The First Noel

The old saying goes, "You learn something new every day."  I suppose there is the potential that you could learn something new on a daily basis, but it is likely we learn many new things every day.  Yesterday the song "The First Noel" was stuck in my head and I wondered:  what does Noel mean?  I looked it up and found out that "Noel" means "Christmas."  Maybe you didn't know that either.  Now there's one new thing you've learned today.  Congradulations!

There's a part in the song which speaks about the wise men bringing gifts and says they "offered there in His presence their gold and myrrh and frankincense."  A thought sprung to my mind as I sang:  if I had gold, would I give it to Jesus?  Would I travel far to give what is precious to me?  Jesus never asked for gold.  Seated now at the right hand of the Father Jesus has no physical needs or financial shortfalls.  He says in His Word, "If you love me, keep my commandments."  Jesus desires that all people would trust in Him and obey His Word.  If we obey Him it is evidence that we love Him.  It is written in 1 John 2:5:  "But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him."

In a day when preaching of grace seems to trump obedience (though they are not in contrast or conflict with one another), let us not neglect to do good and give.  We are justified by grace through faith, but this is not where the road of sanctification ends:  it is the beginning of new life!  It is by God's grace that we can be obedient to God's Word, having long been alienated from God by our sin.  Now that we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus we have peace with God and can follow Christ in obedience.  We have been created by God unto good works, that people may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.  We do not do good to receive recognition or accolades from men or even God, but joyfully out of the perfect love God has placed in our hearts.

May this Noel be a continuation of the First Noel.  May we give ourselves fully to our Savior.  It is not gold or precious spices that He desires:  it is me and you and all who have been created in the image of God.  Let us give ourselves, for there is nothing else only we can give.