The Magi in Matthew 2 divinely guided offered gold; frankincense and myrrh. We all remember these gifts and even we remember their significance. However there is an aspect in which is interesting to understand. The Magi offered what was Jesus’ person and mission. And if we are to understand; it is important that the way we live; express our life of mission; and how we deal with the bitterness of life must reflect perfectly the person of Jesus. Today 25th December we give and receive presents but we need to reflect what will we give to Jesus. What we give … Continue reading Reason for the Season part 5: gifts that personalise the person of Jesus

When you consider the Christmas story we see many people who were invited to see the Angelic host; the star; Jesus Himself. What they came to see was the object of their pursuit and the determination of eternity. What God chooses to show you is the celebration of heaven itself.  So in the context of war and occupation by the Romans; was heaven celebrating then, how much more now? We forget that as much as Yeshua came as a babe He will be manifest as King to involve us in the completion of the heavenly plan. As the Magi journeyed … Continue reading Reason for the Season part 4: An invitation to see

Luke 1 and 2 We are focusing on the Reason for the Season. For most of us who celebrate Christmas in the family and friends and church we are all inclusive in the preparation. Luke tells us that the coming of both John and Jesus had those who were purposely left out of recognising the new times. The Priests of the Temple missed the opportunity to understand the season. We may affirm that the Priests were not prophets yet this argument is not valid when you consider Isaiah who was a priest. They did not perceive that the baby who … Continue reading The Reason for the Season part 3: missing the visitation

We examine the real meaning of Christmas by examining the backdrop to the Christmas story. The Theme of Luke 2 resides in an interesting phrase; ” to them that waited for the Consolation of Israel ” The meaning has somewhat been lost. We see Consolation as a mere cheering up from a deep grieving or sadness.  However the Bible goes out if it’s way to explain that Consolation is far more than this. Consolation is demonstrated in the lives of two men whose very name means “Consolation” . Noah and Nehemiah share this significance. Their lives show the act of … Continue reading The Reason for the Season part 2; Biblical meaning of “Consolation”