The 12 Days of Christmas

In some old Christmas traditions, today is the first of the 12 days of Christmas. We all know this song and have probably sung it countless times--always forgetting around about the 7th day or so what the words are! But I love the fact that this song was written to tell the story of the Gospel and of God's faithfulness through the ages. Beginning in the 18th century, British Catholics were unable to practice their faith, for the Church of England was considered the only true and legal church. Catholics who practiced their faith would be prosecuted and severely punished, most often with execution.

Rather than abandon their faith, these 18th century Catholics went underground and studied their doctrine and held masses in secret. In order to secretly teach and pass down their faith to their children, the carol, "The 12 days of Christmas," was written and taught and became enormously popular. Few outside the Catholic faith had any idea that each stanza had a very specific theological meaning. How many of us have sung these verses thinking only of what strange gifts this clueless man was giving his "true love!" But instead, each verse should remind us of all God has done for us in Christ and in His Word.

Today, I will just touch on the first day--a partridge in a pear tree. The partridge is the Lord Jesus whom the Father sent us on Christmas day. The mother partridge was used to symbolize Jesus, because the partridge was the only English bird that would die to protect it's young. As Ace Collins explained, "The single partridge in a pear tree represented courage and devotion above what man ever showed on earth. A mother partridge lures enemies away from her defenseless chicks in order to protect them... Add to that image a pear that symbolized the cross, and, together, this first gift represented the ultimate gift given by the Babe born on Christmas Day."

Once again, I just have to ask, aren't you glad He came?! He was our perfect sacrifice, born on Christmas Day to one day die for all of our sins. How I thank Him for coming as the lowest of the low, growing and living from a baby to a man as the most perfect of all perfection, dying as the most wretched of the wretched, and rising to the newest, most glorious, most abundant eternal life. Might we ever keep in mind the image of the cross as we gaze in wonder at the cradle. Both are so miraculous and wonderful and glorious--it's the cross that saves, but it's the cradle that makes the cross possible. Thank You Lord for our perfect Partridge in a pear tree! Help us to live this day full of gratitude and joy as sinners who are forgiven and cleansed from sin by our Sacrificed Savior born on Christmas Day. To the One and Only Savior and Lord be all the glory.