He would be beaten beyond recognition, even before being put to death on the Cross (Isaiah 52:14, c.f.

The Messiah would be God incarnate (Isaiah 9:6, c.f.

He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14, c.f. Lk.

Writing around 750 BC, Isaiah amazingly portrayed scenes from the Saviour’s time on earth that would be fulfilled and later written about in the Gospel accounts. Isaiah prophecied of the One who would someday be, “led like a Lamb to slaughter” (53:7), and “by Whose stripes we are healed (Is. The book of Isaiah points to the coming Saviour in a number of key passages.

Let’s consider the prophecies of Isaiah and the historical accounts of the Gospels, and then compare God’s story to O’Henry’s story. O’Henry’s story of sacrificial love reminds us of the sacrficial love of God. But the story has a deeper meaning when it’s understood to reflect the ultimate act of sacrificial love on which O’Henry’s based his story. Selfless love is certainly demonstrated in the actions of O’Henry’s characters. The wife-whose lovely hair was her pride and joy- had her long hair cut, and she sold the hair to buy her husband a gold chain for his treasured pocket watch. They were very expensive and greatly desired). The husband sold an heirloom pocket watch to buy his wife a set of combs and pins for her hair (In the late 1800’s, such things were made of tortoise shell, pearl, or ivory. Each sacrificed precious possessions to raise money to give a gift to the other. The popular Christmas story, “The Gift of the Magi,” was written by William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), using the pseudonym, “O’ Henry.” The plotline of O’Henry’s Christmas story has captivated readers around the globe:Ī young couple was deeply in love, but financially poor.

O henrys the gift of