Why He Came

 

 

 

One of the greatest mysteries of our Christian faith is that Jesus Christ, Son of God yet God Himself, the Fulness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9), present since before time began (John 1:1), the Creator of all (John 1:3), came to earth in human flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Why did He come to us in this unique way? It will be incomprehensible until we see Him in glory, yet here are a few possibilities to consider:

He came to Seek and to Save: Jesus said that He came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Sinners, certainly, lost and condemned to eternal death in hell without the salvation and eternal life only He can bring (John 3:16-18). But Jesus also sought out and restored those who had lost their health (Luke 8:43-48; Matthew 10:8), their sanity (Mark 5:15; Luke 8:35), the comfort of human relationships (John 4), and hope itself (Matthew 5:3-4).

Jesus sought His apostles, transforming them from simple, coarse fishermen and tradespeople to fishers of men (Matthew 4:18-22), to the first missionaries who would spread His Good News, first to the Jews and ultimately throughout the world (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).

Praise God that He loved and sought us before we even knew Him (1 John 4:19), and that Christ knocked on the door of our heart until we answered Him (Revelation 3:20), transforming us from enemies of God (Romans 5:10) to joint heirs with Himself (Romans 8:17), becoming His friends and His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Praise God that when Christ rose from the dead, He saved us from death, so that all who trust Him as their Savior also have eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

He came to Sacrifice: Holy God cannot allow sinners into His presence unless they are made righteous in His sight and unless His just anger at our sin is appeased (Romans 3:22-26; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). Salvation is therefore only possible through the perfect, sinless sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29,36). In His perfection, He submitted to crucifixion and willingly laid down His life as a sacrifice to pay for all of our sins, past, present and future (John 15:13; 1 John 3:16; Colossians 2:10-14). He took the punishment we deserved and paid our debt that He did not owe and that we could not pay (Isaiah 53:5).

He came to Substitute: In a transaction we will not fully understand until we reach glory, all of Christ’s righteousness is imputed or credited to our account, and all of our sin was debited against His account. When God the Father looks at those who have placed their faith in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), He no longer sees our sins, but He sees only the perfect righteousness of His Son (Romans 4). 

He came to Submit: As the Word, Who created all, became flesh (John 1:3,14), He became the embodiment of submission to the Father’s will (Luke 22:42). He was born to a humble virgin betrothed to a carpenter of modest means (Matthew 1:18-23), and He entered this world in a lowly feeding trough among barnyard animals (Luke 2:7). In His human form He became the ideal example of putting God’s will before our own desires, trusting that God will work all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

Despite His infinite power, He submitted with meekness and humility to those in authority, knowing that God was in control and that His perfect will must be done (Matthew 26:52-54),. He came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it (Matthew 5:17-18), for in His sinless state He was the only man capable of keeping it. He knew that His teachings would bring division between His followers and the religious leaders of the day, resulting in persecution, yet He preached nonviolence (Matthew 5:38-39; 10:17-23; 34-39).

He came to Serve: Christ will return as Lord of Lords and King of Kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16), before Whom every knee will bow (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10). Yet in His first coming, He came as a servant, putting others first, even stooping to wash His apostles’ feet (John 13:4-15). If He could humble Himself in this way, how much more should we serve one another, and in so doing serve Him? In service as in all things, Jesus was the ideal of humanity in Whose footsteps we should follow.

He came to Suffer: Only by tasting our sadness, hurt, fatigue, hunger, cold, betrayal, and pain could Jesus identify with us in our suffering. When we approach His throne in prayer, we can have faith that He personally has experienced our need and has compassion for us in whatever trial we are enduring. He was like us in all ways, even tempted, and yet perfectly without sin (Hebrews 4:14-16).

He came to Show the Way: No man can directly look on God, and yet those who were blessed to see Jesus in His earthly ministry, and all of us who know Him through His recorded Word, know the Father, for Jesus and His Father are One (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22; John 8:19; 28-29). At the moment of our salvation, the Holy Spirit enters the believer’s heart (Ephesians 2:20-22), teaching us about Jesus, Who is the express image of the invisible God the Father (Hebrews 1:3). As He walked the earth, He taught us how to live, to be born again (John 3:3-8), and to have faith (John 20:29). Jesus is the only Way to the Father, to forgiveness of sins, and to everlasting life (John 14:6).

He came to Set up the Kingdom: Jesus was the promised Messiah, as foretold in Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 9:6-7), to deliver the nation of Israel (Romans 11:26). In His Second Coming He will rule in the Millennial Kingdom on the throne of David (1 Kings 2:33,45; 9:5; Luke 1:32). Yet in His first coming, when His ministry was directed primarily to the Jews (Matthew 10:5-7) His chosen Hebrew people not only rejected Him, but crucified Him (Zechariah 12:9-10; Revelation 12:5; Matthew 23:37-39).

Surely this was no surprise to God, Who in His omniscience and foreknowledge has known since the beginning of time who would accept and who would reject His Son, yet without interfering with our free will (Romans 8:29).

So why did God allow this? In His infinite grace and mercy, this delay in setting the King of Kings on the throne of Israel allowed the Gentiles to be grafted in to God’s family (Ephesians 2:11-20), so that whosoever would accept Christ would become children of God and inherit eternal life (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13). Praise God that Jesus came to us to allow this wondrous plan, and may we be ready when He comes again, meeting us face to face in all His glory!

© 2013 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Our Old Christmas Tree

 

Photo by Richard Collett 2019

Nearly a decade ago, when we moved into our present home, we decided to decorate for Christmas with a new artificial tree, wider and taller than our previous tree, as our new living room was larger. Setting up the tree was a lengthy project for my dear husband, as he spent hours on his knees removing the individual branches from their cells in a honeycomb-style container. Then he inserted each branch in its own groove on the trunk (which itself first had to be screwed together from its component pieces).

Finally we would look at it from all angles to get it as straight as possible, which meant my husband would lie prone on the floor, the lowest branches scraping his back, while he tweaked the trunk base this way and that in response to my direction.  Then came the lighting, with a key section inevitably burned out once the whole connected string was in place, requiring weeding out the defective chain and reconnecting a new one.

This process took its toll on my husband’s back and knees, not to mention on the tree limbs, which lost needles every time the tree was assembled and disassembled. Over the years, we thought about replacing it with a fresh cut tree, but we felt that a live tree looked and functioned much better in its native environment than in our living room.

Yet each year, the once beautiful and full spruce had more bare spots, with many branch tips brown from the absence of needles. My husband finally cleared out enough space in the lanai closet to store the fully assembled tree strung with lights, so that we could just do the “Christmas tree drag” through the sliders from the lanai to the living room, which was much quicker and easier. But needles still continued to fall because of contact with the tarp covering it while being stored, and because of the many ornaments we hung each year.

We thought about getting another artificial tree, but we found it difficult to justify the expense of a new tree of similar size, fullness and quality. More importantly, so many memories in our new home were inextricably linked to this “new” tree!

Such as the first Christmas we celebrated with the lovely young woman who would soon become our son’s wife! The first Christmas dinner, a succulent Beef Wellington, prepared under the leadership of our son. 

The first Christmas we enjoyed the antics of a canine guest – our son’s and daughter-in-law’s Australian shepherd, as he “herded” the stuffed toy squirrels we gave him, dashing around and around the tree, stopping and starting on a dime, changing direction abruptly, while miraculously knocking no ornaments off the tree!

And, a few years later, a second Aussie, learning the ropes of how to behave around the tree by following the example of his older yet smaller "brother."

Every Christmas we record a short video in front of this tree, recounting the special events of that year, the most memorable gifts, and especially the many blessings for which we thank God and give Him all the glory.

So each year, including this one, we drag the old Christmas tree, always showing its age a bit more, into our living room. It looks sparse and awkward at first, like Charlie Brown’s tree but broader. But soon the bare branches disappear as we fill them with special ornaments, each telling a special story that reflects a precious part of our history.

Some collectible ornaments were given to me by my mother when I was still in college. Others commemorate my rescue dog (rescued from dog lab in medical school!), our first Christmas together, our engagement, our honeymoon in Hawaii, our first Christmas in our new home, our son’s first Christmas, his first apartment. Mementos of our many travels, for dance shows and vacations, from England, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, France, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and so many more.

Our dance ministry history can be read from this tree. Special performances we gave and competitions at the Grand Ol’ Opry, Blackpool Dance Festival, World Swing Dance Championships. And a unique ornament depicting each of the dances we choreographed, to music and themes including O Holy Night, Phantom of the Opera, Christmas Toys Come Alive, Transformed, Bring Him Home, Sun and Moon, and many others!

Our old Christmas tree also reminds me of our senior saints. They may have walked this earth for many years, seen much better times, and lost some hair and teeth along the journey, but their memories, wisdom and experiences are truly irreplaceable. As lights of the world, they shine brightly with the inner radiance of knowing Christ (Matthew 5:14).

Once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), He enables His perfect will and plan to be accomplished in our lives (Jeremiah 29:11; Philippians 1:6). Only He can transform what is broken, flawed and worn out into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) of unique beauty and purpose, for we are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10).

Our Christmas tree may be old, but when lit and decorated with the colors of the season, it still serves the purpose of praising Him and reminding ourselves and others of the miracle of Christ’s birth – Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23), God with us in the flesh! He came as a lowly Infant (Luke 2:5-7), the sinless Lamb of God (John 1:29), to suffer and die on our behalf (Romans 3:25), that all who trust Him will live forever! (John 3:16)

Only Christ can take our bare frame and adorn it with precious ornaments of Godly virtue, meek and quiet Spirit (1 Peter 3:3-5), fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), the light of His love, and testimonies of His faithfulness and provision through challenges, storms and trials (1 Samuel 7:12). 

May we cherish each of these gifts and call them to remembrance daily, praising Him for the new life He breathes into our old frame. And may we look forward to that day, which I pray and believe will be very soon, when He replaces our tired, aging bodies with glorious resurrection bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-58), and we shall be as He is!

© 2021 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Three Appearings of Christ

 

Three Appearings of Christ

During Advent and the Christmas season, we celebrate the first appearing of Jesus Christ, when He left His heavenly throne to clothe Himself in human flesh (John 1:14; Luke 1-2), to appear on Earth. But the New Testament actually refers to three appearings of Christ: past, present and future (Hebrews 9:24-28). Two thousand years ago He appeared on earth at His first coming; currently He appears at the right hand of God the Father to intercede for us; and in the future He will again appear on earth at His second coming.

Before these three appearings of Christ summarized in Hebrews, there were also preincarnate appearances of Jesus Christ in human form, in which He is often referred to as the angel of the Lord, such as when He appeared to Hagar to provide a great promise for her son Ishmael (Genesis 16).   

Predating by millennia His appearance as a Babe in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ appeared to Abraham as a human visitor, accompanied by two angels also in the form of men, to tell him that his wife Sarah would conceive in her old age and that Abraham would thereby be the father of a great nation (Genesis 18). Later the angel of the Lord appeared to keep Abraham from sacrificing Isaac as God had commanded him (Genesis 22:10-12).

Other visible manifestations of God in the Old Testament include the burning bush from which the angel of the Lord spoke to Moses (Exodus 3:2; Acts 7:30), and the Shekinah Glory, or fire inhabited by God, which led the Israelites through the wilderness into the Promised Land (Exodus 13:21).

As prophesied in the Old Testament, the promised Messiah, Son of God and God Himself, would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), given by God the Father to save us from the penalty of our sins and to reign forever (Luke 1:31-33). This appearance was known by God and actually prophesied since the beginning of the world (Luke 1:67-79) as the solution to redeem man from the curse of sin brought about by Adam’s disobedience (Romans 5:12-19).

Although Jesus would be tempted and tested as we all are, He would never sin (Hebrews 4:15), and therefore was the perfect atoning Sacrifice to pay our sin debt in full (Romans 3:25). Holy God could not allow sinful man into Heaven without Jesus Christ taking on Himself the burden of all our sin as He died on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Before Christ’s first appearing, the high priest had to enter the most holy place in the temple once every year with an animal sacrifice to temporarily cover the sins of himself and of the people (Hebrews 9:6-15). But the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), then “appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

The Greek word used here for “appeared” is “phaneroo,” meaning to become evident or visible after being hidden. The Triune God knew that God the Son would appear in this specific form for the specific purpose of salvation for all who trusted Him, and spoke of it in veiled terms through the prophets. Yet His actual appearing was a mystery hidden through the ages until the fullness of times had arrived (Ephesians 1:10).  

Jesus cried out “It is finished,” as the agony of His crucifixion ended, for His work on the cross abolished the need for animal sacrifice or for any work as an attempt to obtain salvation (John 19:30). We are saved only by His grace through our faith in Him, and not by our works (Ephesians 2:8-9). All who trust in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6) will therefore have eternal life (John 3:16).

Once Jesus Christ arose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, His second and present appearing is in the presence of God (Hebrews 9:24). He is now seated at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 10:12), constantly making intercession for us (Romans 8:34) to the Father as the Holy Spirit brings our prayer requests to Him (Romans 8:26). There He is also our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1), defending us against the accusations of the devil. In this active and vocal role it is fitting that the Greek word for “appear” is “emphanizo,” meaning to be manifest or declare openly.

The third appearing of Christ Jesus (Hebrews 9:26) refers to His future appearing, or Second Coming, when born-again Christians (John 3:3-8) eagerly anticipating the blessed hope of the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) shall see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). How appropriate that the Greek word translated here as “appearing” is “optomai,” meaning to gaze at face to face!

In our glorified bodies we will be freed not only from the power and penalty of sin, but even from the very presence of sin (1 Corinthians 15:35-50). Our justification (Romans 3:24-28), sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30), and salvation (Romans 1:16) shall be perfected and made complete, for we shall sin no more! At the Rapture, or first phase of Christ’s future appearing, that appearing will be evident only to God’s children, for those who are left behind will not witness His presence or our ascent to meet Him.

But in the second phase of Christ’s future appearing, all will see the King of Kings return to earth in all His glory, and we shall accompany Him in glory as His troops (Revelation 17:14) when He defeats sin, death and Satan! The apostle Paul writes: When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4).

The Greek word used here for “appear” is also “phaneroo,” as used to describe His first appearing in human form in Bethlehem, meaning to become evident or visible after being hidden. Clearly all will then witness Jesus Christ in physical, tangible form, just as experienced by those Jesus encountered in His earthly ministry.

While those who walked the earth with Jesus.saw Him as a frail newborn (Luke 2:12), humble servant (John 13:5), and suffering Savior (Hebrews 12:2), all who see His future appearing shall witness the King of Kings in all His power, glory and righteous judgment. May all trust Him now in His present appearing to hear the plea of a sinner seeking salvation, to ensure that they will one day appear with Him in glory!

© 2017 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Legend of the Candy Cane

Photo by Mikereichold 2008

Familiar Christmas decorations and their colors may open the door for Christians to talk to unsaved people about Christ, as their symbolism reminds us of different aspects of Christ’s life and God’s plan of salvation. Legend has it that in the 18th century, a candy maker in Europe designed the candy cane to serve as a witness to his Christian faith and to incorporate several symbols for the birth, ministry and death of Jesus.

In the candy maker’s home country at that time, Christian oppression made it illegal to make public displays of Christianity or even to own a Bible or cross, let alone a manger scene. He prayed that God would show him how he could share the true story of Christmas with local children by offering them a unique and meaningful treat.

This confection would be a stick of candy, white to symbolize the Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:35) and the sinless purity of Jesus (I John 1:7), and hard to symbolize the solid Rock, the Foundation of the Church (2 Samuel 22:3,47; Psalm 18:2,46;62:2,6, etc. Matthew 16:18). It was flavored with peppermint, an herb of the same family as hyssop, which was used for temple sacrifices and purification (Psalm 51:7; Exodus 12:22; etc; Hebrews 9:19) and offered to Jesus as He suffered on the cross (John 19:29).

The candy cane is shaped like a "J" for the name of Jesus (Luke 1:31, Matthew 1:21), and like the staff of the Good, Great and Chief Shepherd Who gave His life for His sheep (John 10:11,15; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4). who would hear His voice and follow him (Psalm 23:1, John 10:27-30, Isaiah 40:11). Two canes together touching at both ends forms the shape of a heart, symbolizing God’s love for us (1 John 4:8; Zephaniah 3:17). 

A large red stripe on the candy cane denotes the blood shed by Christ on the cross (Romans 3:25; Colossians 1:20) for the remission of our sins (Matthew 26:28), by which we are saved to eternal life (Revelation 1:5, John 3:16, Luke 22:20), and three small stripes symbolizing the whipping Jesus received, by which we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).

White at Christmas time reminds us of angel robes (Matthew 28:3) and wings and of snowflakes falling, as pristine as Christ is pure and completely without sin (Psalm 51:7). The glorified body of Christ was clothed in shining robes “white as snow” when He appeared to Daniel as the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9), to the inner circle of apostles at His transfiguration (Mark 9:3), and to John at His revelation (Revelation 1:14).

The nativity scene would be incomplete without white sheep led by shepherds, emphasizing the importance of our following the Good Shepherd and depending on Him for all we do (Psalm 23). The purity of white reminds us that Jesus is the lily of the valleys (Song of Solomon 2:1), and that the Holy Spirit took on the appearance of a dove as Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:16).

Red symbolizes each drop of precious blood Jesus shed for us on Calvary’s cross (Matthew 26:28), which washes us clean so that when God sees us, He sees not our sin, but the perfect sacrifice of His blameless Son (Hebrews 9: 11-13; John 1:7).

When we see a red stop sign or traffic light, it warns us of danger. “Red” means stop – - our sinful ways, our wicked thoughts, our worldly lifestyle (1 Peter 4:1). And yet, red also symbolizes fire or passion. God wants us to be on fire for Him, as He is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29; Revelation 19:12), our hearts burning with His Word (Jeremiah 20:9; Luke 24:32) and our lives burning brightly with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3).

As we enjoy a candy cane, may this iconic symbol remind us of Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself, Who came in the flesh (John 1:14) to save us by paying our sin debt in full as He died on the cross, was buried, and rose again the third day, proving His Deity! May we lead others to invite Him into their heart by trusting in this Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), so that they too can have eternal life!

Merry Christmas to all, and all blessings for 2023 and until He comes again! May you experience the love, joy and peace that comes only from knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!

© 2019 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

 

Who Is Jesus?

 

At Christmas time, many celebrate the birth of infant Jesus. The story has much emotional appeal even for nonbelievers, thanks to the pregnancy of a young teen out of wedlock, the rejection she must have experienced from her community, her fear of losing her betrothed and even her life, and her fiance’s acceptance and protection of her and their infant (Luke 1:30-38; Matthew 1:18-25).

Then there is the dramatic appeal that lends itself to nativity displays and holiday pageants: the long, perilous journey of the young mother and her husband to Bethlehem, only to be relegated to a humble stable filled with barnyard animals; angels singing to shepherds on the hillside, filling the sky with glory and the air with song; the shepherds running to the manger to worship the infant (Luke 2:4-20); the star of Bethlehem leading kings from exotic nations, bearing expensive treasures, to worship the future King (Matthew 2:1-11).

But who is Jesus, really? Those who identify themselves as Christians should believe that He is the Son of God (Luke 1:35; Galatians 4:4; Matthew 3:17), sent in human form by God the Father (John 1:14) to be the perfect, sinless sacrifice to pay our sin debt by dying on the cross, to reconcile sinful man to holy God (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10).

Christians should believe that after an earthly ministry of teaching, healing, and being a perfect example of obedience to God (John 5:30), that Jesus not only died willingly at 33 years of age, but that He rose again on the third day (John 10:17), so that all who trust Him have eternal life (John 3:16).

Many people, even those from non-Christian religions, believe that Jesus was a good man, healer, and teacher, and they even acknowledge that he died on the cross. But fewer people accept the supernatural dimensions of the Christmas story and of Jesus’ life – that He was born to a virgin (Jeremiah 31:22; Luke 1:27-38; Matthew 1:20-23), that He performed many miracles (John 2:11; 20:30-31; 21:25), that He rose from the dead (Matthew 17:9; 28:7; John 2:22; 21:14; Acts 17:3; 1 Corinthians 15:20), and that He ascended into Heaven (John 3:13; Ephesians 4:10).

Those who place their faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6) have accepted Him as our Redeemer (Job 19:25; Psalm 19:14; Isaiah 47:4), Who alone (Acts 4:12) can save us (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13) from eternal punishment in hell that our sins deserve (Romans 10:13). His completed work on the cross (John 19:30) was sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world (Acts 17:31; 1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:21), and His perfect righteousness enrobes all who trust Him (Romans 3:22; Isaiah 61:10).

Jesus is the Messiah (John 4:25) promised in Old Testament prophecy to deliver us from our sin (Daniel 9:25-26). He is the great High Priest Who once and for all delivered us from all our sins (Hebrews 10:10-14), and Who now sits at the right hand of God the Father (Mark 16:19; Luke 22:69; Acts 7:56; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 10:12; 12:2) interceding for us and defending us against the accusations of Satan (Romans 8:34).

Yet He is so much more! In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). Jesus Christ, the Word, is the Creator of all things (Colossians 1:13-16), the Son of God Who was made flesh to save us (John 1:14). From the beginning He was with God and He is God (John 1:1; 10:30; Philippians 2:6), and without Him was not anything made that was made (John 1:3). Not only did He speak the worlds into existence (Genesis 1; Psalm 33:6-9), but He continues to sustain the universe, holding the planets in their orbit, the stars in their course, and our lives in the palm of His hand (Colossians 1:12-20).

Our Lord Jesus Christ is not only the beginning, present throughout eternity past, but also the ending, the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13), the King Who will reign over the Millennial Kingdom and beyond through eternity future. Truly He is the same, yesterday, today and forever! (Hebrews 13:8)

As we celebrate the Nativity, let us not lose sight of the fact that the tender Infant laid in that lowly manger was actually our Creator; He is our Redeemer, Sustainer and High Priest; and He will be our King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16) to Whom every knee will bow (Romans 14:11) and every tongue confess His glory!

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

© 2018 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Our Old Christmas Tree

 

Photo by Richard Collett 2019

Nearly a decade ago, when we moved into our present home, we decided to decorate for Christmas with a new artificial tree, wider and taller than our previous tree, as our new living room was larger. Setting up the tree was a lengthy project for my dear husband, as he spent hours on his knees removing the individual branches from their cells in a honeycomb-style container. Then he inserted each branch in its own groove on the trunk (which itself first had to be screwed together from its component pieces).

Finally we would look at it from all angles to get it as straight as possible, which meant my husband would lie prone on the floor, the lowest branches scraping his back, while he tweaked the trunk base this way and that in response to my direction.  Then came the lighting, with a key section inevitably burned out once the whole connected string was in place, requiring weeding out the defective chain and reconnecting a new one.

This process took its toll on my husband’s back and knees, not to mention on the tree limbs, which lost needles every time the tree was assembled and disassembled. Over the years, we thought about replacing it with a fresh cut tree, but we felt that a live tree looked and functioned much better in its native environment than in our living room.

Yet each year, the once beautiful and full spruce had more bare spots, with many branch tips brown from the absence of needles. My husband finally cleared out enough space in the lanai closet to store the fully assembled tree strung with lights, so that we could just do the “Christmas tree drag” through the sliders from the lanai to the living room, which was much quicker and easier. But needles still continued to fall because of contact with the tarp covering it while being stored, and because of the many ornaments we hung each year.

We thought about getting another artificial tree, but we found it difficult to justify the expense of a new tree of similar size, fullness and quality. More importantly, so many memories in our new home were inextricably linked to this “new” tree!

Such as the first Christmas we celebrated with the lovely young woman who would soon become our son’s wife! The first Christmas dinner, a succulent Beef Wellington, prepared under the leadership of our son. The first Christmas we enjoyed the antics of a canine guest – our son’s and daughter-in-law’s Australian shepherd, as he “herded” the stuffed toy squirrels we gave him, dashing around and around the tree, stopping and starting on a dime, changing direction abruptly, while miraculously knocking no ornaments off the tree!

Every Christmas we record a short video in front of this tree, recounting the special events of that year, the most memorable gifts, and especially the many blessings for which we thank God and give Him all the glory.

So each year, including this one, we drag the old Christmas tree, always showing its age a bit more, into our living room. It looks sparse and awkward at first, like Charlie Brown’s tree but broader. But soon the bare branches disappear as we fill them with special ornaments, each telling a special story that reflects a precious part of our history.

Some collectible ornaments were given to me by my mother when I was still in college. Others commemorate my rescue dog (rescued from dog lab in medical school!), our first Christmas together, our engagement, our honeymoon in Hawaii, our first Christmas in our new home, our son’s first Christmas, his first apartment. Mementos of our many travels, for dance shows and vacations, from England, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, France, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and so many more.

Our dance ministry history can be read from this tree. Special performances we gave and competitions at the Grand Ol’ Opry, Blackpool Dance Festival, World Swing Dance Championships. And a unique ornament depicting each of the dances we choreographed, to music and themes including O Holy Night, Phantom of the Opera, Christmas Toys Come Alive, Transformed, Bring Him Home, Sun and Moon, and many others!

Our old Christmas tree also reminds me of our senior saints. They may have walked this earth for many years, seen much better times, and lost some hair and teeth along the journey, but their memories, wisdom and experiences are truly irreplaceable. As lights of the world, they shine brightly with the inner radiance of knowing Christ (Matthew 5:14).

Once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), He enables His perfect will and plan to be accomplished in our lives (Jeremiah 29:11; Philippians 1:6). Only He can transform what is broken, flawed and worn out into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) of unique beauty and purpose, for we are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10).

Our Christmas tree may be old, but when lit and decorated with the colors of the season, it still serves the purpose of praising Him and reminding ourselves and others of the miracle of Christ’s birth – Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23), God with us in the flesh! He came as a lowly Infant (Luke 2:5-7), the sinless Lamb of God (John 1:29), to suffer and die on our behalf (Romans 3:25), that all who trust Him will live forever! (John 3:16)

Only Christ can take our bare frame and adorn it with precious ornaments of Godly virtue, meek and quiet Spirit (1 Peter 3:3-5), fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), the light of His love, and testimonies of His faithfulness and provision through challenges, storms and trials (1 Samuel 7:12). May we cherish each of these gifts and call them to remembrance daily, praising Him for the new life He breathes into our old frame. And may we look forward to that day, which I pray and believe will be very soon, when He replaces our tired, aging bodies with glorious resurrection bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-58), and we shall be as He is!

© 2021 Laurie Collett