No doubt, these examples of the reduction of the biblical view of salvation to human dimensions are not equally bad. Keiper concluded, "When men are truly men of good will seeking to do God's will this text becomes a mighty force. It implies a diving beneath the surface. The Practical Epistle of James. The Bible teaches that men are in revolt and rebellion against God but that God has acted to establish peace through His Son Jesus Christ, the mediator. So, you see, if Christmas means anything, it at least means this that God has not forgotten His people. That is the question. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. He came to earth and became a man but kept fully the divine nature in Himself. He answered, "I have heard that message preached from the pulpit every Christmas since I was a little boy. The Bible tells us that the birth of Jesus was unlike all other births in that Jesus existed before birth as the second person of the Godhead and He became man, not to provide us with a sweet story to tell children each winter or even as a theme for our greatest musical compositions, but in order to grow to maturity and then to die for our sin as God is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). Solicitation Disclosure Statement But the significance of it would have passed her by. He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? H Though Dec. 25 is considered the birthday of Jesus by a large segment of Christendom, there is no evidence that . And yet this is what we often do with Jesus. Many people believe that the celebration of Christmas is rooted in the pagan holiday of Saturnalia, which honored the god Saturn. Three sentences! I am not referring to activity, of course. Now the one thing prayer will most do for us is bring our minds into a greater conformity with the mind of God. Peace on earth. God did not forget! If you have, then you understand your need of a Savior and are at the place where you can receive Jesus as the One who died to save you. What is more, in these verses, God promises to give us all victories for peace if we ask Him. You shall not do any ordinary work. Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. "The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology" explains that the earliest Christians did not have a time when they regularly observed Christ's birth. Greet also the church in their house. So he was told, "you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). "Peace, Perfect Peace" Words: Edward H. Bickersteth, Jr., 1875. It also teaches us of God's power, for an incarnation is beyond our ability even to conceive, let alone to bring into being. R But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. Dr. Keiper relates how during his university days, when he often spent the weekends preaching, he had the following conversation with one of his non-Christian professors. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. And there is peace with one another. So, the best way to celebrate Christmas is to believe on Jesus as your Savior. Have you confessed them to God and to others? For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. It is important because man's problems stem from the fact that in his natural state, he is not at peace with God. That has been the cry of God's people from the beginning "How long, O Lord, how long?" Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? Just as we celebrate our children's birthdays every year, I believe it's entirely appropriate for us to celebrate the birth of God's own Son, Jesus Christ, every year. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. So he told them this parable: What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? Happiness is a wonderful thing at Christmas shopping, decorating, entertaining, mailing cards but it is the world's virtue, and like all the world's virtues, it quite easily passes away. You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. And you will be at peace with God in a way that you were not at peace formerly. Do you know that you have fallen short of God's standards and that nothing within you will ever be able to move up to the fulfilling of them? This is what theologians call, "Hypostatic union." It explains how God, the Son of God, took human nature but He remained God at the same time. There are plenty of decorations to buy and parties to attend during this season but how should we really celebrate Christmas? But the circumstances were not good. My family likes to read these together on Christmas Eve, right before we go to bed. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in his incarnation. I covet that kind of joy for you. Music: Beecher, John Zundel, Christian Heart Songs, 1870. For, since Wesley had filled his mind with Scripture and since he used references to it extensively in his verses, it is likely that he was thinking of a verse of the Bible that speaks of two kinds of peace, two kinds of rest, and was saying that he wished to enter into the second as he had once entered into the first. This is connected with amazement, but it also goes beyond amazement as an attempt to understand it or figure it out. pages 24-25. D O ", Dr. Keiper walked with him over to his office and, calling him by name, said, "Have you ever read the text carefully?" To the choirmaster. Let me illustrate this by a story from the life of Dr. Ralph L. Keiper, who was a professor of English Bible at Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary in Denver, Colorado, and who was for many years associated with Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse in his ministry. The Bible says that when Jesus was born, a multitude of angels appeared suddenly and erupted in joyful praise to God, saying: "Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill." ( Luke 2:13, 14) However, it is noteworthy that nowhere in the Bible is there even a suggestion that Jesus' birthday should be celebrated. Helpful Not Helpful Praise the Lord! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. For from him and through him and to him are all things. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. No, He has not forgotten you. "Everything" leaves nothing out. The second concerns the salvation of men. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. However, God does promise to give us what we need (Philippians 4:19), and He promises to keep our minds in His peace, if we will pray to Him. He was to save His people. There are five appearances of an angel, or angels, in the Christmas story, and another appearance of an angel to Joseph later to tell him to return to Israel from Egypt. First of all, the Bible tells us that Jesus was born on Christmas day. What Does the Bible Say About Celebration? This passage suggests four ways of celebrating Christmas: Tell others about it. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, Amen. But how should a Christian celebrate Christmas? King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. And God will grant your requests." A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? "He was born like us as well as died like us. Will Graham Devotion: The Criminal on the Cross. Music: Adeste Fideles, attributed variously to John Wade, John Reading or Simao Portogallo. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants. Once more they cried out, Hallelujah! The noun form of the word is doxa, which we have in our words "orthodox," "heterodox," and "paradox." of How do you celebrate Christmas? There are four main points to this short message: Each of these points is important, of course. V Romans 14:5-6 - One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. So do that. For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. There are three instances. Toll Free: 1-877-247-2426. Privacy God told us everything needed for life and godliness ( II Peter 1:2-4 ). James means that the lack of peace between men has its true source in men's emotions. So the question is not "where did God say not to ." It is always the question "where did God say to ." See: Holiday Observances. We need to think about each of these ways. Anybody who knows good news is authorized to tell it, particularly when it is news that will be the means of salvation of others. But in changing the line, the editors of the hymnbooks have probably missed the main point of Wesley's thinking. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found . Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. And in the center of them in the appearances of angels to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds there are the three messages which, more than any other, perfectly explain the true, divine meaning of Christmas. Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! As you pray that prayer, you will find that God has already been merciful in Jesus. The Truth! One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. By Billy Graham It is a result of the Christian's first having entered into a relationship of peace with God. And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did. Yet, Solomon was inspired to write, "A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth" . L The angel said, "Do not be afraid. Would she have guessed what was happening because of her familiarity with the Old Testament prophecies, such as Isaiah's prophecy that "the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son" (Isaiah 7:14)? Notice that this verse does not say, "In everything present your requests to God. And "you will find rest for your souls." He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. If we turn back to the earliest chapters of Genesis, we discover a description of the globe before God fashioned it into the kind of world we know now; and we are told that "the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." Christians celebrate Christmas, or the birth of Jesus Christ, on December 25th. Tillich, Paul. Both of these ideas are related to the idea of a mediator who brings irreconcilables together. It comes from a verb which means "to reconcile" or "to bring back into harmony." Moreover, you can do it in song. 3. Have you recognized yourself as a sinner? Moreover, since acknowledging His true worth is the essential meaning of worship it means to acknowledge God's worth to glorify God is to worship Him by words. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. He loves you so much that He gave His life for your salvation. Long ago, when the Greek language was in its infancy, the word from which the word "glory" came meant "to have an opinion." Many of you might have heard that the wise men did not appear during the night of Jesus' birth, no matter what nativity scenes may try to tell you. They are an important part of our lives, and our relationship with them should continue to grow every day. Do you do that? Music: Antioch, arranged by Lowell Mason, 1836. Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. "Has God forgotten me?" There are a few Bible verses that seem to suggest that Jesus did not want people to celebrate his birth. This is the message of the angels. I doubt if this was what he meant. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Gaebelein, Frank. It was lost because it lacked direction, primarily spiritual direction. This holy amazement is closely melded to adoration. This is the perfect combination a knowledge of the Good News and men who need to hear it. T Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. What is the solution? Come to the wedding feast. But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Grosart. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it? And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. There would have been no need for His life, His death on the cross, or His resurrection. "Come unto me and I will give you rest." As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. But shouldnt He be part of your life every day? Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. And the promise of the angel "for He will save His people from their sins" are the greatest words of the entire Christmas story. How can this be? Now it is true that this new line is less likely to be misinterpreted. Keiper, Ralph L. Peace in Storm. You can remember these events. The passage begins by speaking of the shepherds. God gave Israel many celebrations in the Old Covenant such as the Feast of Booths, year of Jubilee, etc. And, of course, this is the sense in which we glorify God. 4. But what does the Bible specifically say about your day of birth? Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. The Scriptures say, "And let him who hears say, Come!" cit. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201 Born the King of angels; Anyone can understand Christmas in just three sentences: I am a sinner. There are many reasons why Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. December 26, 2015 Labs And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. I believe that I can illustrate the fact that two kinds of peace are involved here by the wording of one of Charles Wesley's great hymns, in which the same contrast is found, although the actual word used is different. What had happened to these men? Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. The third message is of the outcome, which is joy for man and glory for God. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. This is exactly what we have in Christianity. Now when you acknowledge a person's true worth or express a proper opinion of him, you may be said to be glorifying him. Proud member you are asking. When men seek to have their own way, it becomes a mighty farce. And you will enter, perhaps for the first time, into the Christmas story. Frank E. Gaebelein writes about this passage in The Practical Epistle of James, "A few years ago, former Chancellor Hutchins of the University of Chicago said war begins in the minds of men. Finally, by an obvious extension, glory meant a person's true "worth." There are two kinds of amazement. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. So begin with amazement be amazed at the fact that you have not suffered the just punishment of your sin, that God has loved you, that Jesus came and died for you, that God called you to faith in Himself when you were yet without hope of salvation, and that you are now God's child and are secure in His love. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. Colossians 2:16 Verse Concepts Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day Psalm 95:2 Verse Concepts Systematic Theology. It teaches us that we will find this second rest when we take time to "figure out" the Lord Jesus Christ and attempt to walk in His way. Shout to God with loud songs of joy! To him be glory forever. 6. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Happiness is related to circumstances. Y It is the message of Christmas. I am convinced that this thought was uppermost in Luke's mind as he set about to write this opening section of his gospel. "Joy to the World" Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David, 1719. She would have wondered how she could have conceived without having slept with a man. And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Keiper asked what he meant. After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. Ponder the great doctrines of the Christian faith doctrines of the incarnation, atonement, grace, sanctification, heaven, perseverance, and others so that you begin to grow strong in doctrine. We only understand the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ by revelation. He was born to die. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why not join every year with the shepherds on that first Christmas, "glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen" (Luke 2:20)? 8. The word "pact" also comes from it. That is what Jesus Himself said: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's house. What is the genuinely Christian way to observe Christ's nativity? He would say that He was the life for a world that was dying. Be amazed at the event itself. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? F It is the kind of amazement we associate with special effects in a movie or with an Olympic gold medal winner. For you see, Joseph was in a difficult position. 7. The third type of peace is a peace with one another. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Be patient! For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is before his own master that he stands or falls. It was a sad world in their time. At best she might have guessed that the child that was born to her might possibly be the Messiah. There had been revelations from God in the past. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand hima threefold cord is not quickly broken. Some even contain good emphases. Well, the birth of Christ itself teaches us of God's love; for God loved us so much that He became man in order to die for us. It says, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men the testimony given in its proper time" (1 Timothy 2:5,6). The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. Arrangement: William H. Cummings, Congregational Hymn and Tune Book, 1857. Nevertheless, this is the day that most people, Christians and non-Christians alike, observe as His birthday, and if we are to mark it at all, this seems to be the only realistic time to do it. Wesley wrote it as follows: Apparently, some of the editors of our hymnbooks, including the one used in my own church, have been troubled by Wesley's line "Let us find that second rest," fearing that some people would think (or that Wesley himself thought) that there was a "second blessing" experience to find beyond salvation. Further light is shed upon these verses by the meaning of the words for peace in the original Greek and Latin. The second message brought by the angels concerning the birth of Christ is the message to Joseph. In this verse, Simeon says to Mary, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a . This is the peace spoken of by the Apostle Paul in the first verse of the fifth chapter of Romans: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." If anyone would argue in this way, he should notice that the shepherds had the most important authorization of all possession of good news which had been revealed to them by God. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Finally, our text suggests that we can celebrate Christmas by glorifying God and by praising Him. Peter tells us that God delays only long enough to call to repentance all whom He has before determined should believe ("He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" see 2 Peter 3:9). Mary and Joseph were far from home, in a strange town without even a room to themselves in which Mary could give birth to the Child. The reasons why they became witnesses are that there was an event, a great event, and that others very much needed to hear of it. This is why Jesus came. Christmas Is Rooted in Paganism In addition to Christmas having no Scriptural basis, it is important to note that the celebration of this holiday did not stem from Christian or Church-based doctrines. The first of these important appearances was to Mary. Systematic Theology Volume 2: Existence and the Christ. N This article may be printed and distributed with this notice attached for personal use such as small groups and local Bible study groups. It is one of the great words of the Greek language. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Hesgoal Celtic Vs Motherwell, Swift And Anderson Inc Boston, Ma, Wdrv Radio Personalities, Articles W