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CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

 

The virgin birth of the child known as Jesus is, without a doubt, one of the monumental pivot points in all of human history.

Prophesies of the Messiah’s birth are recorded long before His arrival. Despite His humble beginnings, born in a manger, surrounded by shepherds, His birth was not without unprecedented grandeur and eternal forethought.

Scripture tells us: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will…” (Ephesians 1:3-5)

God, in His eternal wisdom and omniscience, knew—before the foundation of the world—that we would need a savior. Sin was too devastating a blow to humanity and God’s holiness demanded a price be paid for its evil. The 2nd Person of the Trinity, known in scripture as the Son of God—the One who created this world and us—willingly chose to come to earth and die for us all, regardless of whether or not we’d accept Him. He came to pay the price for the sins of the entire world.

And, for no less a reason than He loved us. Unconditionally.

”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)

But, if that weren’t enough, there’s even more to celebrate.

God’s Chosen One was to deliver us from the darkness and destructive power of sin and death. But, in order to do that the Christ had to be born as a human being. Only a human could die for another human. However, not just any human would do—even the most holy or devout or humble of humans. The Christ had to not only be human, but as holy and pure as God Himself!

This could only mean one thing: God had to be born into the family of Man.

 

God’s Design in the Flesh

An angel appeared to a young virgin and said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. (Luke 1:33-35)

What a flawlessly, magnificent plan. The Christ could not simply be a “good” person (as so many quasi-Christian cults believe). God overshadowed a virgin by the Holy Spirit and the child she bore was born fully human, yet also fully God. God, the Son.

God’s intent from ‘eternity past’ was to offer Himself as the propitiation of our sins. God knew full well that His demand for the payment of sin could never be met by mere humans. So, He chose to implement His plan of salvation through the Christ Child.

Jesus’ birth is all about Easter, the resurrection. Without the saving grace of God through Christ’s death for us on the cross Christmas would just be…well…would just be like it is for today’s secular world: without Jesus as its focus, and devoid of salvation.

Friends, the Christian Church needs to celebrate Jesus’ birth in light of His sacrifice on the cross.

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

That, my dear readers, is truly worth celebrating.

 

Beyond the Star

As you set about to celebrate Jesus’ birth this year, take time to share the amazing Truth that this innocent child born 2,000 years ago was far more innocent than any can imagine.

He was pure, and chaste, holy and anointed. God incarnate, come to bring lasting, immutable peace. He speaks the words of everlasting life because He is the Word of God.

Look beyond the star to the hill where three crosses stood. Then, allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with the eternal joy that only comes from knowing the Christ Child. He suffered and died, and rose again to sit in glory as our high priest, our brother, our friend, our Savior.

Rejoice in that and then, you can say you celebrated Christmas!

 

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History of Christmas

There is no mention of Jesus’ birth, or a celebration of His birth, in the New Testament apart from the gospel accounts, especially as recorded in Luke.

The Church began celebrating the Feast of the Nativity in the 4th Century when Pope Julius designated December 25th as the day to celebrate. It is believed that he chose December because it coincided with numerous secular feast days surrounding winter solstice. It was an attempt to bring Christianity to the forefront of secular thinking.

The term Christmas was first used in the 12th Century and comes from the Olde English Christemasse meaning a ‘mass’ (or worship service) for the Christ Child.

Christmas as we see it unfold today throughout American secular society first occurred around the 1800s. It was a time of great difficulty and a degenerating social climate. Secular Christmas was marketed in an attempt to draw families together again and generate goodwill by focusing on children.

By 1840, businesses in Boston, Chicago, and New York began to see a marketable product in Christmas, and commercialism became a major focus of the holiday.

All of these elements have positive qualities:
– goodwill toward others
– love of family and friends,
– making children happy
– a desire to gift others
– and social renewal.

But, they only constitute the world’s definition of Christmas…not God’s.