The 12 Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed. According to a fifth century tradition, each of the twelve apostles came up with one of the doctrinal points. For certain, heresy had crept into the church and the church leaders met in a council to establish what the non-negotiable basics were for the Christian faith. It became known as the Apostle’s Creed and was recited for centuries in liturgical churches over the world. Those points are, in the Catholic version:

1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

5. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again.

6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,

9. the holy catholic (universal) Church, the communion of saints,

10. the forgiveness of sins,

11. the resurrection of the body,

12. and life everlasting.

Amen.

These are the twelve Drummers Drumming their truth to a lost world.

If we totaled up all the gifts listed in The Twelve Days of Christmas, there are 364, nearly one for each day of the year.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

The four calling birds represent the four gospels communicating the grace-filled message of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Matthew was written to the Jewish culture and revealed Jesus as the King of Kings. The Gospel of Mark was written to the Romans and revealed Christ as the Greatest Servant. The Gospel of Luke was written to the Greek culture and revealed Jesus as a human. These are known as the synoptic gospels, meaning they tell stories that run side by side.

The Gospel of John was written much later to the universal church, as all cultures were blending together into one church. It has been called the Gospel of Belief because it reveals Christ as God’s Son and emphasizes His deity.

When these four perspectives are put together, they present a full view of the life of Christ on this planet and the clear message they proclaim, or call out. The Four Calling Birds.

To the authors, the two turtle doves represented the Word of God, in two divisions: The Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament contains God’s desire of His chosen people, Israel. It contains the Books of the Law, the Historical Books, the Poetic Books and the Prophetic Books. It reveals God’s perfect will for man on the earth, but leads to a hopelessness for man who has fallen from perfection.

The New Testament contains the Gospels, History of the Early Church, the Epistles (letters) and the Book of Revelation, which is prophecy. The New Testament leads hopeless man into hope. Through the New Testament we learn how to effectively live as God instructed in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. Two Turtle Doves nestled together.

The song we know today as The Twelve Days of Christmas was an attempt to get children to learn scriptural concepts without exposing their faith. Or, an underground song with hidden meaning. Each day we’ll examine another verse in this song.

Day One: “On the first day of Christmas my True Love sent to me: A Partridge in a Pear Tree“. God is our True Love. He sent His Son, Jesus. Jesus was born on Christmas Day. He was like a valued partridge in a tree bearing fruit.

No greater gift has ever been given but one that sacrifices Himself for us. Let’s celebrate Jesus’ birth this Christmas.