After all were through with the evening meal, Caleb sat down with his family one last time to tell them the rest of the first Christmas story. As Caleb began to sit in his favorite chair, his son in law, Nathan, quickly spoke up. “Abba(Hebrew for father), how long were Joseph and Mary in Egypt?” As Caleb heard his words, he thought back to all Matthew had told him. “Brother Matthew never told me exactly how long they were in Egypt, but he told me that when Herod died, the Lord sent an angel to him in a dream again, for the third time. The angel told Joseph to take the family and return to Israel, as those who sought to kill Jesus were no more. So Joseph, being an obedient and faithful man. did as the Lord commanded him, and returned to Israel(Matthew 2:19-21).”
In telling the story, Caleb then went on to tell his son in law. “Nathan, my son, I wish I could tell you more. I do know they would not have been there long, probably no more than a year or two at the very most, as Herod did not live long after all that had happened in Bethlehem. What I can tell you though, I think you will find even more amazing.”
In watching as the whole family suddenly began to pay close attention, Caleb leaned into the family as they were gathered around him. “As Joseph came back into the land of Israel, he would have come to the area of Judea as soon as he would have entered Israel again. As he did, Joseph learned that Herod’s son, Archelaus, was now reigning over the area(Matthew 2:22). With Herod’s death, Rome divided Herod’s kingdom among his three sons. Archelaus was given rule over Judea, Idumea, and Samaria. Antipas was given rule over Galilee and Perea. And Philip was given rule over Iturea and Trachonitis. Although each of these sons had characteristics of their father, Archelaus was far worse than the other two. He was brutal, violent, high-tempered, impulsive, and many believed him to be insane. Archelaus was as evil as his father, but unlike his father, was an incompetent leader. I remember hearing the stories of his murderous actions soon after he began his reign. One Passover, a riot broke out in Jerusalem. This angered Archelaus so much that he had three thousand citizens of Jerusalem killed in the streets by his soldiers. After this, several of the influential people of Judea and Samaria travelled to Rome, to protest the rule of this brutal man. Because Rome saw they could not trust him, they stripped him of his title, and banished him to Gaul.”
Caleb looked closely into the eyes of his family as he continued. “On seeing and hearing this, Joseph was troubled, and concerned about making the area of Judea the family’s home(Matthew 2:22). I am sure that Joseph thought that the Messiah would naturally need to be near Jerusalem, but the Lord showed Joseph that He had other plans(Isaiah 55:8). In a dream, the Lord again spoke to Joseph, and confirmed for him all he had seen. And on hearing from the Lord, Joseph returned to Galilee.”
As the family heard Caleb explain the return home, Caleb continued to tell them even more. “Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned to Nazareth(Matthew 2:23). Now I know you might find this strange, as their leaving for Bethlehem got them away from all the rumors and the gossip they had faced in the small town. But the Lord had greater plans than all the rumors, and He would speak louder than all the whispers. Isaiah had foretold that the Messiah would be despised and rejected by men(Isaiah 53:3), and from no other place could a man be thought of less than if he came from Galilee, especially from Nazareth. Nazareth was a nothing town, and as I mentioned to you all, it carried the worse of reputations(Luke 1:46). In the Lord God’s plan, the Messiah would grow up in a small despised town, not in the prestige that would surround other towns. From the most simple of means, the Lord, not the people, would bring forth a Messiah that would forever change this world.”
Before anyone could even speak, Caleb fought back the tears as he continued. “My loved ones, I plead with you to hold tight to all the words I have just taught you. To cherish these words, as much if not more than you cherish each other. Because in these words, the heart of all love can be found. As the Lord God gave up the comforts of Heaven to take on His shoulders all the discomfort sin brings to this world. And He did so with each of you in mind. Because there is nothing He desired and wanted for you more than to have a personal relationship with Him. One that finds you speaking to Him as openly as you speak to me. Walking with Him, as you would walk with those you love. And living each day with Him, even closer than we live our days with each other. As much as you love this family, He offers you the love of an even greater Family. A Family that finds Him, not I, sitting at the head of the table.”
As the family sat in silence for what seemed like hours, Caleb’s young granddaughter Hannah suddenly broke the quiet as she began to speak. “Saba(Hebrew for grandfather), could this become a tradi..tra...tradi...”. Caleb looked at her and smiled. “My child, do you mean a tradition?” On hearing the word, Hannah spoke up again. “Saba, yes, a tradition!” Caleb loved the thought of this becoming a tradition, of each year the family gathering to tell the story of the first Christmas. “My precious child, I can think of nothing I would want or love more!”
As they gathered to tell the story of the first Christmas the next year, the whole family fought back the tears. A few short months after the family gathered each of those evenings, Caleb became ill. And as the illness lingered, the life slowly passed from Caleb. That next year, as the family once again gathered, they came to realize what an amazing gift Caleb had left them. A gift that had forever changed them, and one that would long outlive each of them. From Caleb first telling them about that first Christmas, a yearning had festered and grown in each. A desire found in the heart of each to know all they could about their Savior. And with each telling, the family found how their love for Him had only grown more. The gift Caleb had given to his family, had become a gift the whole family now desired to give to others.
This Christmas, I hope and pray The Gift will become a gift you value and cherish. As each time you share the telling of that first Christmas with your family, you watch this gift being used over and over, as you watch your family come to love Him more and more. And as you have been a part of the tradition that grew with Caleb and his family, I pray that tradition will also become a part of your family, Because at the end of our days, is there any greater gift we could have given to those we care for the most, than for us to have given each the love of Christ that brought Him into this world so many years ago?
Wishing all of you a Very Blessed Christmas!
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