Psalms 118:24 - This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. 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 dead in Christ will rise first. Some even contain good emphases. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. When Was Jesus' Birth? Was Jesus Born on December 25? | What the Bible Says 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. What is the solution? Did they have joy? Here are five great appearances of angels. The Greek word for peace is eirene. Imitate the shepherds in spreading the word concerning what you know about the Christ child. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? So everyone who knows of Christ and has become a Christian can tell others of Him. What Does the Bible Say About Celebration? - OpenBible.info Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. How could they refuse to tell what they had seen? This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? 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. It is clearly God's transformation and control of the emotions. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Wesley was praying for the second of these rests, the peace of God that Paul was writing about to the Philippians. 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. Let's have a Christmas gift exchange this year. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. But if that is true, why do we not see peace today? Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. But of all these things, the incarnation of the Son of God is the most amazing. 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." Is the Celebration of Christmas Biblical? - Owlcation When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found . 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. I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. You want something but don't get it. BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957), page 166. The shepherds, wise men, and angels celebrated the birth of Jesus with gifts, songs, and prayer. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. 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. He loves you so much that He gave His life for your salvation. He came to earth and became a man but kept fully the divine nature in Himself. Z. Amen. 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! OpenBible.info Publication date: Apr 30, 2023. He asked him to examine the last clause of the verse carefully: "good will toward men." If these four means of celebrating Christmas are new to you and if you are now desiring to put them into practice, I suggest that you begin not with the first verse, verse 17 of Luke 2, but with verses 18, 19, and 20. 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. 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. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. The trouble lies with men. Perhaps you are one who longs for the Lord's return. He restores my soul. 6. 1. G To what did they return? We turn from that picture to the final pages of the Bible, and in those pages we find the Lord Jesus Christ high and lifted up, and all of creation is paying homage to Him. Why, to their sheep obviously. Will Graham Devotion: The Criminal on the Cross. It is a time where they remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To the choirmaster. Arrangement: William H. Cummings, Congregational Hymn and Tune Book, 1857. But how should a Christian celebrate Christmas? Do you do it? 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. But the circumstances were not good. And, of course, this is the sense in which we glorify God. They had heard the music of heaven. But the significance of it would have passed her by. 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. 5. There is peace with God. Think of the situation under which the Jews lived at this time. 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. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. You cannot tell that which you have not first felt and experienced. In this verse the word "learn" is a Greek word from which we have derived our word mathematics. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. J Now it is true that this new line is less likely to be misinterpreted. Glorify and praise God for what was done that first Christmas. 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. 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. (Revelation 22:17). Salem Media Group. 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)? 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. Now this is what the shepherds did. He would say that He was the truth for a world that was dreadfully confused. 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? Celebrating it certainly does seem and feel like the right thing to do. Tillich, Paul. 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. 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. By Billy Graham "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. In other words, the best way to celebrate Christmas is by becoming a follower of Him whose birth we commemorate. The meaning of His name is "He will save His people from their sins" Hardly! Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. One verse, which is often quoted by Christians who argue against celebrating Christmas, is Luke chapter 2, verse 34. However, by the late fourth century it was generally celebrated in churches. 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. Let Us Celebrate Jesus Christ's Death Not His Birth I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. How Should We Celebrate the Birth of Christ? - Topical Studies 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. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate. 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. Answer: Your question is backward. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? As you pray that prayer, you will find that God has already been merciful in Jesus. It is an attempt to take what you know and then by an exercise of the mind to build upon it. Q 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. 5 Bible Verses That Celebrate the Birth of Jesus - Mamiverse King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. "Everything" leaves nothing out. of Come to Him now! Four Reasons Christmas Is Not a Christian Holiday - Life, Hope & Truth For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. Now I am an old man, and I haven't any reason to believe that there is any truth in that text at all. I love this word "glorify." Have you confessed them to God and to others? Now when you acknowledge a person's true worth or express a proper opinion of him, you may be said to be glorifying him. Well, later in His life He would speak of Himself in terms that spoke to precisely the world's condition. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. 7. 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. pages 24-25. He would have simply thought her unfaithful. This, of course, is monstrous. Well, they had been out in the fields of Bethlehem in the middle of the night, watching over their sheep as they had for many hundreds of nights previously and as their fathers undoubtedly had before them. His works were first collected in one volume in 1858, by William Barclay Turnbull. 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. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. The verse quoted was translated from Latin to English by Frederick Oakeley, 1841. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:30-33). Do you do that? These words mean "a right opinion," "a wrong opinion," and "a contradictory opinion" respectively. It is recorded in Luke 1:26-38. Have you seen those things? Music: Mendelssohn, Felix in his cantata Festgesang an die Kunstler, 1840. 3. The hymn is Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, and the stanza to which I am referring is the second. 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). But what does the Bible specifically say about your day of birth? For praising God is essentially an act of glorifying God with the whole being and, in this, music quite naturally takes a part. 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. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. And we need to understand exactly what the biblical meaning of these words is if we are to understand this part of the angel's announcement. This combination, when truly grasped, produces witnesses. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with . We also can celebrate Christmas by being amazed at it "And all who heard it were amazed" (Luke 2:18). Jeremiah 10:2-4 ESV / 302 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. A Psalm of David. Where does God say not to celebrate Jesus' birth? It is celebrated on December 25th. 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. That is the question. Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. 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. 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. Both of these ideas are related to the idea of a mediator who brings irreconcilables together. 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. Let your prayer be the cry of the publican: "God be merciful to me, a sinner!" In the New Covenant, he has given us the Lord's Supper and baptism. It is one of the great words of the Greek language. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. God told us everything needed for life and godliness ( II Peter 1:2-4 ). He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. 8. That is good. 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. O come, let us adore Him, The difficulty with this approach does not lie in the thought that the biblical view of salvation is unrelated to such themes. Before we turn to the book of Luke, I want to say first that by far the best and greatest way to celebrate Christmas is by becoming a Christian if you have never done so. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. After all, just because we celebrate our childrens birthdays doesnt mean we forget them or ignore them the rest of the year! There would have been no need for His life, His death on the cross, or His resurrection. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. In fact, the opposite is the case. When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. They are an important part of our lives, and our relationship with them should continue to grow every day. Permissions The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. Is December 25 Really the Day Jesus Was Born? What the Bible Says About C 12. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. The Truth! And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in his incarnation. Continue by pondering these things. Oh, it would have been quite a puzzle to Mary! Music: Beecher, John Zundel, Christian Heart Songs, 1870. There are three instances. Now, just as the Bible speaks of peace with God so it also speaks about a peace of God, and this is quite different. Keiper concluded, "When men are truly men of good will seeking to do God's will this text becomes a mighty force. These men, poor shepherds though they were, had seen God incarnate. 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. If God did that, He would soon make a muddle of our Christian lives because "We do not know what we ought to pray for" (Romans 8:26), and we pray with wrong motives. (Great Neck, NY: Doniger & Raughley, 1955). Of course, you can and you should! The Wise Men Were Not There. 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 Since his day no one had been raised up to declare the sure word of the Lord. Come 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. Here is a rest that is given and a rest that is found. That is the Christmas story God became man! That is, men are not men of peace. So they have changed the line to read "Let us find that promised rest.". You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. First of all, the Bible tells us that Jesus was born on Christmas day. Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. - Sort By Book Order. We find peace by praying. Our gift to our children will be teaching them Who Jesus is and what Christmas is all about. Jesus was born to be our Savior as the carol says: Christ was born to save! 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). The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Anybody who knows good news is authorized to tell it, particularly when it is news that will be the means of salvation of others. 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. One theory is that the early church decided to celebrate Christmas on December 25th in order to oppose the pagan celebration of Sol Invictus. 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. In early fall. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Can you do that? You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 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? And you will enter, perhaps for the first time, into the Christmas story. They are: The appearance of Gabriel to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist. You do not have, because you do not ask God. In chapter 2, verse 10, Paul writes of God's fairness in granting "glory, honor and peace, for everyone who does good.". Now the one thing prayer will most do for us is bring our minds into a greater conformity with the mind of God. Bible Verses About Celebrating Birthdays - KING JAMES BIBLE ONLINE The appearance of Gabriel to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. Three sentences! They had seen the angels and had come to worship the angels' King. 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? Many people believe that the celebration of Christmas is rooted in the pagan holiday of Saturnalia, which honored the god Saturn. Will you turn your focus toward Christevery day. The messages of the angels do not reinforce our secular views of Christmas. He is the Savior. 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. 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. To him be glory forever. Have you responded to His love by giving your life to Him? In the birth we see God's wisdom. 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. This article may be printed and distributed with this notice attached for personal use such as small groups and local Bible study groups. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 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. But now, for over four hundred years, the prophetic voice had been silent. Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The first message is a message of the faithfulness of God. Systematic Theology Volume 2: Existence and the Christ. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
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