In late November of 1996, I went on a unique trip one Saturday, driving all the way from my basement apartment in northern Virginia to West Virginia. My sole mission was to take a picture of an old country church, which I planned to use for my Christmas photo card. Beyond my overly crowded neighborhood inside the Washington, D.C., beltway, and beyond the rushed highway of I66, I drove country roads in an area I had never been before. Driving those roads surrounded by lush forests and rolling hills was scenic. But as I drove through a little town, I was feeling a bit lonely. As someone who had been overly active in the Salt and Light ministry of The Falls Church for over five years, I still did not have a girlfriend. Being on a solo Saturday trip emphasized that. Yet as a young Christian who was steadily growing in my understanding of being in a spiritual covenant relationship with Jesus, my main focus became the Christmas music I played in the cassette tape deck in my car. “Such a Small King,” written by Dr. C. Harry Causey, Director of The National Christian Choir for many years, was a beautiful choir song I had never heard before. Driving along the country roads, I kept rewinding the tape to repeat that song. Then I was most taken with another new song, the enchanting “Peace, Peace,” written by Rick and Sylvia Powell; more rewinding. And my mission was accomplished when I found a neat country church. I took a nice picture with my film camera.
Jumping ahead to December 2002, (or possibly the year after), I was offered an invitation to a choir concert at Wheat Ridge High School from a student who had been a loyal member of our youth group when I was the youth minister at the Anglican church in Wheat Ridge. (I had resigned that dream position in the wake of the loss of our devout and caring head minister, Reverend R.J. Hill.) That student once sang a stanza for me after a youth group activity, since her sister convinced her to do so. Her voice was utterly powerful! So several years later, there I was in the packed auditorium of a public high school, where a Christmas spirit prevailed. It was a blessing to listen to my young sister-in-Christ, and the entire choir, singing away. Then the choir director had it planned for the students to station themselves space out around the perimeter of the auditorium. And then, they sang “Peace, Peace.” It was surreal; one of those experiences when, in a spiritual sense, God was bear hugging me.
It is harder to detail such experiences from this past year, yet they happened, and I needed them.
Back to my song soaking, “Such a Small King” offers us a Christmas message. The lyrics of the song give consideration of what we can give to Jesus. Now the Magi presented three gifts: gold, incense, and myrrh. The gold represented the little baby was the King of kings, a title unveiled in the book of Revelation. The incense represented that the little baby was the Great High Priest from heaven, Christ’s position which the author of the book of Hebrews explained. I note that many interpret the incense to symbolize a deity offering. Possible considering the action of the Magi: “…they bowed down and worshiped him” (Matthew 2:11). The myrrh foreshadowed that little baby would soon give Himself as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, the ultimate sacrifice made on the cross at Golgotha.
Messiah is Hebrew for Anointed One. Christ is Greek for Anointed One. The Anointed One was destined to be the King, the Priest, and the Sacrifice. Hebrew kings were anointed with olive oil. Hebrew priests were anointed with olive oil. Jesus, at His baptism, was anointed with the Holy Spirit.
Now, what can we offer Jesus? The answer is love. Jesus died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone. Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for the consequence of sins, which is spiritual death. Jesus was then resurrected. Then Jesus ascended into heaven. If you believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you will be saved, and you will have everlasting life in heaven. And you will be enabled to live by His true love! Jesus loves you!
Have a great Christmas!
love, Hunter
