They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with . Christ was born to save! Scripturally speaking, a Christian's celebrating a birthday is a non-issue. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Allow it to stretch your mind, and learn that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in any human philosophy. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. His works were first collected in one volume in 1858, by William Barclay Turnbull. The messages of the angels do not reinforce our secular views of Christmas. All rights reserved. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Come to Him! So do that. It was a sad world in their time. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. Jesus is called God-man. On December 25th people the world over will celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. This, of course, is monstrous. For from him and through him and to him are all things. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? You shall not do any ordinary work. This is why carols are so much a rightful part of Christmas; for, when sung by those who understand them, they are a means of praise. But the circumstances were not good. 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" . Now the one thing prayer will most do for us is bring our minds into a greater conformity with the mind of God. 3. Christmas is a very important holiday for Christians because it celebrates the birth of their savior. In all that he does, he prospers. Grosart. He was born to die. 52 Bible Verses about Celebration Verse Concepts They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. 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. 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 a means of our salvation. 7. In the Christian religion, Jesus Christ is believed to be the son of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. K But not once in the Bible does God tell us to celebrate Christmas" (1). Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 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 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. And you will enter, perhaps for the first time, into the Christmas story. There are a few theories. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957), page 166. You cannot tell that which you have not first felt and experienced. T Arrangement: William H. Cummings, Congregational Hymn and Tune Book, 1857. "Hark! you are asking. Have you seen that truth in the story? That is good. Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. This passage suggests four ways of celebrating Christmas: Tell others about it. 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. Then out of the darkness we hear God speaking to call forth life and order. (Revelation 22:17). 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. F Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The professor replied that he thought he had. 2. Malachi, who lived in the fifth century before Christ, was the last of the prophets. And it is this in which we are to imitate them. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 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! At this point our Bible text comes in, for it is a report of how those who witnessed the first Christmas observed it. What is the solution? There is the peace of God, which is personal. 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? Perhaps you are one who longs for the Lord's return. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. How can this be? God is faithful. And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Salvus means "healthy" or "whole." The Way! This is the message of the angels. If you have never done that, then this is a great season in which to believe on Him. It is recorded in Luke 1:26-38. It is not just brooding or getting into a pious frame of mind. When men seek to have their own way, it becomes a mighty farce. There are a few Bible verses that seem to suggest that Jesus did not want people to celebrate his birth. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. O come, all ye faithful, For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. "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. The verse quoted was translated from Latin to English by Frederick Oakeley, 1841. 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. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And God has not forgotten you! You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! They are: The appearance of Gabriel to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist. There are three instances. 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. There would have been no need for His life, His death on the cross, or His resurrection. Spend some time at Christmas thinking over what you do know of God and trying to understand the ways of God more fully. But this is all there will be - until the angels appear with their message. Contact Us. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 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. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. You can remember the moment in which they became real for you personally. There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. One person who has been responsible for watering down the biblical meaning of the word "salvation" is Paul Tillich, the German-born American theologian. How could their tongues be silent when they had heard such music? Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. Keiper concluded, "When men are truly men of good will seeking to do God's will this text becomes a mighty force. Helpful Not Helpful Praise the Lord! And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). But how should a Christian celebrate Christmas? Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. . How do you celebrate Christmas? One verse, which is often quoted by Christians who argue against celebrating Christmas, is Luke chapter 2, verse 34. It is unfortunate that these great words "savior" and "salvation" have been watered down so much as they have been in our day. You do not have, because you do not ask God. Shout to God with loud songs of joy! Celebrating it certainly does seem and feel like the right thing to do. Further light is shed upon these verses by the meaning of the words for peace in the original Greek and Latin. On the other hand, if man cannot save himself spiritually if he is headed for an eternity without God and is unable to reverse his condition then Jesus Christ had to come. It implies a diving beneath the surface. Of course, you can and you should! One day just before Christmas vacation, the professor said, "Well, Keiper, are you going to preach that old Christmas farce again?" I know that Christmas is a busy time. A complete edition was edited in 1904 for the Cambridge University Press as Richard Crashaw: Steps To The Temple, Delights of the Muses and Other Poems by A. R. Waller. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. I 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. Privacy 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." It is celebrated on December 25th. For most people, the answer could be obvious. That has been the cry of God's people from the beginning "How long, O Lord, how long?" His birth was necessary. 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. How could they refuse to tell what they had seen? Taken together, therefore, the Greek and Latin definitions imply, first, that peace is not primarily a state of mind or an individual virtue but rather a state existing between two or more persons. He leads me beside still waters. The God who did not forget us in Christ's first coming will not forget us in His second. Because it came from God and was centered in the birth of the Savior. 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! But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. They aren't all thinking of God or Jesus as they stand spellbound at the presents and tree on Christmas morning. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). He became a man in His incarnation. I doubt if this was what he meant. Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Christmas is always a special time for most everyone but especially followers of Jesus. And you will be at peace with God in a way that you were not at peace formerly. Rather, He enables us to face them with a quietness, a calmness and confidence, which makes it possible to find a solution" 10 This is the peace that Edward Bickersteth wrote about in the late nineteenth century, in a verse which has since become one of our great hymns: The first way in which we find this peace, then, is by learning of Jesus. P OpenBible.info Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Ponder on its meaning. You can tell if you do by attempting to rehearse God's attributes. This has something to do with the age in which we live as well as with the general aspirations of mankind, I suppose. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. It also teaches us of God's power, for an incarnation is beyond our ability even to conceive, let alone to bring into being. Perhaps you have prayed for something and have not received an answer, at least not the answer you were waiting for. 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. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. How Should We Celebrate the Birth of Christ. Think of the situation under which the Jews lived at this time. And the promise of the angel "for He will save His people from their sins" are the greatest words of the entire Christmas story. 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. Will Graham Devotion: The Criminal on the Cross. Joy is of God. Therefore encourage one another with these words. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. 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. What had happened to these men? Dont Despair: A Reminder From Anne Graham Lotz. V 2023 BGEA There are many reasons why Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This combination, when truly grasped, produces witnesses. He was, however, making a very important point: We should never celebrate Jesus birth at Christmastimeand then forget Him the rest of the year. I would like you to have the experience of entering into the kind of joy that Mary and Joseph and the shepherds had on that first Christmas morning. First, you need to learn about Jesus. You can remember these events. 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)? 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. N This is the first message that I would leave with you. Joyful and triumphant, Christians celebrate Christmas, or the birth of Jesus Christ, on December 25th. Thus says the Lord: "Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity.A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! You can sharpen up your affections; indeed, you must, for it is a terrible thing to have your love for the One who is the Lord of love grow cold. 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. 8. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. 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? The third message is of the outcome, which is joy for man and glory for God. 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. 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. After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, Hallelujah! What we sow we shall reap." Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Is there such a verse? So they left their flocks and came and found Jesus, precisely as the angels had indicated. The Latin word for peace is pax. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Looking at the verse closely, we find that it uses the word "rest" twice. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 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). Though Dec. 25 is considered the birthday of Jesus by a large segment of Christendom, there is no evidence that . So they have changed the line to read "Let us find that promised rest.". 8. You quarrel and fight. For praising God is essentially an act of glorifying God with the whole being and, in this, music quite naturally takes a part. Topics: Jesus Christ. Nothing destroys joy except sin. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. "Come unto me and I will give you rest." And there, where they had first heard the angels' song, they themselves were heard to be singing God's praise. 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. There will be a little Christian sentiment, some happiness, and much activity. And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living. Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Now this is what the shepherds did. "A Hymn to the Nativity." Amen. I am convinced that this thought was uppermost in Luke's mind as he set about to write this opening section of his gospel. The Scriptures say, "And let him who hears say, Come!" But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. The Herald Angels Sing" Words: Charles Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. The question is important because of the significance of the day and because so many obviously do not know how to celebrate it. O come, let us adore Him, And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. Keiper asked, "Why do you call it a farce?" This central event in history divided the calendar into BC (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini - "In the Year of Our Lord"). So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 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. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 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. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. The birth of Jesus Christ is traditionally celebrated on December 25, although "around 37% of Orthodox Christians, mainly in Egypt and Russia, celebrate the Nativity of Christ on January 7th," owing to a difference in how their calendars were devised. The meaning of His name is "He will save His people from their sins" 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. In Luke 2:8-20, it says: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. It is a result of the Christian's first having entered into a relationship of peace with God. But their amazement is fitting to Christmas - it's a sample of what Christmas amazement should be for those who understand the Christmas story. But how? Here then is the first lesson Luke teaches us on celebrating Christmas. It refers to what we would call "peace of mind" or a "peace of heart." And "you will find rest for your souls." Would anyone want to say that these men were not authorized to spread such a message? He makes me lie down in green pastures. There are two kinds of amazement. 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. 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. But the angel appeared and explained to Joseph what was happening. And yet this is what we often do with Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 ESV / 156 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. Most people think that the day of one's birth is special. pages 24-25. D Ralph L. Keiper once said, "When we know Christ, not as a doctrine or a theory, but as Savior and Friend in our daily experience, we gain a confidence in Him which brings peace to our hearts. In the book of Philippians, Paul speaks of this peace when he says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Volume I, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951), page 146. Jesus is coming! We can estimate when Jesus was born by counting backward from his death on Passover, Nisan 14 in the spring of the year 33 C.E. 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. Luke 1:35 ESV / 25 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. The other kind of amazement is a holy wonder in response to those acts of God which are beyond human comprehension. However, by the late fourth century it was generally celebrated in churches. The hymn is Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, and the stanza to which I am referring is the second. Jeremiah 10:2-4 ESV / 302 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. To do so is to participate in the Christmas story. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. He restores my soul. She would have wondered how she could have conceived without having slept with a man. Notice that this verse does not say, "In everything present your requests to God. Joy is a wonderful thing; it is an appropriate part of Christmas. 7. Because of the gospel, Christians understand that the peace of God is only for those who acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. I wonder if you have experienced joy at this season. It is the kind of amazement we associate with special effects in a movie or with an Olympic gold medal winner. 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. It was dying because it had no adequate cause for which to live. God did not forget! So, the best way to celebrate Christmas is to believe on Jesus as your Savior. 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. In this verse the word "learn" is a Greek word from which we have derived our word mathematics. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate. Bible verses related to Celebrating Birthdays from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance. The angel said, "Do not be afraid. We see His disposition to use little things, to exalt the humble and to subdue the proud. We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said to him, Will you take me down to this band? And he said, Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band. And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. Keiper then took his Bible from his briefcase and turned to Luke 2:14, to the verse that is our text, and then read with his professor, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (KJV). Here is a rest that is given and a rest that is found. 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. It looks at the fighting and the wars of history and of our own age and does not find the type of peace that it is seeking. Jesus Christ does not thus become some magical wand which causes all our troubles to disappear. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. These words mean "a right opinion," "a wrong opinion," and "a contradictory opinion" respectively. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. (Luke 18:13). In the first place, we are told that the shepherds, after they had come to Bethlehem and had seen the infant Jesus, "spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child." In other words, the shepherds became witnesses of the event. Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. what to put on peeling sunburn face, host home provider salary colorado, hackman and oldham job characteristics model disadvantages,
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