A Messy, Human, Family

REFLECTION QUOTES

The Meaning Behind the Twelve Days of Christmas

“MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME”

“My true love” represents God. The repeating lyric tells the story of how God gave us all the following gifts:

DAY 1 – A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE

The partridge is symbolic of Jesus Christ, and the pear tree is Jerusalem. The symbol is pulled from Luke 13:34, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem how often I would have sheltered you under my wings as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it.”

DAY 2 – TWO TURTLE DOVES

The turtledoves represent the Old and New testaments.

DAY 3 – THREE FRENCH HENS

The three French hens represent the three theological virtues faith, hope and love from Corinthians 13:13.

DAY 4 – FOUR CALLING BIRDS

Calling birds represent the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

DAY 5 – FIVE GOLDEN RINGS

The golden rings refer to the first five books of the Old Testament. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

DAY 6 – SIX GEESE A-LAYING

These geese a-laying and bringing forth new life represent the six days of Creation.

DAY 7 – SEVEN SWANS A-SWIMMING

The swans symbolize the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit – prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading and compassion.

DAY 8 – EIGHT MAIDS A-MILKING

The milking maids speak of the eight Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the cure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.

DAY 9 – NINE LADIES DANCING

The ladies dancing represent the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control from Galatians 5:22.

DAY 10 – TEN LORDS A-LEAPING

The ten lords are the Ten Commandments.

DAY 11- ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING

The eleven pipers refer to the eleven apostles.

DAY 12 – TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING

The twelve drummers are drumming about the 12 points in the Apostles’ Creed.

SERMON PASSAGE

Matthew 1:1-17 (ESV)

1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

17So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.