Christmas: Fit for a King

Still singing Christmas carol after Christmas carol? I know I am! This week we’re continuing our series looking at the truth behind the lyrics of those well sung songs…

If the population was surveyed about their favourite moment at Christmas, I’m sure that high up on the list would be opening presents! There is something both in giving and receiving that brings immense joy, especially when the gift turns out to be perfect.

I’m sure you’re already aware that the wise men mentioned in the Bible were probably not kings, and that there were probably not three of them. We can confirm they travelled from the East, which sadly also removes the likelihood that they travelled on camels as most Arabians from that time rode horses. Camels were for the luggage, not the traveller.

In fact, in ‘We three Kings’ we claim they were following the star. In truth, this means that the wise men were probably astrologers. Read that again. They believed in horoscopes - that the stars themselves told us the future. The early church felt the same way many Christians do today - horoscopes are not biblical. The fact that their visit was still included in scripture is therefore even more significant. And it’s the gifts they brought that made them worth including.

Gold (associated with royalty), frankincense (the ceremonial fragrance for worshipping a deity) and myrrh (reserved for funerals) - these gifts declared Jesus’ Kingship, His status as God and His purpose on earth - to die in order to restore our relationship with God.

In ‘Hark the herald angels sing’, we find a beautiful line - “pleased as man with men to dwell.” This was God coming to earth to live among us, to experience the ups and downs of life and walk among us once more.

What a gift to the world!