Two Turt-, no, Testaments!

Welcome to another of Doug’s 12 Days of Christ-mas, at the intersection of the song, the children’s game, tradition, culture, and Christ-mas. If you’ve missed a few, check your in-box from yesterday, or ping me at
[email protected]. We’re almost down to #1, but today I’m borrowing from The Eagles, and Yellowstone, and doing Part II of “The 2nd Day of Christmas…”

With all respect to Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – as it is, yes, #3 on the Annual Howe Family Christmas Movie-Fest, right behind Die Hard – the “two turtle doves” were not indicative of lifelong friendship. Rather, as I’ve said in this series, the larky rhymes were the whimsical fun part of the memory-and-forfeit game the kids played, but it was the numbers that mattered. In this case, the “Two” signalled a reminder of the awesome and truthful beauty and harmony of the Old and New Testaments.

From the point of view of the eyes of heaven, the canvass of human history was painted for centuries from creation to the time of Jesus. For hundreds upon hundreds of years, people heard about God through prophets, the spiritual leaders who heard from God and revealed the truths of His heart and mind to them. They didn’t have the Bible yet. The didn’t have Jesus yet. They had the beauty of Creation, the oral traditions passed down through the generations, and the stories of God’s faithfulness to them. They knew of their father, Abraham, their deliverer, Moses, and their Kings, especially David. And they waited with hope for the Messiah to come, one who would fulfill the promises and be their new father, who would deliver them, and who would be King.

And after their oral traditions and stories were captured in scrolls while the nation of Israel was in captivity in Babylon, they were able to assemble it all into what has now become known as the Old Testament. And for about four hundred years, they hadn’t heard from a prophet. There was no one to say, “Thus sayeth the Lord.” Then, after four silent centuries had passed, Jesus was born on that first Christmas, revealed Himself in his adult years, began His public ministry, and the world has never been the same.

His life (gospels), the beginning of churches (Acts), the early church writings (letters or “epistles”), and the Book of Revelation came together to form the New Testament that we miraculously have today. If you’ve ever wanted to know the Bible more – and it really is knowable and much easier to handle than most would believe – I invite you to join one of our Zoom groups in January. Just ping me at [email protected].

In the meantime, tomorrow we’ll come to the 1st Day, that 1st Christmas, one that doesn’t have much to do with a partridge or a pear tree, but is the beginning of that miraculous yet brief span of time when Jesus came, Emmanuel, God with us!

I hope that we can find comfort in knowing – like the kids who played the “12 Days” game so long ago – that the Old and New Testaments combine to tell one story, the story of God’s love for His created people, His sending of a Savior to invite us all to spend eternity in with Him in heaven, and to live more purposeful, fulfilled, loving, others-oriented lives her on Earth.

Thank you for coming along for this ride with me, see you tomorrow, and here’s wishing you the best of blessings this Christ-mas, -Doug

12th Day…
…Good morning aviators, 12 points of the Creed.
11th Day…
…Baker’s miracle, 11 faithful disciples/learners.
10th Day…
…Ten Commandments, actually just two.
9th Day…
…Laker Girls, 9 fruits of the Spirit.
8th Day…
…The Sermon on the Mount, 8 Beatitudes.
7th Day…
…Swans are graceful, as are those who use their Gifts for good
6th Day…
…He Created the first six days; Then a Real Rest.
5th Day…
…Belt it out! The First Fiiive Books of the Bible.
4th Day…
….Four perspectives/camera angles of Christ.
3rd Day…
…Three Great Virtues: Faith, Hope, and Love.
2nd Day…Part I
…The Impossible Mission: God came here!
2nd Day…Part II
…The Old and New Testaments tell one story.
1st Day…