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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade recently was everything that you would expect from
this age-old event that seems to kick off the Christmas season for some. There
were the massive balloons, multitudes of bands, dance groups, personalities and
singers. The "center ring" location is set up so each act can ease on and
off the "stage" while the cameras broadcasting the event beam the spectacle around
the country.
The parade ends with the "star." The announcers make
comments along the way that remind us that "The Big Guy" is just a little ways
off. They try to make us feel that "everyone" is waiting for Santa to come
along in his great sleigh float. But whose parade is it anyway?
Seems to me that a parade for Christmas ought to feature a
grand depiction of the birth of Christ! After all, He's the reason for the
season. He should be the star.
Hebrews
1:2 reminds us that God "made the world through Him." And
Jesus is also the "exact representation" of the Father. He is "Emanuel,"
that is, "God with us!"
In Luke
the account of Mary and Joseph making their trek to Bethlehem, and later the Wise
Men in Matthew,
are like two more parades. They convergeat the "Star" both literally and
figuratively. There was the star in the sky and the "bright and morning
star," Jesus lying in the manger. It's His birthday we celebrate.
Keeping this in mind will make Christmas more meaningful.
All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise
noted.
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