“On the eleventh day of Christ my True Love sent to me: Eleven Pipers Piping“.

The eleven Pipers represent the eleven faithful apostles. Jesus had hand-chosen them, including the one unfaithful apostle. Each of these apostles was given the intense training of Jesus Christ Himself. They walked through crises with Jesus, heard His messages repeatedly, saw signs and wonders, and experienced bitter persecution.

They each received a calling (the word ‘Apostle’ means ‘sent one’). Some, like James, lived a short ministry, while others, like John, lived a long ministry. Each, with the exception of John, died a violent death at the hands of their persecutors. And each leaves a legacy of church plants and hundreds of converts to Christianity. They each received a message and took it to the far corners of their world. They were the eleven Pipers Pipers the good news of Jesus Christ.

“On the tenth day of Christmas my True Love sent to me: Ten Lords a Leaping“.

Ten Lords a Leaping speak of the Ten Commandments given by God through Moses to the Israelites. These ten basic commandments encapsulate the entire Mosaic Law, which consists of hundreds of thou shalts and shalt nots. We are not saved by obeying the Ten Commandments. As a matter of fact, the Ten Commandments were given to the Jews in the Old Covenant, not Christians under a New Covenant. But they symbolize the will of God for His people even today.

In the New Covenant (Christianity), God knows we are sinners but Jesus’ death on the cross covered that sin and God does not hold us accountable for that sin. That’s why Paul said we are saved by grace, not of works, lest anyone should boast of earning his/her salvation. But spiritual people should seek to discover the will of God for our lives so we can live a life that honors God. Its not a Command, then, for believers, but the Ten Commandments become the desire our our hearts. They become Lords of our behavior, leaping over all the obstacles to godliness: Ten Lords a Leaping.

“On the ninth day of christmas my True Love sent to me: Nine Ladies Dancing“.

The nine Ladies Dancing refer to the nine fruit of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. They are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are absent from the natural (or old) man but are the fruit of a spiritual life, dedicated to living for God’s glory. Fruit is the natural result of a healthy life. These fruit are not something we “preach” into a person’s life, but the natural outcropping of one who is focused upon living in a godly manner.

And fruit bear the seeds of reproduction. It is these godly mannerisms that attract non-Christians to the Savior, thus multiplying the next generation of believers. They may seem like weaknesses to the self-serving natural man, but they are the vehicle through which Christ can work. These are the nine ladies dancing.

“On the eighth day of Christmas my True Love sent to me: Eight Maids a Milking“.

Today is not only New Years, but also the eighth day of the Christmas festival, according to the early church calendar. The Maids a Milking represent the eight beatitudes of Jesus recorded in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:3-10. The Beatitudes, often described as the Be-Attitudes, are an example of Hebrew poetry of the style often used in the Psalms or Proverbs. Two contrasting statements were made, proving a point.

For example, the first beatitude says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven“. The poor in spirit are usually looked down upon in our society. These are the very people who own heaven! It doesn’t make sense to the natural mind, but that’s the point. Only in spiritual thinking does it make sense.

Heaven is a place of reward in another dimension. We store up treasures in heaven by sacrificing down here. Few Christians understand this. Together, these Beatitudes bring about great rewards for us, like Maids a Milking!

“On the seventh day of Christmas my True Love sent to me: Seven Swans a Swimming“.

In the original thinking, the Seven Swans likely referred to the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, and another group believes it refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The problem with the first is that Protestants believe in only two sacraments: Baptism and Communion. The problem with the second is that the Bible identifies nine, not seven, gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The apostle Paul identifies these spiritual gifts as a Word of Wisdom, a Word of Knowledge, Faith, Gifts of Healing, Miraculous Powers, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits, a Message in Tongues, and Interpretation of Tongues.

These are spiritual gifts, not natural abilities, that only those with the Holy Spirit have. It is these spiritual gifts that set us apart from other people on the planet. It is these spiritual gifts that allow us to swim in a world drowning in Sin. These are the Seven Swans a Swimming.

“On the sixth day of Christmas my True Love sent to me: Six Geese a Laying“.

The six Geese a Laying refers to the six days of creation recorded in Genesis 1. On the first day, God created light in the darkness. On the second day He created the atmosphere. On the third day He created the earth and water and vegetation capable of reproducing itself. On the fourth day God placed the moon to light the night and the sun to light the day; He fixed time. On the fifth day He created sea and air creatures, fish and birds of all kinds, that could reproduce themselves. On the sixth day, God created mammals and all living beings. Lastly, He created humans and God gave them the responsibility to take control over all the other forms of life He had created. That’s what the “Geese laid”.

On the seventh day God rested and admired His creation. All was good until Adam and Eve disobeyed and fell from that position. But, thank God, He also sent Jesus to redeem mankind so we can take back what sin stole away.