Twelve days - twelve drummers

Our Twelve Days of Christmas song ends on a triumphant note, as so many Christian songs do, and as many of the Psalms do, as well. The twelve drummers drumming are the twelve points of the Apostles' Creed.

In case you are not familiar with the Creed, it is a statement of faith that is still used today in many churches around the world; Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant churches use the statement. It's actually been in use since the fourth century, and lists twelve important points of our Christian faith, which are all found in our New Testament.

Here is how it reads:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
      creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Pretty concise, no? There's a lot packed in there, so let's look at it carefully.

The first sentence tells us so much about God the Father; He's not only powerful but He is also caring. We have confidence in the power of God because all of the creatures and people on earth are dependent upon Him for their existence. We also have confidence in the love of God, since nothing can separate us from this faithful Father.

The second point reminds us that we are not our own. We belong to Jesus Who redeemed us! Each and every Christian should be willing (and eager) to echo the words of Thomas humbly, "My Lord and My God!" Whether we as humans acknowledge His lordship or not, Paul tells us that:

 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11)

What this part of the Creed brings home to us is that Christ's redemption and lordship over us will topple every other idol -- He will rule supreme in our hearts because He saved us from the bondage of sin. We belong to Him.

Third point - Jesus was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit through Mary. Since He was born and lived like us in every respect, yet without sin, He is able to redeem us from the curse of God's Law. (Hebrews 4:15) From the moment that the angel Gabriel appeared to a startled Mary, down to today, the virgin birth and the Incarnation have mystified human beings. It's hard to wrap our heads around it all. But it's true, and it's part of our faith. An important part. And it's why we celebrate at Christmas.

In the fourth point, we find a "short and sweet" synopsis of Jesus' death. My grandma used to say that a lot when she wanted someone to come to the point. The point of this section of the Creed is that Jesus lived a perfect life -- yet He died the death that we deserved in order to save us from the wrath of God at sin. It is sweet because it tells us of His powerful love that allowed Him to stay on that cross and purchase our salvation. We are reminded by the mention of Pontius Pilate that our faith is an historic one - Pilate was an obscure Roman governor whose rule we can point to in history texts and archives. Our faith is no myth; it's founded on facts.

Next in the Creed we say that He was resurrected. Glory to God! He conquered death and made us children of God. We, too, will be raised from the dead and spend eternity with our Father.

The sixth point affirms that Jesus ascended into heaven and is exalted; He is now our advocate in heaven before our Father and intercedes on our behalf.  When He ascended, Jesus also poured out His Spirit on us, gifting us with a small idea of what is to come.

Next, we see that Jesus will return in judgment. That's really a great comfort to us who are suffering and to those who are enduring persecution. Jesus will take care of every wrong, and His war will end all wars. Then His people will enter into glory and have everlasting joy.

The eighth point asserts that the Holy Spirit is a person of the Trinity. He is part of the Godhead, just as the Son is God and the Father is God. It may be more than we can comprehend, but we will know more when we join Him in heaven! It's the Holy Spirit Who unites us with Christ and makes us more and more like Him each day as we endeavor to become more Christ-like.

The ninth point was a little confusing to me when I was a student, until my teacher mentioned that the word "catholic" was with a lower case "c." It means "relating the church universal." (Merriam Webster) It simply means that God's church is universal - since the beginning of time, God has always gathered, defended, and preserved His church. It spans all ages and eras, and it spans the globe: all Christians belong to this church.

The "communion of saints" is sometimes lumped together with the previous phrase about the church, but I'm going to be a bit of a maverick here and separate it. I will push the last two phrases together, since I think that's a good way to organize things. (I know, I'm just a wild thing.) This point is simply telling us about the fellowship of believers across time and place - we not only belong to Jesus Christ, but we also belong to one another. This is true of all of who share the name "Christian" and call on the name of Christ in prayer. 

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; (Romans 12:10)

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:10)

Since we belong to one another and since the Bible exhorts us to do so, we should readily share our gifts and any abundance we have with those in need - this will bless and further Christ's church here on earth.

The forgiveness of sins! Oh, believer, shout out in praise for point eleven! This is the triumphant message of this wonderful time of year - because of what Jesus has done for us in His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, God will no longer remember our sins. For all of us who believe in Christ alone, there is no longer any condemnation.

Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1, NASB)

For the twelfth point, as I warned you, I'm putting together the last two phrases. We will live again, and heaven is real - and eternal. The Creed finishes with a strong emphasis on the reality of our resurrection. It is a great comfort to realize that in Christ, we soon will be in total possession of perfect blessedness . . . such that  no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined. Heaven is for real. We will be with Him.

For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day. (John 6:40)

So, we have finished our study of the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas. I hope that it has been meaningful to you; I know I have learned a lot! I didn't realize all of the different phrases "hidden" meanings when we began. Our "true love," God, certainly has given us such wonderful gifts. We are in the midst of the Christmas season now . . . . what gifts have we chosen and given to our Father? Have we given the gift of our finances, to help a mission effort or another believer who needs our assistance? Have we given the gift of tolerance or of long-suffering as we deal with unbelievers and those who seek to persecute us? Have we offered Him the gift of our lovingkindness to other believers and unsaved alike, as we look for ways to serve God by serving humankind? Have we offered Him a heart humbled by our sin and washed clean by Jesus' precious blood? Far more important than the gifts we present to family and friends, these gifts to God are of eternal importance! 

Merry Christmas Eve, my friends!