)
Where did He develop these “customs? Where did He acquire these spiritual disciplines? Who engraved this
character on His nature as a young child? The answer is obvious. Joseph and Mary did.
As I noted in an earlier point,
children are imitators. They learn by example. God created them to learn by
watching and
imitating the behavior of their parents. This was the first stage of
non-verbal learning long before a child could talk or walk. Gradually this
visual learning was enhanced through
verbal learning. So Jewish parents were to teach by both
precept and
example. As good observant Jews, Joseph and Mary obviously did both.
While there is certainly a great spiritual mystery here as to why and how the very incarnation of divine omniscience could be “taught,” His perfect
human nature would not have been real without this need and ability. If He could not have grown, developed and matured in both “…wisdom and stature,” than the Incarnation was a hoax. He was not fully human – but rather God masquerading in humanity. But that was not the case. The Incarnation was no “divine charade.” This was the Messiah who was both
fully divine and yet
fully human. As we saw in an earlier study, Jesus was the unique God-Man of history. One
perfect Person with two
perfect natures – one
human and one
divine. And the wonder of this “divine humility” was that God voluntarily chose to live with all of the limitations of our full humanity. The only thing He did not have like us was
sin.
So just as the infant Jesus
grew physically, He also
grew in wisdom and knowledge. And Joseph and Mary were a vital part of that spiritual, mental and emotional growth through their spiritual instruction and moral example as His earthly parents. Just like every Jewish boy, Jesus grew up
imitating His parents.
Later, the Apostle Paul – another Jewish leader who became a follower of Christ, made this same emphasis to the young Christians in Corinth. Since they were spiritually “babes in Christ” (I Cor. 3:1), he wrote and instructed them as their spiritual parent: “Follow
my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (I Cor. 11:1).
Using the same words of parental instruction, Paul wrote to the more mature Christians in Ephesus: “Be
imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children” (Eph. 5:1). This shows us that when we do a good job of either
physical parenting or spiritual parenting, our children will grow more and more
independent of us and more
dependent upon God. That’s when you know that
spiritual integrity and
moral character has moved from the
external to the
internal. From
external observance to
internal obedience – whether in private or public! That’s why it has often been said: “
True character is who you are when no one is looking!” That’s why the goal of parenting is to get our children to “behave their beliefs” – regardless of where they are. That’s true
character development.
And when it came to Christ, His
character was perfect. There was never a time when He spoke or acted contrary to His beliefs. It mattered not whether “any one was looking” or whether “everyone was looking,” Jesus lived a consistent life of spiritual and moral
integrity – thanks in part to the instruction of Joseph and Mary!
But there was a fifth gift that Joseph and Mary gave to Jesus. It was the gift of…
5.
Innocence:
When children are born, they are born
mentally,
emotionally and
sexually innocent and
pure. This does not mean that they are sinless. The Bible teaches just the opposite. As David acknowledged: “In
sin my mother conceived me” or “I was
sinful from birth” (Ps. 51:5). And contrary to what some believe, the sin being talked about here has nothing to do with sex or conception! This was a graphic Hebrew idiom meaning that he was “sinful from his mother’s womb.” He had an innate sin nature that he was born with. In other words,
David was not a sinner because he sinned; he sinned because he was a sinner. The sinful character was the cause of his sinful conduct. When he sinned – as with Bathsheba, he was only “doing what was
natural.” Not to sin would have been “doing what was
supernatural.”
Therefore, every child is born with that innate sin nature dominant in their spiritual DNA. Every one of these “little darlings” are still members of Adam’s fallen race! As such, they have an incurable
sin nature that they can never master or control. That’s why Patt and I never had to teach any of our four children to
sin or be
selfish. That was as natural for them as it was for us as their parents.
So while every child is born with a sinful DNA, the type of parenting and exposure they receive will either check and control that nature through law and discipline, or it will allow it to rule and reign in their lives and in the home. So part of our parental instruction is to do all we can to protect the spiritual, mental, emotional and sexual innocence of our children and not prematurely expose them to the world and inflame their passions by foolish and fleshly example of our own carnality – much less that of Hollywood!
Obviously, Jesus was “virgin conceived” as we saw in an earlier study. That’s the only reason He was born with
a sinless human nature. The Holy Father supernaturally conceived Him in he womb of the virgin Mary. That’s why the angel Gabriel told her: “The Holy spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the
holy One to be born will be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:35).
But because Joseph and Mary were people who showed
sexual restraint in their marriage until Jesus was born, that example had to have impacted Jesus in some way growing up. I can’t help but believe that Joseph would have shared his story with Jesus, and his other sons somewhere along the way growing up. Why would I think that? Because he obviously shared it with other trusted friends to the degree that Matthew wrote it down for us (Matt. 1:25). No doubt Mary would have also explained to Him the fact of her virgin conception – even though she did not fully understand it. Jesus then, would have been positively impacted by the moral model of
purity demonstrated by both of His earthly parents – but especially by His father, Joseph.
Studies show that sexual restraint and discipline in parents tends to produce the same moral character and commitment in their children. But parents who can’t and don’t control their own passions – usually produce children who act the same way!
That’s why one of my favorite verses to teach to teenagers about the rewards of sexual innocence and moral purity is Paul’s exhortation to the Roman Christians. And I don’t need to remind you that Rome was not a very easy city to live a pure life in!
“Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil” (Rom. 16:19).
So when we are experientially “wise in good” and “innocent in evil,” then we have a great advantage in living a pure life – both before and after marriage. Tragically, the world has reversed the moral price tags. They incite young people to be experientially “wise in evil” and “innocent in good.” The world’s mottos sound like this: “
You are only young once…Grab for all the gusto you can…Let it all hang out…If it feels good, do it!” Etc, etc., etc…
But Jesus gave a stern warning to anyone who would tempt and entice the young this way. He sternly said, “If anyone causes one of
these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck” (Mark 9:42).
So my dear friend, please start where you are and do all you can this Christmas to give your children and grandchildren gifts that will enhance their spiritual and moral innocence. Don’t give them any gifts that will inflame their passions and open their vulnerable spirits to the enticements of the world! They will have enough struggles with the “dark side” without you feeding it with worldly gifts.
But there is another wonderful gift that I believe Joseph and Mary gave to Jesus. Even though we have hinted at it before, I want to emphasize it more. It was the gift of…
6.
Imagination:
You see, God created all of us with wonderful
imaginations. And children are such exciting and refreshing examples of that innocent, creative, adventuresome, unbounded, ever-changing
imagination! In a childish second their imaginations can take them into any and every situation imaginable – and many we parents and grandparents can’t imagine!
And in their childish innocence, their imaginations are mostly good and wonderful. The fantasies they create in their minds are beautiful and idyllic. And if those imaginations are fed with wonderful spiritual fantasies like the
Chronicles of Narnia,
Lord of the Rings, their fantasies will incline their heart toward the things of God and the nobler things of life.
But if their childish innocence is dashed by verbal, physical and sexual abuse, their minds and emotions will be poisoned and polluted. Or if they are exposed to the perverted passions of the world, their imaginations will become a cesspool of the world’s filth.
Apparently this had happened in the early history of mankind to an almost unimaginable degree. Do you remember these words of judgment that came before God sent the flood to wipe out mankind:
“The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth…for I am grieved that I have made them” (Gen. 6:5-7).
So the unbridled and unrestrained wicked imaginations led to the destruction of mankind by the flood! What a timely warning to us today! Sadly, much of Christmas activities and many Christmas gifts do not feed and fuel Godly thinking and behavior. It does not create holy imaginations in our children and grandchildren – but worldly, fleshly, carnal ones.
As we saw earlier in this particular study, all of the Feasts and Festivals of Judaism were designed to create positive images and imaginations in the minds and fantasies of their children. They were spiritual dramas designed to capture the child’s imagination and focus it on the wonder of their God who had created them, called them and delivered them as a people. Note this wonderful example found in the Book of Exodus about their annual celebration and commemoration of the Passover:
“And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, Who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians’” (Ex. 12:26-27).
Everything in the Passover Meal was designed to capture the imaginations of the children through a dramatic telling of the Exodus Story. And observant Jews to this day continue to tell this story to their children and grandchildren – as they remind themselves.
Obviously Joseph and Mary had done this with Jesus. We are specifically told that: “Every year His parents went to Jerusalem for the
Feast of the Passover” (Lk. 2:41). And it was on one of these annual trips when “…they went up to the Feast, according to the custom” (v. 42) that Jesus amazed the Jewish scholars with His Biblical knowledge and spiritual insight – when he was twelve years old. No doubt this was the occasion of His Bar Mitzvah, or coming of age as a “son of the Law.” And you remember how His parents had traveled a long way toward home before they realized that Jesus was not with them.
While this seems strange to us, it would not be strange at all when you realize that this annual “going up to Jerusalem” and “returning home” was with a rather large crowd of family and friends – all neighbors and fellow Jewish worshipers. And adolescent boys are the same in any century. They love to be together…play together…run off on their own…begin some adventure – and totally forget their parents! That’s why it is so hard to call them in from play! They don’t want to have to stop their adventure…reign in their fantasies…come back to reality!
And the men would also tend to walk together – just as the women would. Each caught up in their own little world of discussion. So it would have been easy for both Joseph and Mary to assume that Jesus was with the other.
And what was Jesus doing when they found Him after three days of searching in Jerusalem? He was in the Temple “blowing the minds” of the religious scholars who were “…amazed at His understanding and His answers” (v. 47). When His parents asked Him for an explanation for this seeming insensitive behavior, He said: “didn’t you know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” (v. 49). You see, Jesus’ imagination had been totally captivated with His Father’s business. And whether or not they realized it through the years, their faithful commemoration of these annual Passovers captivated Jesus’ imagination. More and more He would come to realize that He was the fulfillment of everything that the Passover pointed to! He had come to be that “spotless Passover Lamb” who would die to liberate mankind.
One of the primary reasons we know that Jesus’ earthly ministry was approximately 3 years long was because we read of His celebration of 3 Passovers in the Gospels. And it is also important to remember that the night before He was crucified, He celebrated the Passover with His disciples. As you know, He transformed that Passover into what we now call
Communion or the “Lord’s Table.”
You see, just like the Passover used physical symbols to capture the attention and imagination of Jewish children and focus them on the Exodus, Jesus related those same symbols to Himself. The unleavened bread was
His body and the wine was
His blood. That’s why He said they should regularly
“Do this in remembrance of Me” (I Cor. 11:25). These basic physical symbols of bread and wine were to re-capture the hearts and minds of His disciples and focus them on Him. And we disciples today so need to regularly partake of those symbols because our minds, imaginations and affections so quickly and easily wander from Him! As the song writer said: “Prone to wonder, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.”
So like Joseph and Mary, give some spiritual gifts this Christmas that will capture the minds and imaginations of your children and grandchildren for the Lord Jesus! That’s the role and responsibility of good spiritual parents and grandparents. Remember: If you don’t capture the imagination of your children and grandchildren – the world will! Christmas is a wonderful time to excite their imaginations for the Christ of Christmas and His forever Kingom!
Now, one final wonderful Christmas gift that Joseph and Mary gave to Jesus. The gift of…
7.
Intercession:
We can clearly see in the Christmas Narratives that both Joseph and Mary were
people of prayer. When we first meet Joseph in Matthew’s Gospel, we find Joseph praying and pondering what his response should be to the angel’s message to him. And it was while he was prayerfully pondering what to do, the angel Gabriel, appeared to him (Matt. 1:20-24).
When the same angel appeared to Mary with the announcement that she was to bear the Messiah, her natural response was one of prayer and praise. We have already looked at her prayer in some detail, known as the Magnificant (Luke 1:46-55).
It is also interesting that when Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them back to Jerusalem for Mary’s “…purification according to the Law of Moses” (Lk. 2:22), they encountered some other elderly praying saints – Simeon and Anna (2:25-38). It’s amazing how praying people always seem to find each other! It seems that the Holy Spirit just draws them together through their common band of intercession. Both of these “senior saints” had been told by the Spirit that they would not die until they saw the Messiah. What a great challenge this kind of prayer life and persevering intercession is to me personally as I grow older!
Simeon and Anna remind us that as our physical strength wanes, our spiritual strength should increase. During our “sunset years” when our physical activity decreases – our spiritual activity through prayer should increase. I am sure that the prayers and blessings of Simeon and Anna were a great encouragement and example to the young couple, Joseph and Mary, who had been entrusted with the Christ Child.
So Jesus was literally conceived, birthed and reared in an atmosphere of prayer and intercession. Is it any wonder then, that we find Him praying so often during His public ministry (Matt. 14:23; Mk. 1:35; 6:46; Lk. 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28; 11:1; 22:39-45, etc)? And while the “Disciple’s Prayer” or “Lord’s Prayer,” is recorded in Matthew 6:9-13, His greatest time of intercession was His “High Priestly Prayer” recorded in John 17.
To me it is also interesting to read about how Jesus “…took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and
blessed them” (Mark 10:16). Where did He learn this kind of prayerful interaction with young children? Where did He learn the importance of “taking children in His arms” and “laying His hands on them” for the purpose of “blessing them” in the Father’s Name? I believe He often experienced this very prayerful blessing from His own earthly father, Joseph, as He was growing up – which is totally consistent with what we know of the role of a father in Jewish homes.
That’s why we too as parents and grandparents should often take our children and grandchildren in our arms…lay our hands on them…and bless them in His Name! You can’t give better Christmas presents than that.
So Jesus grew up with
praying parents. That’s where He learned by example the importance of prayer and intercession for every area of life. For a Jew, there is absolutely
nothing that is outside the pale of prayer. That’s why they pray many times a day – which is why the Apostle Paul exhorts us to “…pray without ceasing” or “pray continually” (I Thess. 5:17).
And Jesus continues to do just that for you and me as our High Priest. That’s why He is able to “…save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to
intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25). What a Christmas present! And one that never ceases!
But Christ’s gift of prayer and intercession in our behalf does not stop there. Listen to these wonderful words of assurance about the Holy Spirit’s intercession for us:
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Rom. 8:26-27).
What greater Christmas gift could you get this Christmas than that assurance?! Open it…apply it…revel in it…rest in it…rejoice in it – or rather
in Him!
CONCLUSIONS
So if we want our children and grandchildren to model the Lord Jesus and “…grow in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men,” then as parents and grand parents we must give the kinds of gifts that Joseph and Mary gave. We must give them the gifts of…
• Godly
Inheritance
• Parental
Integrity
• Biblical
Instruction
• Spiritual
Imitation
• Emotional
Innocence
• Sanctified
Imagination
• Prayerful
Intercession
But you can’t buy any of those gifts in local stores – not even the priciest ones. These gifts of parental love can only be found in God’s Word through His Spirit. So I hope you will go spiritually shopping often at His “Divine Department Store.” It has everything you need to give the same gifts to your children that Joseph and Mary gave to Jesus. And wonder of wonders, they are all
free! Jesus has already paid the
full purchase price for every one of His heavenly gifts (Eph. 1:3)! Happy shopping! And Have a blessed Christmas!
In His Extravagant Love,
J.L.
PS: Thanks to those of you who have gone through this special in depth Christmas Devotional Study. It has been far longer than just the “Twelve Days of Christmas” that the popular song recounts! And I have one more on “Lessons From The Wise Men” that I will send
after Christmas and
before the New Year – just in time for Epiphany. Be watching for it…
JLWilliams.org is where Patt and I will share our personal views and perspectives on a wide variety of issues from the Bible, to politics, to world events, business and entrepreneurial issues, to my international travels. We hope you will find them provocative, challenging and edifying.