The Cross of Christmas

As we prepare our hearts to celebrate Jesus’s birth on Christmas day, 25th December, (the real reason for the season), have you ever wondered why God had to send Jesus to earth to be born as a baby? 

Although the Nativity story is found in the Gospel books of Mathew and Luke, having recently studied the book of Hebrews, I was amazed to come across many verses pertaining to why Jesus was born. 

So, I thought I’d share them with you as you ponder and reflect on the celebration of the birth of our King and Savior, Jesus Christ…

1. Jesus was born so that He could become the son of God that would make us His children and God our Heavenly Father - Hebrews 1:5; 5:5
2. Jesus was born as a human of flesh and blood so that He would no longer be immortal but would be able to die so that His blood could be poured out for us. - Hebrews 2: 14
3. Jesus needed to be born, so He could die in order to destroy the devil through His death- Hebrews 2:14
4. Jesus needed to die to deliver and free us from sin and break the power of death and the devil - Hebrews 2:15
5. Jesus was born so He could become human like us and know how it feels to be tempted and suffer - Hebrews 2:18
6. Jesus was born to become the guarantee and mediator of a new covenant between ourselves and God - Hebrews 7:22; 8:6; 9:15
7. Jesus was born so He could have a body that could be sacrificed like an unblemished Lamb for our sins- Hebrews 10:5

When you add the Cross to Christmas, it gives meaning to the purpose of Jesus’s birth. Our wreaths of holly and berries symbolize a wreath for His death and represent the crown of thorns He had to wear and the berries, the drops of blood that dripped from His brow. 

The Christmas lights represent the light that Jesus brings to the darkness of the world, to our own darkness and how we should be reflecting His light to others. Whether you have a star or an Angel on top of your Christmas tree, both are symbols of God’s glory that ushered in the announcement of Jesus’s birth.  

The very tree represents the wood that was cut up to become the cross. The ornaments we put on our trees can represent things we should nail to the tree or they can also represent our blessings and inherited gifts we have through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  

Christmas offers us the hope of eternity in Heaven. The Old Testament’s sacrifices were just a parole but with the New Testament and Covenant, we are given a full pardon. Yes, the devil may still seem active in our lives, but he is like a dog that has been chained up to the stake of the Cross.  He can growl and bark, but he can no longer harm us, as long as we stay out of his reach. 

Christmas is God reaching out to us.  It is the celebration of His incarnation that He is Emmanuel and is always with us. It should not just be a holiday tradition, but become our response to God for sending Jesus to restore our relationship with Him.

Wishing you all a Blessed and meaningful Christmas!

Much love, 

Samantha

The Gospel in the Stars

On the 21^st December 2020, the whole world was enthralled to witness the amazing bright sight of the Jupiter and Saturn conjunction, which many believe was a repeat of the great ‘Bethlehem Star’ that guided the Wise Men to the place of Jesus’s birth place.  This was even more exciting considering it happened so close to Christmas!  For me, it felt like it was God’s way of reminding us to keep seeking Christ, and where better to look upwards, towards the heavens.

This amazing event also reminded me of something I had heard recently on the ‘Through the Word’ App on Psalms 19, which mentions that the constellations of stars actually foretell the full Gospel story of Jesus Christ.  The 12 Zodiac signs that have shined in the night sky tells us of Christ's coming, His life on earth and the triumph when He will return.

Although the Bible warns us not to consult the stars through Astrology which Satan has distorted, Biblical Astronomy is an entirely different story and declares the marvelous Glory of God.

From Virgo, which is depicted as a virgin to Leo, the Lion of Judah, we realize the constellation of stars hold a far greater symbolic and significant meaning than we ever realized before.

Constellation	Picture	Interpretations
Libra	Scales	Scales of Justice = Sin paid for on the Cross
Scorpius	Scorpion	Satan’s sting of sin brings death
Sagittarius	Centaur/Archer	Dual identity of Jesus, as half man and half God with an arrow that pierces Satan - Our Conqueror
Capricorn	Goat-fish	Earth corruption – Our Scapegoat and atoning sacrifice
Aquarius	Water Bearer/ pourer	Living water – Our Spiritual Well
Pisces	Fishes	God's remnant – Fisher of Men
Aries	Ram	Sacrifice – Our Sacrificial Lamb
Taurus	Bull	Day of Judgement
Gemini	Twins	Union between Christ & His Bride
Cancer	Crab	Gathering of the redeemed
Leo	Lion	Lion of Judah – Our King

Have you ever wondered where the twelve signs of the zodiac came from? The word “Zodiac” comes from the Greek word Zoe, which means “life,” and Dia, which means “through” or “pathway.” Therefore, the word Zodiac literally means: "the path to life".

Some scholars identify the 12 signs of the zodiac with the 12 sons of Jacob/12 tribes of Israel and some even the 12 disciples!

It is the Gospel written in symbolic, pictorial language manifesting the path to eternal life.  Apparently in the Book of Enoch, which is no longer part of our Biblical text, God taught Enoch these constellation pictures and their meaning in order to provide a visual revelation of the plan of God to redeem mankind through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.  

The zodiac constellations can be thought of as the original Bible in the sky, before the Bible was placed into written form.

So next time you find yourself gazing above at the magnificent array of stars, allow God to reveal His wonderful Glory and confirm His message to your heart…

Psalm 19: 1- 4

1 The heavens declare the Glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through the earth, and their words to the end of the world.