It is December 20 as I write this–only five days until Christmas! Anticipation is growing, with Christmas music in the air, decorations and lights sparkling and festivities all around! The countdown to Christmas has begun, so let’s talk about a 3-2-1 scenario—three wise men, two parents and one baby.

We usually think of three wise men, even though the Bible doesn’t say how many there were. People must have assumed that since they brought three gifts that there must have been three wise men, but that is not necessarily so. But let’s stick with tradition and say that there were three wise men.

These wise men went to a lot of trouble and expense to find Jesus and worship him. The Bible says that they were “overjoyed” when their efforts came to a successful conclusion (Matt.2:10-11).

As the old saying goes, “Wise people still worship him.” Let’s keep this in mind as we approach the holiday where we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. No one can experience the true joy of Christmas without making a sincere effort to worship Jesus.

The two parents, of course, were Joseph and Mary. Some translations of the Bible describe Joseph as a “righteous man” (Matt.1:19), while Mary is said to be a young lady who had “found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). How did Joseph and Mary reach the point of being such godly people? It probably had something to do with their own parents. They were no doubt raised in the ways of the Lord, and for that reason God chose them to be the earthly parents of Jesus.

The Bible has a lot to say about family life and how to raise our children. As we continue to live out our own role in God’s plan to save the world through Jesus, let us always be aware of the importance of family, especially regarding godly parenting.

And, obviously, the one baby was Jesus. The child that was born in Bethlehem and placed in a manger was Immanuel, God with us. The creator of the world became flesh and lived among us, and we beheld his glory. Jesus is the reason for the season! We celebrate the arrival of our Savior, the Messiah who would lay down his life for the salvation of mankind.

Christmastime can be a busy season. It’s possible to get distracted by all the things that demand our attention. Let’s make a special effort to focus on the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! O, come let us adore him—Christ the Lord!