Jesus and the First Christmas were predicted in Isaiah 11:1-10, around 735 BC. “On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from His roots a bud shall blossom. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him; a Spirit of wisdom, counsel, strength, knowledge, and fear of the LORD… Not by appearance shall He judge, nor by hearsay shall He decide, but He shall judge the poor with justice and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.”
Isaiah is very specific! “On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for His dwelling shall be glorious.” Then, Isaiah 40:10 repeats His Christmas Prophecy: “Behold, our Lord shall come with power; He will enlighten the eyes of His servants.”
He Whose Birth has been celebrated for over 2,000 Christmases told us in Luke 10:21-24, “Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I give You praise, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, you have revealed them to the childlike.”
The Obvious Question: “What Christmas present did Jesus die to give us?”
Answer: Jesus tells us how blessed Catholics are to obey The Church-Creating Word He Spoke to His First Catholic Pope: “And I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”
Those “keys to The Kingdom of Heaven” are God’s Christmas presents to us! They include the Seven Catholic Sacraments which are “the Christmas gift that keeps on giving”.
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Today’s Simple Rhyme: “My soul will live forever / May I never / reject the ‘keys to the Kingdom of Heaven!'”
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