Christmas cards

I walked into the largest grocery store in town in the hope that I would surely find one Christmas card to send up to my daughter. After entering the store I quickly found the seasonal section of Christmas cards and began foraging for just the right card.

I’m really terrible when it comes to picking out gifts and greeting cards, whereas my father is the world’s best greeting card hunter; really a most legendary surveyor of greetings. But still, I was determined to find just the right card that both glorified God and described clearly what Christmas is all about.

The section of cards was extensive and held cards that were beautifully packaged in red and green envelopes. Some of the cards were wonderfully decorated with glitter depicting snow covered wooden bridges and green gabled houses planted in the background. Other cards displayed cut out images of Rudolf the red nosed reindeer, Santa in his sleigh, Santa squeezing down a narrow chimney and many other beautifully decorated winter scenes. 

As I stood there searching for a card with the real meaning of Christmas it soon became apparent that there wasn’t any cards depicting baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds or angels singing Glory to God in the highest. The virgin birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem was mysteriously missing from the card rack. 

Then I noticed groups of Christmas cards filed as “religious”. Isn’t it odd to have a special section for Christmas cards with a religious meaning? I kept searching but apparently I wasn’t going to find any cards depicting the birth of Jesus. I’m old, I’m aware of that, but I never thought I would live long enough to see people forgetting about the true meaning of Christmas. 

There were so many cards declaring “Peace on earth”, “Happy holidays” or something along the lines of “Let the brightness of the season shine on you” that I began to feel perspiration forming on my forehead. Where were all the cards about the baby Jesus, the Messiah, being born in Bethlehem?

How could this seemly premeditated deception be allowed to take hold, clearly this was an attempt to deceive the world and rob it of its only true hope; the gift of Jesus the Son of God.  I wasn’t going to let this store get away with it so I talked to the store manager who had no idea what in the world I was even talking about.

A couple of years back I went into a Christian book store franchise looking for Christmas cards to send to my family and friends. Wandering through the store I quickly discovered the rack of boxed cards and began to read their inscriptions. 

Some of the inscriptions were a bit better than the ones at had seen back at the grocery store but still the powerful verses that are typically used during Christmas were obviously missing. This bookstore franchise has since gone belly up; it would seem God doesn’t like it when you take His Son, Jesus Christ, out of Christmas!

There are hundreds of prophecies concerning the coming, promised Messiah; so many that they are too extensive to list in this 800 word column. However, I want to list a few verses that used to appear on the front of Christmas cards we’d receive each December.  

 

Prophecy that the Messiah would come from a virgin “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Prophecy that the Messiah would be a great light “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.” Isaiah 9:1, 2

Prophecy that the Messiah would be called Mighty God, Wonderful, Councilor and the Prince of Peace “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6

Prophecy that the Messiah would be from the root of Jesse and the house of David “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:1, 2