The Legend of the
Christmas Rose

Our story started long ago
Amidst the frozen snow.
We're told that if your heart is pure
it's magic you will know.

Each year a star shines overhead
As praises of new life ring,
Below the stark white overlay
a small bush does spring.

It bares the lovely flowers so rare
to mark the holy ground,
Where once there lay an infant King
As many gathered around

His parents kneeled beside him there,
And others came to pray.
This special celebration became
Known as Christmas Day.

That humble shelter is long gone now,
but in its place there grows,
The unigue bush whose fragrant bloom
is called the "CHRISTMAS ROSE."

This poem was given to me with a rose attached to remember that this Christmas: the poinsetta is not thee only
Flower of the Season.


Part of the color in celebration of the season is the blooming of Christmas roses. While a variety of plants over time have come to be called “Christmas Rose”, they all are steeped in a legend that dates back centuries.

The Legend of the Christmas Rose speaks of a young girl named Madelon who wanted to come worship the Christ Child. Seeing the gold, frankincense and myrrh brought by others who were drawn to the humble birthplace, she despaired that she had no gift to bring, for Madelon was poor indeed.

In vain she searched the countryside for a flower that she might bring, but the winter had been cold and harsh – and there were no flowers to be found. Saddened, the girl began to weep. An angel passing over her stopped to provide comfort and smote the ground that was wet from her tears. There did spring a beautiful bush that bloomed of white roses.

"Nor myrrh, nor frankincense, nor gold," said the angel, "is offering more meet for the Christ Child than these pure Christmas Roses." And thus young Madelon went her way and worshipped the Prince of Peace, bearing the gift of her heart and tears.

The Legend of the Christmas Rose also has some foundation in this 15th Century poem:

A Rose has sprung from a tender root,
From Jesus, as those of old have sung,
And it bore a flower,
In the middle of a cold winter,


When half spent was the night.
Isaiah foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
Is Mary the pure, the little flower has brought us.
From God's eternal wisdom, she bore a child,
And remained pure.

The Flower, so small, whose sweet fragrance fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True man and truer God, helps us out of all sorrows,
Saves from sin and death.

Oh Jesus, until we leave this misery,
Let your help guide us into joy,
In Your Father's Kingdom, where we eternally praise You.
Oh God, allow us this.

Translated from the early 15th century German poem "Es ist ein Ros' Entsprungen." Author unknown.


Song - When God Unfolds the rose


(Talk about Jesus being the Rose of Sharon).
Also, can use Jesus He Rose A Hero.


http://www.alighthouse.com/sharon.htm

AP Content :: Bible Bullets

Jesus--Rose of Sharon
by Kyle Butt, M.A.

The song leader stands before the congregation and announces the number of the next hymn he wants the audience to sing. As you turn the pages, you quickly realize that the song is a familiar old favorite—“Jesus, Rose of Sharon.” But if you are anything like most of the people who sing this song, you probably do not know what the term “rose of Sharon” means. So, what does it mean?
This may come as something of a shock, but the term is used only once in the entire Bible, and in that instance it does not refer to Jesus. In Song of Solomon 2:1, Solomon’s beloved Shulamite bride referred to herself as the “rose of Sharon.” From her description, we can conclude that it is a complimentary term intended to express a certain beauty that the people of Solomon’s day would have recognized.
The word “Sharon” (sometimes spelled Saron) means a level place or plain. The Bible uses the term to describe one of the largest valley plains in all of Palestine. The term is found in numerous verses, including Acts 9:35, 1 Chronicles 5:16, and 1 Chronicles 27:29. If you were to examine a map of Palestine (the maps in the backs of most Bibles should suffice), you could locate this valley by finding the city of Joppa on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Joppa, and the Aijalon section to its southwest, were the approximate southern borders of the valley. It extended west from the Mediterranean Sea for about 10-15 miles, and north for about 30 miles. Topographical maps distinctly show this region to be a low valley bordered by higher mountains.
From all indications, the Sharon valley was a wild, fertile plain that was the home to a host of beautiful flowers. Isaiah 35:2 lists Sharon in a context discussing blooming vegetation, and describes the valley as “excellent” (NKJV). Sharon was renowned for its majesty and beauty. But what about its “rose”?
A true rose, like the one sweethearts exchange on Valentine’s Day, probably is not a good candidate for the flower described as the “rose of Sharon,” the primary reason being that these flowers are uncommon in Palestine. In fact, although no one can say for certain which flower is the actual “rose of Sharon,” many scholars think the best guess is the cistus or rock-rose. The cistus blooms in various parts of Palestine, and is well known for its soothing aroma and pain-relieving qualities.
When and why the title “Rose of Sharon” was given to Jesus is rather vague. But at least two reasons as to why it might have been assigned to our Lord seem fairly clear. First, Jesus Christ is the pinnacle of beauty and splendor. Of course, His earthly body could not boast of such attributes (Isaiah 53:2), but His spiritual beauty and majesty remain unsurpassed by any created being in Heaven or on Earth (2 Peter 1:16). Second, Christ’s healing powers and pain-relieving actions find a definite point of comparison with those of the rock-rose. Is it any wonder that the “Great Physician,” Who came to heal those who were physically ill as well as those who were spiritually sick, should be given the name of a flower known for its sweet aroma and soothing medicinal qualities?
Although the Holy Spirit never chose to inspire the Bible writers to refer to Jesus as the “Rose of Sharon,” it nevertheless is a name we can employ to speak of the majesty, beauty, and healing power of our Lord.


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I. Introduction


A. Read Text - S. of Sol. 2:1

B. The Song of Solomon is an interesting book; It is written by Solomon who wrote 1,005 psalms, according to Jewish Rabbis.

C. This particular book is an "Allegory" - a story that tells another story.

D. It is a "Love Story" about a Man (Christ) and His Bride (Church).

E. In our text, we have The Bridegroom (Christ) comparing Himself to that of a common flower in Israel - Rose of Sharon.

F. C.H. Spurgeon writes - "In condescension he desires our love; In wisdom he uses the best way to win our love; In tenderness he describes himself by familiarity; Of necessity he describes himself, for who else can?"

G. The Lord compares Himself to other objects in the Word of God, such as Bread; Light; Water which are all necessary to us, and He also compared Himself to the Good Shepherd; True Vine; The Way, the Truth, and the Life.

H. However, in the comparison to a flower, we see an intrinsic value not provided by other comparisons.

I. I would like to expound upon this same thing - Why does the Lord refer to Himself as "The Rose of Sharon"?


II. The Location of the Rose of Sharon


A. Whenever one goes to Israel, you can see the beautiful Mediterranean Sea (Blues & Green).

B. Next, you see the pure white sands that are sprinkled along the coast of the sea.

C. Beyond the Mediterranean coast is the Carmel mountain range - lush, green vegetation.

D. Between the white sands and the green mountain range is a valley called Sharon.

E. In the Valley of Sharon can be found blankets of roses called the Roses of Sharon! Magnificent!

F. These are the roses that the Lord compares Himself to!


III. Reasons the Lord Compares Himself to Roses of Sharon


A. Excellence -


1. Jesus Christ, our Bridegroom, is excellence!
2. He is the "eternal Son of the eternal Father!"
3. It has been said that in all of "secular" history, there are only 2 chapters written about Jesus Christ, yet most have heard of Him.
4. Like the Roses of Sharon, the world doesn’t see His excellence - They look past Him to other gods!
5. The Book of Hebrews declares His excellence as He is "greater than all others!"


B. Red in Color -


1. The Bible refers to Christ as Red more than any other color.
2. Why? The Blood of Christ has been shed for the sins of the world.
3. John the Baptist announced the public ministry of Christ by declaring Jesus Christ to be the "Lamb of God", and of course, the Lamb had to be slain. (Heb. 9:22)
4. My friend, if you don’t see Him as the Lamb of God Slain, the next time you see Him - He will be the Lamb of God Standing!


C. Fragrance -


1. Jesus came to offer Himself a sacrifice for ALL - a "sweet smelling savor unto the Father".
2. In Bulgaria there is a valley of roses that is said to be so fragrant that anyone who walks through it smells like the flowers for days.
3. In our lives there should be a Fragrance of Christ on us.
4. People should know that we live near Jesus and our lives should reek of His odor!!


D. Planted by God -


1. It is interesting that "NO Man" has ever planted the Roses of Sharon - They simply grow by the grace of God.
2. Christ was born of no man; Virgin born!
3. He was "fashioned in the form of sinful man, yet without sin!"
4. He was taught by no man, yet He spoke as no man ever spoke.


E. Often Trampled by Men -


1. The Roses of Sharon have often been trampled by man in the many wars that have taken place in that region, yet, the Roses of Sharon keep growing!
2. It is amazing how that many have tried to stomp out the Lord Jesus Christ, His Word, and His followers, yet through it all, there has always remained a remnant.
3. Yes, truly, the Lord is the Rose of Sharon!!!


F. The Roses of Sharon Are Free

1. Roses and lilies are meant to be plucked and enjoyed.
2. They are abundant; They found in common places; They are free!
3. You won’t find roses growing on steep mountain cliffs, nor in hard to get to places - They are found in the open and common!
4. My friends, Jesus is easy to find as well!
5. There is never a place that He cannot hear your prayer for salvation!
6. There is never a time that He will not listen.
7. The Lord, like the Roses of Sharon, are yours for the asking!
8. There are "NO Signs Posted - KEEP OUT"
9. Like the roses in all of their beauty, who would not want Jesus?



---------------------------
Ideas:
Have our family photo album feature the song When God unfolds the rose and have pictures of the family to go along with the lyrics.
Have each member of the family keep a spiritual journal of the year and share it next Christmas.
For our drinks have a floating rose (it could be an ice cube shaped like a rose?) in each of our glasses. (not sure how to do this yet.)
Have Mark talk about each member of the family and as he finishes talking about each one of them to hand them each a lovely (but different) rose.
5. http://www.freedwings.com/whoami.php (song by Casting Crowns).
6. Pictures by Anne Geddes of babies in roses
7. http://llerrahmusic.com/viewcard.php?code=21802 poem about the unfolding of the rose
8. Yellow rose potpourri?
9. My story about the unfolding of the rose
10. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILLtBatT9vw
11. Origami rose http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRGSGyXvL_w&NR=1
12. Rose paper towel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cSrwzrrmJQ&feature=channel
13. Roses will bloom again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-OJlNYKZM0 (hideyho67 wrote
Last sunday I sang this song in church.A woman said Jesus Is The Rose Of Sharon and was reminded of that as I sang the words to this beautiful song.He will bloom in all eternity and we will be with Him. )




UNFOLDING THE ROSE


It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so sweetly,
When in my hands they fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God's design,
Then how can I think I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for His leading
Each moment of every day.
I will look to him for His guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way.

The pathway that lies before me,
Only my Heavenly Father knows.
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.


~ © Bryan T. Burgess ~










http://www.save-on-crafts.com/3footrostopt.html - directions for making a rose topiary.




Paper Roses as sung by Marie Osmond… (thought we could rewrite this to meet our needs)
I realized the way your eyes deceived me
with tender looks that I mistook for love
So take away the flowers that you gave me
And send the kind that you remind me of
Paper Roses
Paper Roses
Oh how real those roses seem to be
But they're only imitation,
Like you imitation love for me
I thought that you would be a perfect lover
You seemed so full of sweetness at the start
But like a big red rose that's made of paper
There isn't any sweetness in your heart
Paper Roses
Paper Roses
Oh how real those roses seem to be
But they're only imitation like you imitation love for me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3fqJkTeDNU&feature=fvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uBgcGjokp4&feature=PlayList&p=4FE67E8DC91E0F7C&index=8&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL

Cool paper rose
http://creaturecomforts.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/06/tutorial-tuesda.html


Rose cupcakes
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50246
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65668398@N00/sets/72157604269367406/show/

Cool paper roses
http://calamitykim.typepad.com/calamity_kim/2007/03/10_step_rose_pr.html

http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=rose+napkin&s=int



Rose:
The rose symbolizes femininity, beauty, love, and romance. Roses also have profound spiritual significance, representing good and evil, life and death. The colors of the petals are also symbolic: white is purity, red is passion, pink is romance, black is death.

http://www.answers.com/topic/rose (everything you want to know about Roses)

Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. ...

the perfect Rose http://kingdomwarrior.jlym.com/Articles/Poets/perfect_rose.htm
http://my.homewithgod.com/sweatbj/valentine9.html

The Perfect Rose - Dottie rambo - lyrics above..
http://www.music-lyrics-gospel.com/free_mp3_downloads.asp?artist=Dottie+Rambo&id=art.9143686

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Mark can use Genesis 1 as a basis of His “When God Unfolds the rose” , the story of creation.