West Salem Baptist Church

(Matt. 2:11) “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts;...” Christmas is all about the giving of gifts ; God gave the world Jesus (Jn.3:16), and here we see the wise men giving gifts as well. I think that in  many ways, gifts are the real reason that the world enjoys Christmas time, but to those of us that understand God’s purpose in sending His Son Jesus, we love this season for a different reason. The Biblical account doesn’t say how many wise men came from the east seeking Jesus, but it does tell us that they gave three different types of gifts; 1) Gold . In Jesus’ day gold was given to honor new kings, and to increase their wealth. Gold also represents the very best that God had to give to us but also the very best man should give to God. 2) Frankincense was the incense burned in the temple of Solomon. It represented praise, pra

(Luke 1:78) “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,” John the Baptist was an important messenger of the Christmas Story because he was the first man to proclaim the great threefold message of Jesus’ coming; 1) To shed light on the knowledge of Salvation . What a great merciful thing it was for God to give man Jesus Christ, but also to state clearly in His Word the way of Salvation and the eternal mercy we have in him, through being “born again,” . 2) To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death .  What a great peace is given to the lonely, the destitute, and those who are facing the fearful time of death. Jesus places within every believer His Holy Spirit, who not only comforts us with His presence during times of despair and darkness, but who also gives to us an eternal peace and hope that not even death can take away. 3) To guide our feet in the way of peace . God’s Word not only guides us into the way of Hi

(John 1:6) “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”  Why did God send John the Baptist to Israel before Jesus was introduced to them?  1) To answer the prayer of two faithful people . John’s parents Zacharias and Elizabeth prayed for a child for years, and in their later years God gave them John.   2) He came on a special mission from God. John was full of the Holy Ghost even from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15), and his mission was not to turn Israel back to religion, but rather to turn their hearts back to God, and “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (18). 3) To preach the coming of Israel’s Messiah . Jesus Christ was the “ Word that became flesh,” and “John bare witness of him...” Jesus was God’s eternal Son, The Word, The Light, and our deliverer, and so John preached as Elijah did of old, foretelling his coming as also Isaiah said to Israel in (Chp.40:3) when he proclaimed “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the LORD, m