“For unto you is born this day, in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11. You have heard of, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” well I would like to share with you, “The Twelve Words of Christmas.” (hotee etecthay humin saymayron; Sotayr hos esteen Christos Kurios; in poley David) The King James Version has 19 words, they have to add seven to make the English flow (was, to, this, a, the, the, of) In a ‘Charlie Brown Christmas DVD’ he searches for the real meaning of Christmas and at the very end, Linus steps on the stage and asks for the lights and quotes, Luke 2:8-14. Then he walks over to Charlie Brown and says, “And that Charlie Brown is what Christmas is all about.” Then he walks away with his little blue blanket wrapped around his neck and Charlie Brown finally gets it! (Thanks to Charles Schulz who was a disciple of Jesus Christ).

You see Christmas is not about commercialism, or money, or gifts, or decorations, or Santa Claus, or Real Estate; it’s about a baby wrapped in swaddling cloth, lying in a manger, Who changed this world for all eternity. The angel said, “Fear Not! Behold, I bring you, ‘Good Tidings’ of ‘Great Joy’ which shall be to, ‘All People!” Then the declaration, “The Twelve Words of Christmas” in Luke 2:11, “For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior Who is Christ the Lord.” The greatest Christmas message of all time, ever proclaimed by one of God’s angels, to some lowly shepherds abiding in a field outside of Bethlehem at night.

So, if you like Charlie Brown are ever wondering, ‘What Christmas is all about?’ Just read Luke 2:11, better yet memorize it and you will never have to wonder what Christmas is all about again. “For unto you is born this day a Savior…” The world did not need an adviser, the world had advised itself almost into Hell, like this one today! The world did not need a speculator, everything that man could do had been done and men sat in the darkness of their own wisdom, like they do today! The world did not need a reformer, a man who could change the outward relations. The world didn’t need reformation it needed transformation as it does today! The world didn’t need an engineer who could devote his time readjusting the wheels, cogs, pulleys and various mechanical forces of society, NO! What the world needed then and still needs today is a, Savior!

Savior! What a complex word, it is not an official title, it is not even an image you can robe in scarlet and bow down before on account of its majesty and haughtiness. Savior is an angel with a tear in his eye, with arms as mighty as the lightning’s of God, but with a heart full of all tenderness, it is such a complex word. “It has in it all human nature, all divine nature, all past history, all the possibility of prophecy, all the mystery of apocalypse, the tenderness beyond the love of a woman, and the majesty humbling the haughtiness of kings.” Savior is a very complex, yet a very beautiful word, giving purpose, meaning, direction and hope to a hell bound, dying world and to a sinner’s final breath.

This verse Luke 2:11 breaks down into three stanzas and they are not in your normal English order. The first phrase is, “For unto you is born this day;” ‘For Today’ (hotee saymayron) ‘This Day!’ Not that one, or any one, or another one, but ‘This Very Day!’ There is another word in the Greek language for, ‘a day, any day’ (haymayra) Here the angel uses the word, ‘This Day – Today!’ Luke uses this word repeatedly to mean the present period of salvation brought about by Yeshua/Jesus! They waited a long time for this, ever since Adam & Eve sinned in the garden and God gave His promise in Gen. 3:15, “And I (God) will put enmity (enemies) between you (Satan) and the woman (Eve), and between your seed and her seed; He (the seed of the woman) shall bruise your head (Satan), and you (Satan) shall bruise His heel.”

You need to read the rest of Luke chapter 2 and you will learn about the Shepherds, Simeon and Anna. Simeon was a righteous man, devout and waiting for the, ‘consolation of Israel’ and he was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s ‘Messiah.’ Luke 2:30-31 says, “Lord, now let Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.” I Peter 1:10 says, “The prophets inquired and searched diligently for the One to come.” The ‘Wise Men’ waited and knew; The Scribes waited and knew; The Pharisees waited and knew; The Sadducees waited and knew; Even Herod waited and knew; But the real question is; Have You? “For Today!” “This Very Day…”

“Was born…” (etecthay) This is an aorist passive, which means basically it’s past tense, ‘Has been born.’ It is a birth, the Word, the Logos, has become Flesh – God became man, John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth.” When? This Day! The day the angel proclaimed it! The One Who created time, entered it, became subject to it, and it’s conditions. Listen, we don’t make Him our Savior or Lord, we don’t make Him anything, we merely accept Him as such! The infinite became finite, the Imuutable became mutable, the Invisible became visible, the Creator became the creature, and ‘God became Man! That’s Christmas, Charlie Brown! He is the visible manifestation of the invisible God! Or as one writer put it, “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…” was born! Salvation was born unto us, Merry Christmas! For You, or ‘Unto You’ (humin) All of you, you plural and you personally, with the idea of personal interest to the point of ownership, it is yours! The words, “Unto You” are emphatic! Christ is your Christmas gift from The Father. So open Him, receive Him, put Him on, enjoy Him, and share Him with others. “For Today – To You – Was Born!” And that leads to the second stanza in this twelve word Christmas sermon from God, “What or Who was born unto all of us personally on that day about 2,000 years ago?” Next time….. “Between The Lines”

“Father, please help us to know and understand the true meaning of Christmas and not get caught up in the commercialism of our day. Let us be mindful that it is the birthday of Your Son Yeshua ha Mashiach and celebrate it as such, making Him the center of our family, home, gift giving, dinner and celebration. May there be room for Him inn our homes and hearts this year.” In His name we pray. Amen!

“The Twelve Words Of Christmas” ‘Part One’