The trouble lies with men. Why Is Christmas on Dec. 25? Billy Graham's Answer. Have you seen those things? You quarrel and fight. There are a few theories. Billy Graham: Would You Have Welcomed Jesus or Rejected Him? But how should a Christian celebrate Christmas? So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Instead they carry us deep into the mind and counsels of our great God. Will Graham Devotion: Why Would Jesus Willingly Die a Horrific Death? Nevertheless, each of them fails at the most important point the great fact that salvation in the biblical sense is by God alone and tries to encourage the age-old desire of man to save himself, which is impossible. It is recorded in Luke 1:26-38. He then assured the professor that the reason why the Christmas message was an apparent farce to him was not God's fault. But they have. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. The appearance of Gabriel to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. Then glorify and praise God for what you know. You do not have, because you do not ask God. Sing God's praises. If we are honest, we must admit that many persons, even Christians, celebrate it most by buying presents, decorating their houses, visiting relatives and friends, or watching football games on television. Let's have a Christmas gift exchange this year. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate. Gaebelein, Frank. 13. Living a Life of Celebration | Bible.org Well, later in His life He would speak of Himself in terms that spoke to precisely the world's condition. This is connected with amazement, but it also goes beyond amazement as an attempt to understand it or figure it out. If you know this joy, then you can go on, as the angels did, to give glory to God; and you can possess that peace of heart and soul which transcends understanding. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. F But how? 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. W What we sow we shall reap." In the birth we see God's wisdom. 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). Christ was born to save! Scripturally speaking, a Christian's celebrating a birthday is a non-issue. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 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)? But it does not mean that God has forgotten. P Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Tillich, Paul. Celebrating it certainly does seem and feel like the right thing to do. What is the solution? Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. D "Joy to the World" Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David, 1719. In this hymn, known as the "Benedictus," the aged priest exclaims: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. Perhaps you have prayed for something and have not received an answer, at least not the answer you were waiting for. It also teaches us of God's power, for an incarnation is beyond our ability even to conceive, let alone to bring into being. Why We Celebrate The Birth Of Jesus | Hearinnh What Does the Bible Say About Celebrating Christmas? - OpenBible.info And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. What a cause for amazement! Reprinted by Moody Press, 1969. He would have simply thought her unfaithful. Volume I, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951), page 146. And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. This article may be printed and distributed with this notice attached for personal use such as small groups and local Bible study groups. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 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. Be patient! Why Do We Celebrate Jesus Birthday On Christmas | Hearinnh For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. TopicalBible Why Is Jesus Birthday Celebrated On Dec 25 | Hearinnh This is the perfect combination a knowledge of the Good News and men who need to hear it. Most people think that the day of one's birth is special. 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, according to Tillich, who popularized this approach in his three-volume Systematic Theology and in his lectures, salvation can therefore be applied "to every act of healing: to the healing of sickness, or demonic possession, and of servitude to sin and to the ultimate power of death" 6 It means "reuniting that which is estranged, giving a center to what is split, overcoming the split between God and man, man and his world, man and himself. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? There are two kinds of amazement. First, you need to learn about Jesus. The Apostle James was one who knew this, and he spoke of it in a passage that is a perceptive analysis of such problems in the world and in church circles. The world of the shepherds' day was much like our world today, in which the lamps of knowledge and culture seem to be slowly flickering out. Crashaw, Richard (1612?-1649). And God will grant your requests." Then, you can think about these things and allow God to teach you more about Himself. B Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. Perhaps you are anxious to be delivered from some tenacious sin, but you do not seem to have deliverance. Music: Adeste Fideles, attributed variously to John Wade, John Reading or Simao Portogallo. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. This central event in history divided the calendar into BC (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini - "In the Year of Our Lord"). It is before his own master that he stands or falls. Thus, the message to Joseph centers primarily on that great work which Jesus, the Messiah, was to do. To him be glory forever. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? To understand what God has to say about peace, we need to recognize that there are different types of peace spoken about in the Bible and that of all of these, the most important is the peace we have with God as the result of justification. He explained the full force of the original language which literally means "Glory to God in the highest and peace among men of peace." Of course, you can and you should! In one sense all the acts of God are legitimate grounds for such amazement. But in changing the line, the editors of the hymnbooks have probably missed the main point of Wesley's thinking. In fact, the Bible would not even support the view that the world is capable of being redeemed socially apart from the supernatural intervention of God in history. It comes from a verb which means "to reconcile" or "to bring back into harmony." Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Permissions Now, just as the Bible speaks of peace with God so it also speaks about a peace of God, and this is quite different. 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. You can tell if you do by attempting to rehearse God's attributes. But if the second type of peace is not something automatic that is, if you have to find it how do you find it? But now, for over four hundred years, the prophetic voice had been silent. Spend some time at Christmas thinking over what you do know of God and trying to understand the ways of God more fully. Suddenly the angels appear, first to Zechariah and then to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, and the word is out: God has not forgotten! They had no thought about spiritual things at least we are not told that they did and they certainly didn't expect the miracle. Or that they had not been endorsed by the temple authorities? So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. Will you turn your focus toward Christevery day. Blog, A The Truth! To do so is to participate in the Christmas story. It struck me, as I began to read this story once again, that apart from the angels, no one would have understood what the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ meant not the shepherds, not Joseph, not even Mary. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. 52 Bible Verses about Celebration Verse Concepts They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. In chapter 2, verse 10, Paul writes of God's fairness in granting "glory, honor and peace, for everyone who does good.". Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. Jesus Christ does not thus become some magical wand which causes all our troubles to disappear. We need to think about each of these ways. In these verses the angel first greets Mary, then gives this message: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. But if that is true, why do we not see peace today? The development of Christmas was a kind of affirmation of God's interest in the world and in human lifebirth as well as death." He added this. My family likes to read these together on Christmas Eve, right before we go to bed. BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. How do you celebrate Christmas? Born the King of angels; But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! you are asking. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. So they have changed the line to read "Let us find that promised rest.". Will Graham Devotion: The Criminal on the Cross. Systematic Theology Volume 2: Existence and the Christ. Bible Verses About Celebrating Birthdays - KING JAMES BIBLE ONLINE The messages of the angels do not reinforce our secular views of Christmas. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Keiper concluded, "When men are truly men of good will seeking to do God's will this text becomes a mighty force. If you have never done that, then this is a great season in which to believe on Him. 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. Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. One day just before Christmas vacation, the professor said, "Well, Keiper, are you going to preach that old Christmas farce again?" Answer: Your question is backward. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is the way mentioned in the book of Philippians. Psalms 118:24 - This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. 12. "The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told" (v. 20). In other words, peace will come when men are truly men of good will. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with . Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 22:17). 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? You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. . He would say that He was the life for a world that was dying. What Does the Bible Say About Celebration? - OpenBible.info This can be a very trying experience. 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? 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)? Have you recognized yourself as a sinner? And there is peace with one another. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, Hallelujah! When men seek to have their own way, it becomes a mighty farce. I doubt if this was what he meant. It is an attempt to take what you know and then by an exercise of the mind to build upon it. 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, It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. How Should We Celebrate the Birth of Christ. So, the best way to celebrate Christmas is to believe on Jesus as your Savior. (Luke 18:13). How Should We Celebrate the Birth of Christ? - Topical Studies You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. Jesus is coming! "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" Words: Charles Wesley, Hymns for Those That Seek and Those That Have Redemption in the Blood of Jesus Christ, 1747. It comes from a Latin verb which means "to make a bargain" or "to make an agreement between contracting parties." Our children's gift to us is their example of amazement which will lead us to recapture our own sense of amazement at the incarnation. Did Jesus Celebrate His Birthday?. Jesus is eternal Son of God When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found . 3. (Great Neck, NY: Doniger & Raughley, 1955). Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 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. The appearance of an angel to Joseph in a dream to tell Him to take the Child Jesus and his mother into Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. Of course they did! Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in his incarnation. I You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. They had heard the music of heaven. It is the message of Christmas. What is the genuinely Christian way to observe Christ's nativity? Verse 17 suggests that we are to tell others what we have seen and heard; but we can hardly do that effectively until we have first been amazed at Christ's birth, pondered its meaning, and glorified and praised God for it. You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. 52 Bible verses about Celebration - Knowing Jesus The Latin word for peace is pax. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.. Jesus was born to be our Savior as the carol says: Christ was born to save! Nor would Joseph have known. On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. And the herald proclaimed aloud, You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 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. When a person is at peace with God judicially and is experiencing increasingly in his own life that peace of God which transforms him and gives him tranquility even in the midst of great emotional turmoil and misunderstanding, then there is a firm foundation on which to overcome those interpersonal tensions that upset families, churches, cities, governments and the world. The other kind of amazement is a holy wonder in response to those acts of God which are beyond human comprehension. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord., For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.. First, it involved her memory; for we are told that she treasured up all these things. Because man is at odds with God, there cannot be peace on earth. There is peace with God. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. And where are you from? He said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 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. Is December 25 Really the Day Jesus Was Born? What the Bible Says About Now I am an old man, and I haven't any reason to believe that there is any truth in that text at all. Though you have not seen him, you love him. The passage begins by speaking of the shepherds. So, you see, if Christmas means anything, it at least means this that God has not forgotten His people. 12. L But what does the Bible specifically say about your day of birth? For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. It is in this emotional center of man, called by Scripture 'the heart,' that James says war begins, when the lusts within a man strive together." Had He forgotten His promises? Jesus Christ is that Savior. This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Anyone can understand Christmas in just three sentences: I am a sinner. Finally, there is the appearance of first one angel, than a multitude of angels to the shepherds as they were in the fields around Bethlehem. I know that Christmas is a busy time. 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. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's house. It was lost because it lacked direction, primarily spiritual direction. But the angel appeared and explained to Joseph what was happening. Tillich developed his understanding of salvation from the meaning of the Latin word salvus, which underlies it. But the circumstances were not good. Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 ESV / 156 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Be amazed at the event itself. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. What is the source of the fighting and turmoil in the world today and, unfortunately at times, within the churches? Luke 1:35 ESV / 25 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. We cannot understand it but it is true, and we should marvel at it. A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. There is the peace of God, which is personal. Third, there is the suggestion of the work of a mediator who makes the reconciliation possible. I know, of course, that Jesus was probably not born on December 25 at least there is no real evidence that He was. That is good. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Jehoshua, meaning "Jehovah is salvation." It was a sad world in their time. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. At this point our Bible text comes in, for it is a report of how those who witnessed the first Christmas observed it. King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. 1. Keiper, Ralph L. op. 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. One verse, which is often quoted by Christians who argue against celebrating Christmas, is Luke chapter 2, verse 34. We only understand the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ by revelation. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. 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! 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. They must learn to love Him and to serve Him more and more. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Nor am I referring to happiness. In other words, James is saying that war begins with men's emotions. For if their story was not worth telling, then no story that has ever been told is worth telling and life has no joy or meaning. He was born to die. The third type of peace is a peace with one another. I covet that kind of joy for you. Now the one thing prayer will most do for us is bring our minds into a greater conformity with the mind of God. There are many reasons why Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. In other words, what they had been told coincided with their own experience, and they could not resist speaking of such things. To do this is to glorify Him, an act which is, as the Catechism states, one aspect of man's chief end. There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. This holy amazement is closely melded to adoration. 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. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. Where does God say not to celebrate Jesus' birth? Jeremiah 10:2-4 ESV / 302 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. But our time is poorly spent if we allow the bustle of Christmas to eclipse our times of Bible study and of pondering upon God's Word. Music: In Dulci Jubilo, 14th Century German melody; harmony from Christmas Carols Old and New, 1871. 7. Not only did these men have something to tell, as we do, they also knew of a world that needed desperately to hear their message. Clap your hands, all peoples! Some even contain good emphases. This is the first message that I would leave with you. He asked him to examine the last clause of the verse carefully: "good will toward men." But not once in the Bible does God tell us to celebrate Christmas" (1). This article may not be reproduced in any other fashion without the expressed written permission of the Alliance. At best she might have guessed that the child that was born to her might possibly be the Messiah. So he was told, "you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Second, there is the strong possibility that the persons may not be in harmony but that they will want to make a pact between themselves in order to settle their differences. Let's consider four reasons why Christmas doesn't meet the criteria of being "Christian.". It implies a diving beneath the surface. After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory.
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