Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh—
very different from what many people think
Hello, Chapel Hill Congregation,
I just returned from a refreshing vacation during the holiday season. I had a wonderful time with my family, as I hope you did with yours. We prayed, played, and ate together in fellowship, just as we do here at Chapel Hill UMC, which is my extended family. I wanted to share a gift with you for the New Year, 2014. It follows.
We all know of the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus, but those gifts aren’t what many people think they were. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were not gifts for a baby; they were the burial items for kings. From the moment Jesus came into the world, He came to die to be the Savior of the world.
Jesus knew His purpose. Just before the crucifixion, Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples.
While writing my dissertation on biblical Psalms of Joy, in preparation for my finals in Spiritual Direction last year, I researched numerous Psalms (songs) to find those that gave great joy to the reader. A friend and fellow student was assigned Psalms of Sorrow (lamentations).
I read that some years ago, an aged rabbi, then the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel, revealed that the custom of the Jews was to sing Psalm 118 at the Passover.
In reading Psalm 118, I discovered the power of the words is astonishing—they reveal the fulfillment in the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ. Open your Bible and read the entire Psalm. Notice the following verses:
Verse 5: “I call upon the Lord in my distress.”
Verse 6: “I will not fear what man can do to me.”
Verse 10: “All nations compassed (surrounded) me about.”
Verse 17: “I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.”
Verse 19: “Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will go into them…”
Verse 22: “The stone which the builders refused has become the head of the corner (capstone).”
Verse 24: “This is the day which the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Verse 27: “God is the Lord which has showed us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.”
Here at Chapel Hill UMC, we just finished this past year 2013 by celebrating the birth of our Savior. Remember that He was born to die for you! God loves you so much that He gave the best gift in all of history when He sent His Son to earth.
My New Year prayer is that you had a blessed Christmas and that 2014 will be the greatest year of your life as God’s blessings abound for your children, grandchildren, your dreams and visions, and everyone you love.
~ Sherry Vineyard,
Adult Christian Education
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