“Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume Breathes a life of gathering gloom: Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, Sealed in stone cold tomb…” - “We Three Kings of Orient Are” by John H. Hopkins, Jr.
I have always loved the carol “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” The words of each and every verse are powerful, expanding our understanding of who Christ is.
But I admit, my voice always catches as I sing the fourth verse, noted above. Its poignancy throbs through every word, carrying a blast of bone-chilling air from a rock-hewn tomb, and the memory of a bloody cross.
And that is a good thing to remember. Amidst the peppermint candy canes, the sweet scent of the evergreens, the piles of gifts, and the joyful comings and goings of friends and family, take a moment to remember. Remember why this celebration is happening. The Incarnation, the Birth, the Noel was just the beginning. Jesus was born as a babe only so that he could die as a man on a cross.
Do you ever have trouble connecting the Babe in the manger with the Savior on the cross? If so, why?
How would you explain Christmas to someone who didn’t understand the significance of the holiday?
What physical object can you use to help remind you during the Christmas season of why Jesus came? (i.e., a thorn, a nail, a rough piece of wood)