Happy Birthday Jesus!

Luke 2:8-11 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

My wife’s mother is 100% Danish and collects those Bing & Grondahl & Royal Copenhagen Plates from Denmark. You know, those blue ones with great scenes and landscapes that people hang above doors and along the ceiling. Here in California, we have a little Danish village, just inland a little bit from the coast, between Buelton (where Andersen’s Split Pea restaurant is) and Santa Ynez, off highway 246. They have the best Danish Butter cookies, Danish pastries and abbelskivers (Danish round pancake with a Raspberry jam) there. But they also have a shop of these Danish plates that date back to before the turn of the century. Here I found a beautiful B&G “Jule Aften” Christmas plate from 1911 titled “First it Was Sung by the Angels to Shepherds in the Fields”, that depicted this very Bible passage above. I took it home to reside on our dining room plate rail at Christmas each year to remind us of the reason for celebrating Christmas ... the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Christian Christmas carols fill the air with praises to God for sending His Son “God with us”, to redeem all of mankind from sin and death to forgiveness and eternal life. What would it have been like to have been one of these privileged shepherds to see and hear and experience the proclamation of the Angels that night that the coming Messiah, the Prince of Peace and the Redeemer of the world, promised by God (Creator of Heaven & Earth), had arrived.

This Savior, Jesus Christ, is what we, in pure gratitude and excitement, celebrate this and every Christmas. We are so blessed! Thanks be to God!

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

May you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!
In Christ, Brian