The first first person to bring a Christmas Tree into a house, in the way we know it today, may have been the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther. A story is told that, one night before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches. It was so beautiful, that he went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas.
Whether it's true or not, I like the imagery and symbolism. Obviously, the evergreen tree is an easy connection to make with the birth of our Lord Jesus who came to give us everlasting life. Not only that, but the Bible makes several mentions of trees as metaphors: Christ is called the "root of Jesse" (Isaiah 11:10) and the New Testament speaks of Gentiles being adopted into the family of Christ as a branch is grafted to a tree (Romans 11:19). The Christmas Tree -- although it may have begun as a pagan tradition -- is a poignant reminder of these biblical truths and also a great example of how all created things point to the glory of God. Even something as simple and earthy as a fir tree gussied up with silver and gold can remind us of the astounding gift we received in Christ when He came to earth, and foretells the time when we shall have life everlasting and walk on streets of gold with Him.
With those thoughts in mind, I offer you the final desktop calendars of 2015... double designs for the last month of the year!
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