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The idea for this message came from the tract titled A Christmas Trio by Trumpet Tract Ministries of Milwaukee. A husband-wife team recently started this tract ministry and they have a number of good tracts! I am enclosing a copy of their Christmas tract in the bulletin this morning. If our listeners around would like a copy, just drop us an email.

Christmas is one of the United States of America’s “OFFICIAL” Holidays! Yet, there are a variety of different ways that Americans celebrate Christmas. The tract suggests three different ways people celebrate this National Holiday. I will add one more. As you listen to the four descriptions of Christmas, ask yourself this question: “What Christmas am I celebrating?”

Here are three, and a fourth category –

1) The Secular Xmas

2) The Mythical Christmas

3) The Religious Christmas

4) The True Christmas

Let’s begin by looking at…

The Secular Xmas

Even atheists and agnostics take part in this national holiday, however they are SURE to “X” Christ completely out. “The birth of Christ carries no relevance for them and the main concerns are gifts, parties, and family gatherings.”¹ They view the primary value of the holiday as financial boost to the economy. It certainly does give a BIG boost to our economy. Americans will spend from $455 to $475 billion this Christmas.

But, there is a warped bent within this Xmas crowd that takes things even further. They desire to remove all public manifestations of Christ from Christmas. Nativity displays MUST GO! They insist that Christmas Trees become Holiday Trees. No “Merry Christmas” greetings! That’s a BIG “No, NO! It must be “Happy Holiday’s.” They make sure that every one knows that they are offended if “Christ” is in any way included. One community was even going to ban Red and Green because they make people think of Christmas. After a HUGE public outcry, the city council voted it down. Red and Green can be displayed

Here is an email that I received from Liberty Counsel that illustrates the militant attack on Christmas –

Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford has issued a disturbing directive forbidding employees to say or write the word “Christmas.” This directive was given by the University upon legal advice of the Oklahoma Attorney General, W.A. Drew Edmondson. Liberty Counsel sent a demand letter to the University following a complaint from a University affiliate.

The controversy began when the University’s Director of Human Resources recently visited various departments and said that decorations featuring the word “Christmas” in any areas of the University must be immediately removed.

He also instructed the employees not to say “Christmas” while on the job. As a result the employees cannot respond “Merry Christmas” to other employees or visitors to the University. Read our News Release for more details. (After being confronted by a law firm, the University President intervened and brought sanity back to the situation)

Then, closer to home, we have a group of atheists who can’t stand the fact that Racine permits a Christian Nativity scene to be erected by a private group in Monument Square. So atheists decided to erect a pyramid with various anti-religious quotes on it, right next to the crèche scene.

An article on the Racine Post Blog says, “David Nelson, 81, another of the half-dozen atheists who helped set the pyramid up on the square Wednesday night — about six feet from the Nativity Scene — insisted, ‘we’re trying to educate the American public. The Founding Fathers left too many loopholes in the doctrine of separation of church and state.’”

One person who identified himself as an American agnostic is quoted to have said – “The only problem with putting the pyramid next to the nativity is that you come off as a XXXX [fool]. The atheists are probably right, that Christianity is a make-believe myth that can cause people feel all good and faithy inside, and that religion should be separate from government. But, keep in mind that it’s that same government (and maybe a forgiving religion) that is keeping you (the atheists) from being lynched.”

As you can see, this crowd celebrates Xmas. No religious convictions are involved. Jesus is completely crossed out of the picture. They refuse to recognize the paramount importance of His birth. “The irony of this Christmas is that people are participating in a holiday that came about as a result of the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ; however, they don’t recognize Him as such, don’t pay attention to Him, yet will still participate in His birthday. It is made a common thing and that is a sad thing. Is this the Christmas you are celebrating?”¹

The appropriate Scripture for the Xmas crowd is — Psalms 14:1 “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” They are fools!

The Mythical Christmas

This is perhaps the most popular version that Americans celebrate. Those who celebrate the mythical Christmas combine pagan mythology and modern folklore to come up with their celebrations. Here’s what I mean. The PRIMARY character of this mythical Christmas celebration is none other than Santa Claus! The focus is on Santa not the Savior. Santa Claus got his biggest boost in America from a seminary professor, Dr. Clement Clarke Moore. He taught Oriental and Greek Literature at General Theological Seminary in New York City. At age 43 he had six children. Moore had purchased the first American Book about secular Christmas. It was called A NEW YEAR’S PRESENT FOR THE LITTLE ONES FROM FIVE TO TWELVE.” It inspired him to write his poem called “A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS, OR SANTA CLAUS” for his children. He read it to them at the dinner table on Christmas Eve, 1822. We know the poem better as “T’WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”. The following year it was published in the Troy New York Sentinel anonymously. This was the beginning of Santa and his reindeer-powered sleigh. It was not until 1837 that Moore allowed his name to be used in connection with the poem.

Though Bible-believing Christians were strongly against the mythical celebration of Christmas with Santa Claus and all the pagan trappings like Yule logs, mistletoe, the wassail bowl, holly, etc. in the mid 1830-1850’s, famous American Cartoonist Thomas Nast popularized Santa Claus in Harper’ Bazaar from the 1860’s to the 1880’s. George Webster contributed the idea that Santa’s headquarters was at the North Pole. Christ and Santa were further confused by Thomas Nast and Christmas Card publisher Louis Prang who pictures the Christ Child and Santa together in the 1880’s and 90’s.

Slowly but surely the Santa Claus myth usurped the truth and significance of the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I ask you, “Is this the Christmas you are celebrating?” I would simply say this, No Virginia, there is no real Santa Claus, but Christ is real and you need Him as your Savior! I remind you, Christ is to have the preeminence in all things (Colossians 1:18).

That brings me to the next Christmas people celebrate…

The Religious Christmas

As a Pastor, I can tell you of this; I will likely see people who I never see in any other services the entire year at Easter and Christmas services! I have never quite figured it out to be honest with you. What is the rationale for throwing God a “bone” so to speak, two Sunday’s a year and ignoring Him the other 50?

Christmas is one holiday in which those who evidently see no need of God or church during the year, decide to “play church” for a day and attend a Christmas service. Likely they think they are “giving God His due” so to speak.

Churches go to extra effort presenting plays, musicals, and special messages on this day. You have to wonder if these things are why this crowd comes! I remember reading on one church sign – “Avoid the Christmas rush! Attend church now!”

Don’t get me wrong! I certainly enjoy singing the Christmas hymns. I am blessed by the Christmas Cantata and my heart is warmed by the Sunday School program. However, The religious Christmas crowd too often does not get past the babe in the manger! They come, sing the songs, hear the sermon and as soon as “the doors are opened…thoughts have quickly reverted back to presents, parties, and dinner. In other words, back to everything other than Jesus….”² For those who celebrate a religious Christmas, there is really no room in their day-to-day life for Christ. Luke 2:11 is not a reality to them “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” The Christmas message “never penetrates the heart and so never gets past being a religiously institutionalized message. Is this the Christmas you are celebrating?” Finally we come to…

The True Christmas

The fact is that even the enemies of Christianity claimed that Christ lived, and that He performed miracles! Early Jewish documents such as the Mishnah and even Josephus, as well as first-century Gentile historians such as Thallus, Serapion, and Tacitus, all testify that the one called Christ lived in Palestine and died under Pontius Pilate. As the British scholar, F. F. Bruce put it, “The historicity of Christ is as [certain]. . . as the historicity of Julius Caesar” (NT Documents, 119).

My point is this: since Jesus lived, then Jesus was born! The Gospel of Matthew tell us that His birth was shortly before Herod the Great died (Matthew 2:19). Herod’s death can be fixed with certainty. Josephus records an eclipse of the moon just before Herod passed on. This occurred on March 12th or 13th in 4 B.C. Josephus also tells us that Herod expired just before Passover. This feast took place on April 11th, in the same year, 4 B.C. From other details supplied by Josephus, we can pinpoint Herod the Great’s demise as occurring between March 29th and April 4th in 4 B.C.

Likely it sounds strange to suggest that Jesus Christ was born no later than 4 B.C. since B.C. means Before Christ. But our modern calendar which splits time between B.C. and A.D. was not invented until A.D. 525. At that time, Pope John I asked a monk named Dionysius to prepare a standardized calendar for the western Church. Unfortunately, poor Dionysius missed the real B.C./A.D. division by at least four years!

Matthew tells us that Herod killed Bethlehem’s babies two years old and under. The earliest Jesus could have been born, therefore, is 6 B.C. Through a variety of other time indicators, we can be relatively confident that the Messiah was born in either late 5 or early 4 B.C.

The birth of Christ is the most important event in human history. So important in fact, that the timeline of history is divided by it – B.C. abbreviated for “Before Christ” and A.D. abbreviated for the two Latin words Anno Domini (meaning in the year of our Lord). This was no ordinary birth and it changed human history forever. Even a complete skeptic like H.G. Wells, a professional historian and science-fiction writer who made no profession of Christianity, admitted in his Outline of History, “More than 1900 years later, a historian like myself, who doesn’t even call himself a Christian, finds the picture [of history] centering irresistibly around the life and character of this most significant man.…” The True Celebration of Christmas focuses the birth of Emmanuel (God with us). You can read about all the related facts surrounding the Savior’s birth in the Gospels of Matthew (1:18-2:11) and Luke (1:26-56, 67-75, 2:4-40). But what was the purpose of Christ’s birth? We read in 1 John 4:14 “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” Why do we need a Savior? The birth of Christ was necessary because all people are lost sinners (Romans 3:23). God gave His Son Jesus a body so that so that He could pay for our sins by offering of His own body (Hebrews 10:5 & 10; 1 Peter 2:24; Colossians 2:13-14). If you have never received Jesus Christ as your Savior, do it today! “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

Notes 1-2 are from A Christmas Trio by Trumpet Tract Ministry www.TrumpetTracts.com

Presented 12/12/2004

Introduction

I suppose the place to begin this message is to define humbug. According to the Mirriam-Webster online dictionary humbug is something designed to deceive or mislead. Therefore, the title of my message could be Holiday Deception. The natural question is what I mean by the title Holiday Humbug. I will explain by giving you some illustrations.

The Holiday Season

Each Thursday I drive to downtown Milwaukee, park in the Federal Building parking lot and, after going through the airport style security station, I take the elevator to my office and begin my duties as a military chaplain. At lunchtime, I walk through the skywalk that connects the Federal Building to the Grand Avenue Mall and pick up a bite to eat. On my way to food court there is a brightly colored “holiday” display, which includes a choir of nearly life sized bears standing up like people! This past Thursday there was a group of school children standing there and the bears were singing a “holiday” song. Friends, that’s a holiday humbug, a holiday hoax. Why, because, every body knows that the KEY holiday that is celebrated at this time of year is NOT Hanukkah, NOT Kwanzaa and not Winter Solstice. It is the birth of Jesus Christ – Christmas. Now, I must tell you that no one knows for sure when Jesus Christ was born, but this is a time we are compelled to think on the incarnation and birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. As I heard the “holiday bears” singing a secular holiday song, I thought, what a hollow, hopeless humbug. How much better it would have been if the children could have been at the Mayfair Mall Bookstore where a group of man and women were singing Christmas hymns like the 1700’s hymn – Angels We Have Heard On High (179).

Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains,
and the mountains, in reply, echoing their joyous strains.

Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heav’nly song?

Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

See Him in a manger laid, Jesus, Lord of heav’n and earth;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, with us sing our Savior’s birth.

Chorus: Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!

The song is based on Luke 2:1-14. This is not a holiday song, it is a blessed Christmas song. There’s no humbug (deception) in this song. It is a wonderful Christmas song proclaiming the truth of the birth of Christ. You see, I do not celebrate the holiday season! A clerk, who meant no harm, and who was likely instructed to wish shoppers “happy holidays,” closed the transaction with me by saying, “I hope you have a happy holiday season.” With a smile, I suggest we respond with “I celebrate the birth of Christ, may you have a blessed Christmas.” Indeed, Jesus is the reason for the season.

Holiday Displays

Last year U.S. District Court Judge Charles Sifton ruled against the plaintiffs in the discrimination suit against the New York City Department of Education’s policy regarding “Holiday Displays.” The policy allows the Jewish Menorah and Islamic Star and Crescent while banning the Christian Nativity scene. Sifton ruled that the policy is not unconstitutional and does not discriminate against Christians. In his decision, he wrote that the policy is secular in intent – the Menorah and star and crescent have a secular dimension while the nativity scene is “purely religious.” Then, for the second year in a row a city in Florida has banned the display of a privately funded Nativity scene. In October, Sandara Snowden again made her request to display Nativity scenes alongside the Menorahs and again was denied. Her attorney said, “As we approach Christmas, we are once again confronted with a town that believes it is legally acceptable to discriminate against Christian religious symbols celebrating this holy season. This is one of the most outrageous examples of such discrimination.”

Little has changed since the days of the Apostles! The political establishment and the politically correct crowd raised their heel against this holy child Jesus. Turn with me to Acts 4. The political leaders threatened Peter and John and told them that they could not talk publicly about Jesus. Se read in verses 24-27 “And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together.”

The culture of the Apostles day, not unlike our own, was determined curtail the public declaration of Jesus Christ and His message. However, even though they had been beaten and jailed for teaching about Jesus Peter and the other disciples responded, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29

I say once again that Christmas without Christ is a holiday humbug. It is a celebration that is designed to deceive and mislead the unsaved crowd. Our focus must be the incarnation, God becoming flesh and dwelling with us. Turn to Matthew 1:18-25 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

Turn with me in your hymnal to the wonderful Christmas Hymn by Charles Wesley, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (181). Look at the words of in verse 2 –

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

My brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t let the birth of Christ and His Incarnation become merely another holiday. It is one of the two most important days (Resurrection of Christ is the other one).

Let us never forget who Jesus Christ really is. Isaiah 9:6-7 says “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

I am reminded of the words of O Holy Night! (183).

“Oh day of joy, when in eternal splendor He shall return in His glory to reign, When ev’ry tougue due praise to Him shall render, His pow’r and might to all nations proclaim! A thrill of hope our longing hearts rejoices, for soon shall dawn that glad eternal morn: Fall on your knees! With joy lift up your voices! O night divine – O night when Christ was born! O night divine – O night, O night divine.

No “happy holidays” from me! However, I do wish you and yours a very joyous Christ centered Christmas.

Sermon Delivered 04/04/04

• Why We Do Not Celebrate Lent

Later in this message, we will take a look at the Bible passages dealing with what is called Palm Sunday. But, before I do that, I want to shed some light on why we do not celebrate Lent. While the basic answer is simple – there is no reference to Lent in the Bible, I will share with you some more specific reasons.

• The Pagan History of Lent

The word lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten which means spring, which was derived from the Anglo-Saxon word lenctentid (pronounced LENG-ten-teed), which means the time of lengthening and flowering. The entire spring season was called Lenctentid. The ancient Anglo-Saxons (and other pagans) celebrated the return of spring with rioteous fertility festivals commemorating their goddess of fertility and of springtime, Eastre. In fact, the word Easter is derived from the Scandinavian Ostara and the Teutonic Ostern or Eastre, both pagan goddesses. The complete month of April was called Eostur-monath with the entire month was dedicated to Eostre. The pagan religion taught that Eostre was one responsible for changing a bird into a rabbit, this then is how the rabbit became an Easter symbol. Rabbits symbolize the fertility of springtime. It should be noted that the rabbit’s capacity of abundant production of young is especially great at this time of year. I should also tell you that most ancient races, including the Anglo-Saxons, included spring festivals to celebrate the rebirth life, using the Egg was a symbol of fertility, life and re-birth. This is old Latin proverb catches this idea — Omne vivum ex ovo. This means “all life comes from an egg”.

One final note, the Lenten season’s length has varied throughout history, however 40 days, not including Sunday, were finally settled upon and established by Roman Catholic Canon Law said to commemorate the 40 days Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan in the wilderness.

So, how did such pagan things as Lent and Easter (I am not referring to the blessed Resurrection of Jesus Christ) come into the church? Alexander Hislop gives us the answer — “To conciliate the Pagans to nominal Christianity, Rome, pursuing its usual policy, took measures to get the Christian and Pagan festivals amalgamated, and, by a complicated but skillful adjustment of the calendar, it was found no difficult matter, in general, to get Paganism and Christianity—now far sunk in idolatry—in this as in so many other things, to shake hands” (The Two Babylons).

Let’s move from human tradition, speculation and fabrication to biblical reality…Palm Sunday. Each Gospel gives an account of what Bible students call Jesus Christ’s Palm Sunday Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. I would encourage you to read Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:9-19.

• Where Does The Name “Palm Sunday”Come From?

Turn in your Bibles to John 12:13 “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” As you can see, the people greeted Jesus Christ with Palm tree branches. But, you may not realize the significance of this. About 150 plus years previous to this, was the last time Israel had been independent. This was when Judas Maccabeus, nick named “The Hammer,” son of a Jewish priest, had led the people in a war of independence and defeated the Syrians and became King. He adopted the palm branch as a symbol of his victory and Israeli independence. In the Apocryphal book of 1 Maccabees 13:51 we read about his victory. “And entered into it the three and twentieth day of the second month in the hundred seventy and first year, with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and with harps, and cymbals, and with viols, and hymns, and songs: because there was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel.” (1 & 2 Maccabees cover some of the history of this period between the Old and New Testament). Judas Maccabeus had palm branches stamped on coins, and had them used in temple feasts to celebrate the victory. I should also note that the Feast of Hanukkah, also called the Feast of Lights and the Feast of the Maccabees, celebrates this victory and the dedication of the new altar in the Temple at Jerusalem that took place in 165 B.C.

• The Prophetic Significance of Christ’s Entry Into Jerusalem

Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 21:1-5 “And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.” (see also John 12:15)

As you can see, Christ’s riding into Jerusalem the way he did was no accident! The prophet he is referring to is Zechariah. Turn to Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

There are a couple of interesting morsels relating to why Christ rode in on “a colt the foal of an ass.” First, you will remember that in Luke’s parallel passage the disciples were instructed to “Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat…” Luke 19:30. Have you ever wondered why? It is because only animals that had never been used as beasts of burden could be used for sacred purposes (Numbers 19:2; 1 Samuel 6:7). When Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem as KING, it is a SACRED occasion, not primarily a political one. He was God in the flesh coming to set them free from their sins!

There is another morsel you should know about. You will remember that Jesus, physically speaking is of the root and offspring of David (Revelation 22:16). I also remind you that the angel that announced the birth of Jesus said “…He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:32-33. Entering the city on a donkey’s colt symbolized the truth that Jesus Christ was indeed King. He accepted the praise of the people. And, even more significant is that Solomon rode his father’s favorite mule in his inaugural procession into the royal city of Jerusalem (1 Kings 1:33). Jesus was announcing His kingship in a similar way.

• Why The People Came

For the answer to this question we need to look at John 12:9-11 “Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; 11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.”

Secondly, many people were looking for military king. Turn to John 6:15 “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.” Palm Sunday was their opportunity to acclaim Jesus Christ King. Turn to John 12:13 “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

The word Hosanna is a Latinized transliteration of the Hebrew phrase that means “please save now” or “please help now.” The word is used in Psalms 118:25 “Save now, I beseech thee….” Then in verse 26 “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.”

Many of the people who were calling for a military king to take them back to a free Israel, like in the times of the Maccabees would be calling out “crucify him, crucify him, just a few days later. They wanted a temporal king who would free them from Roman domination. But what they needed was Christ to be king of their lives, who would free them from their sins!

That is the same thing people need this Palm Sunday. Is the Lord Jesus Christ your Savior?

Sermon Delivered 12/25/03

Last week when I was walking down the hall to my office, a brother handed me an article written by Cal Thomas titled There’s more to Christmas than the almighty dollar. In part, here’s what the article said…

I’m not sure it’s worth keeping Christmas anymore. Oh, it is fine for those apparently dwindling numbers of us who still believe in the “original cast” of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the Wise Men and the animals. They, as any post-Thanksgiving shopper (not to mention postmodern) shopper knows, have been replaced by the road show of reindeer, winter scenes, elves and the God substitute, Santa Claus, who serves as a front for merchants seeking to profit from the guilt some parents bear for ignoring their kids the rest of the year…

Some stores continue to sell nativity scenes, most of which are made in China, a nation that officially does not keep Christmas, either. Those nativities are often kept out of sight – they way dirty magazines used to be – so that hurried and harried shoppers who don’t keep the real Christmas might not be offended in their pursuit of holiday gifts.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups performing their annual ritual of keeping the public square (including the public school) clear of any mention of Jesus Christ, unless that mention is intended as a curse word. In such case, the ACLU will leap to the defense.

Why participate any longer in this charade, whose focal point of worship has shifted from a babe in the manger to a babe in the Victoria’s Secret window? From Gold, frankincense and myrrh to Bailey Banks and Biddle? No room in the inn has been replaced by no room in the mall parking lot. If God would get a lawyer out of hell, he might be justified in suing for copyright infringement: God’s great story has been hijacked and transformed into its opposite. People who celebrate the authentic Christmas might want to reconsider whether they wish to engage in the other thing that captures so much attention and costs so much money.”

Mr. Thomas goes on to say that Christians should move from an emphasis on material things to an emphasis on spiritual things. He concludes by saying “I love the original Christmas. I have come to detest the masquerade that does not even pretend to be what it was when I was growing up. That other Christmas (the original Christmas) I intend to keep. This monstrosity I will try with increasing difficulty to ignore.”

I am not here today to advance the road show of reindeer, winter scenes, elves and the God substitute, Santa Claus. To be sure, the secular celebration of Christmas has become a monstrosity of materialism and secularism. The purpose of this message is to concentrate on the authentic Christmas and bring it into focus. The place I will begin is to pose this question.

• What is the purpose of Christmas?

Turn with me to Luke 2:10-12 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” God’s historic act at Bethlehem is of critical importance to all mankind! It was at Bethlehem that the incarnation took place. So, what is the incarnation? The word incarnation refers to the act of assuming flesh, or of taking a human body, and the nature of man. This is the term commonly used to describe Christ’s birth through the Virgin Mary. God was incarnated in human form, that is, God became man.

Turn with me to…

John 1:1 & 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

1 Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Now, I take you back to my question: What was the purpose of Christmas? The purpose of Christmas was for God to become flesh! We call that the incarnation. But that brings me to the next question…

• Why did God become flesh?

The divine purpose of the incarnation is clearly articulated in the Scriptures. God became flesh so that He could die for our sins and thus save us from eternal damnation. I remind you that the eternal God is spirit (John 4:24; 2 Corinthians 3:17) and because He is spirit he cannot die! Therefore, in order that God might pay for our sins He must become incarnate, clothe himself in a human body of flesh and blood that He might die for our sins. Only an incarnate God could be the Savior. The Apostle Paul writes of this in Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Have you ever thought of what it cost Christ to become man? All you have to do is read the first chapter of the book of Hebrews. The second person of the Trinity (Christ), the creator, the heir of all things, and worshipped by angels left it all behind to take on a human body. Read Hebrews 2. He was “made a little lower than the angels” v.9

Why would the eternal Son, who was above the angels, choose to be made lower than the angels? For the answer, we need to read the entire verse — Hebrews 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Turn to Hebrews 2:14 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”

We must remember that the purpose of the birth of Christ was to provide God the Son with a body that he would sacrifice to pay for our sins (see Hebrews 10:5 & 10). In many churches over the next couple of weeks they will hear messages about the baby in the manger. But, I agree with what one Bible college professor wrote way back in 1937 —

“We have no right to gather people into our churches merely to sing carols and talk about the birth of Jesus. The birth of Jesus cannot save the souls of men. It is not the preaching of the manger, but the preaching of the Cross, which is the power of God unto salvation. Oh, let us not cease to preach the glorious goon news that the Son of God is come into the world, made of a woman, in the likeness of men. But let us not forget to tell men why He came—to save sinners from their sins by His death upon the Cross.”

It is my prayer that this message will help you to better understand Matthew 1:18-25 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

I agree with the Apostle Paul “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 2 Corinthians 9:15

Sermon Delivered 10/26/03

Let me ask you a question. What do you think of when you hear the date October 31^st? Most people will answer Halloween! But, that is NOT what is important about October 31! Halloween has its roots in paganism. Halloween is a religious celebration day, but most certainly it is not a Christian day!

Ralph Linton in his book Halloween Through the Centuries, says “The American celebration (of Halloween) rests upon Scottish and Irish folk customs which can be traced in a direct line from pre-Christian times. The earliest celebrations were held by the DRUIDS in honor of Shamhain, lord of death, whose festival fell on November 1st.” Another source goes on to expand this by saying, “The Celts considered November 1st as being the day of death because the leaves were falling, it was getting darker sooner and temperatures were dropping. They believed their sun god, was loosing strength because Samhain, lord of death, was overpowering him. Further, they believed that on October 31st Samhain assembled the spirits of all who had died during the previous year. They had been confined to inhabit animals’ bodies for the past year as punishment for their evil deeds. On the eve of the feast of Samhain, October 31st, they were allowed to return to their former homes to visit the living. Supposedly to protect these people, Druid priests led the people in diabolical worship ceremonies in which horses, cats, black sheep, oxen, human beings and other offerings were rounded up, stuffed into wicker cages and burned to death. This was done to appease Samhain and keep the spirits from harming them.”

The late George Douglas adds some interesting information when he says “Many of Halloween’s customs are derived from the ancient Baal Festivals. Other customs originate from the taking of omens from the struggles of victims in the fires of druidic sacrifices.” (The American Book of Days, by George William Douglas revised by Helen Douglas Compton).

Probably the best documentation as to whether Halloween is a pagan religious celebration day comes from their own testimony. When asked “Does anyone today celebrate Samhain (Halloween) as a religious Holiday?” a major witches’ organization responded, “Yes, many followers of various pagan religions, such as Druids and Wiccans (witches), observe this day as a religious festival. They view it as a memorial day for their dead friends…. It is still a night to practice various forms of divination concerning future events. (from Cult Watch Response, October 1988, Vol. 1, No. 1).

I was in Salem Massachusetts in the early 1990’s. I had been invited there to do some radio programs on the exposing the occult nature of Halloween. While I was there a witch from Salem had a an article in the Sunday People magazine acknowledging that Halloween is a witchcraft holiday. She said, “Salem is a mecca, especially around Samhain. It’s our holiday, our New Year’s and a lot of witches come here from all over the world.”

Wearing grotesque costumes has its origin in pagan worship. You will recall that their superstition taught evil spirits roamed on Halloween. They believed that the only way these people could escape being attacked was by assuming disguises and looking like the evil spirits themselves.”

Now, just by chance if you had forgotten to dress up or could not fool the evil spirits by dressing in animal skins or other disguises, there was a way to exorcise them. People were to set out a TREAT of food and fruit, and provide the wandering spirit with shelter for the night. If the demon spirit was satisfied with your TREAT, it was believed that he would not TRICK you by casting an evil spell on you thereby causing havoc. This is the origin of Trick or Treat.

I discovered the pagan origins of Halloween in 1980 and have not celebrated Halloween since then. Why? Because the Bible says, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Ephesians 5:11. Further, it says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31.

In reality, Halloween, a day with pagan roots, has been used to cover-up perhaps the most important day of Western civilization, which also happened on October 31^st! This day was an emancipation day, a day when the lies and superstitions of the Roman Catholic Church were boldly uncovered. What I am talking about is the event that took place on October 31^st 486 years ago. On that day in 1517, Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

His beginning paragraph said…

“Out of love for the truth and from desire to elucidate it, the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg, intends to defend the following statements and to dispute on them in that place. Therefore he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”

• Two example of his 95 Theses are:
• They preach mere human follies who maintain that, as soon as the coin rattles in the strong box, the soul flies out of purgatory.
• The indulgence of the Pope cannot take away the smallest daily sin, as far as regards the guilt, or the offence.
   

So what were indulgences? The Catholic Church taught that you could buy the forgiveness of sin from the church or that you could buy the release from Purgatory for someone. In that era, when the Bible was kept from the people, the Catholic Church deceive many people into believing the lies that they taught, such as the existence of Purgatory and the effectiveness of indulgences, and swindled them out of their hard earned money. I recently walked through the massive and beautiful edifice of St. Peters in Rome and could not help but think of the that fact that it was built by the sale of indulgences. (Woodcut from 1500’s by Jorg Breu the Elder)

Historians mark the posting of Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses October 31^st, 1517 as the beginning of the Reformation.

So, what was the Reformation? In short, the Reformation was the great rediscovery of the Gospel, the good news of Salvation by grace through faith. The establish church had kept the common people ignorant of the truths of God’s Word and manipulated them with contrived superstitions for a thousand years during the period called the Dark Ages.

What motivated Luther to post 95 Theses? He wanted people to know the truth of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. He remembered his struggle to free himself from his own sinfulness. Let me give you a brief synopsis of his struggle.

When he was in college, he and a friend were walking and a storm came up. Lightning struck and killed his friend Alexis. Luther cried out to in prayer to Saint Anne to save him, promising to become a monk. He lived and so entered the Augustinian Monastery. While rummaging around the in library he came across a Latin Bible and the works of John Huss which he read intently. He read of salvation by grace through faith. But this was in conflict with the teachings of the Church! He redoubled his efforts to earn his salvation by torturing himself for his sins by fasting, praying, and whipping himself. But this was all fruitless. He came into contact with Dr. Johann Von Staupitz who told him of the sin-remitting grace of God and redemption that only comes through the Blood of Christ. They read the Latin Bible together and thought deeply on the Bible’s of free grace of God.

Luther made one last attempt to atone for his own sins. He went to Rome in 1510 and while climbing the 28 stairs of Pilate’s Staircase on his knees to do penance and gain some indulgence he clearly hear a voice like thunder say the – “The just shall live by faith.” (see Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11). This changed the direction of his life. He preached against indulgences. He wrote a book called Concerning Christian Liberty, which that taught the priesthood of every believer (see 1 Peter 2:5,9; Revelation 1:5-6). He taught that every Christian had the right and duty to approach God for himself without the aid of human priests. This put him at odds with the Catholic Church! Leo X issued a decree calling for Luther’s works to be burned and for him to appear in Rome and recant or be burnt. His response was to burn the decree. He was called to Worms to be tried for heresy. On April 17^th, 1521 he appears before the ecclesiastical court and Dr. Eck shows him his books and asks if he recants. Luther says –

“I cannot submit my faith either to the Pope of to the Councils because it is clear as day they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless therefore, I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture…I can and will not retract. Here I stand…I can do no other. So help me God, Amen!

Luther would have been convicted and burned as an heretic had it not been for a poster that appeared on the walls of the chamber stating that there were 400 knights and 800 men-at-arms ready to take vengeance if Luther is harmed. The Diet (council) rules that he may hold his opinions, but that he must do it quietly.

As he leaves to make his way back home, he is kidnapped by friends and taken to Wartburg Castle for safety. He is disguised as a knight and called Junker (knight) Georg. There at the Wartburg he translates the 2^nd edition of Erasmus’ Greek New Testament into German in 11 weeks. It is issued September 1522 and spreads like wildfire across Germany. The light of God’s Word shattered the darkness of the Dark Ages and the iron grip Rome hand on Western Europe. There is an old saying that goes “Erasmas laid the egg and Luther hatched it. William Tyndale hatched the English Egg. He translated the 3^rd edition of Erasmus’ New Testament into English in 1526, thus bringing to an end to the ignorance and superstitions of the Dark Ages and the Roman Catholic Church’s iron grip on the minds of the people.

The Bible says “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” Psalms 119:130

While we certainly do not hold to Luther’s beliefs on sprinkling babies, communion and various other things, I can say, he was used of God to reintroduce Salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone and translate and print the Bible, from a good text, into the language of the people. Tyndale meant with Luther when he was a fugitive and likely received his counsel in preparing his English version of the New Testament. Tyndale was martyred in October 1536 at Vilvoorde after he had lead his jailer and family to the Lord.

I must say I find it strange that most American Christians celebrate Halloween, a holiday with pagan roots on October 31^st rather than Reformation Day, a day which forever changed papal Rome’s domination of religion in the Western world. October 31^st was the Declaration of Independence from Roman dogma, tradition and superstition and a return to the biblical Gospel. I would urge you to REJECT HALLOWEEN, THE GREAT COVER-UP.

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.—John 1:14.

Note: This is an old sermon by a preacher in the 1930’s. It should help you to better understand Christ’s Birth.

Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.

It has been well said of this sentence that, if it were measured by the number of its words, it is very short; but, if measured by the meaning of its words, it is long exceedingly. It is, indeed an ocean in a drop. I propose to consider it only from one point of view—simply the statement that it makes of a fact.

• Who Was Made Flesh?

“The Word was made flesh.” The fact of the incarnation—this is our subject. First, Who was made flesh? “The Word.” And who was the Word? Connect with verse first. Some one who was before the beginning of creation; “in the beginning was the Word” (Gen. 1:1). Uncreated, then—eternal. This eternal Some One, antecedently to the creation, “was with God”; not with God as your walking stick is with you, but as your friend is with you. Intercourse, communion. A Person, then —an eternal Person. This eternal Person was ‘with God; two eternal Persons, therefore in fellowship together, antecedently to all creation.

Again, “The Word was God”; the eternal Person who was with God was Himself a Person of the Godhead. Such was He who is here called the Word. Manifestly the Son of God, as other Scriptures speak of Him, the only begotten of the Father, as He is expressly called in the words following our text.

And hence His title, the Word; for as our words are begotten of our thoughts and are the expression of ourselves, so He is the begotten of the Father, and is the Father’s revelation of Himself to the universe. He— an eternal, divine Person, the second Person of the Godhead, the Son, the begotten of God, the filial Deity. He it was who was made flesh. Accurately speaking, it was not Jesus who was made flesh, for He was not called Jesus till He had become flesh; nor was it Christ, for He came into the office of Christ only after He had been made flesh. It was the Word who was made flesh: the same who was in the beginning, and was with God, and was God.

• Why Is He Called Flesh?

Second, What was He made? “Flesh.” This word can only mean in this place perfect human nature—body, soul, and spirit. Soul (John 12:27). Spirit (John 11:33; 13:21; 19:30). Totality of human nature (Heb. 2:14). But why, then, is it not said in the text, that He was made man, instead of He was made flesh? Certainly He was made man, and He called Himself a man (John 8 :40). But flesh is more directly suggestive of birth, and the one nature of all Adam’s children, and of the fleshly weakness incident to them all; in a word, of the identical nature of mankind.

This is what He was made: one of us; as identically man as though He had been nothing mare. The eternal Son of God, the filial Deity, He who from eternity was in fellowship with the Father, and was Himself Deity in common with the Father, He was made one of us, as really, as perfectly, as mentally, as morally, as actively, as feelingly, as sufferingly, as enjoyingly, one of us as either of us is one of us. Then it was He was Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, Emmanuel, God with us.

Third, How was He made manifest? Literally, “became flesh.” He was the Word, and the Word became flesh; as we say of a man, he was a friend, and he became a helper; that is, by his own will and exertions. The eternal Word willed, in unison with the Father, to become flesh, and by His own power, in unison with the Father, He became it. As in the third verse it is said, “All things became by him,” so now “He became flesh,” i. e., as by His own creative power, under the Father, He gave being to all things, so by His own creative power, under the Father, He gave being to His own human nature—He became flesh.

• How He Became Flesh

He became flesh, first, by emptying Himself, for a time, of the divine form or mode of appearing (Phil. 2:7; II Cor. 8:9); and secondly, by taking upon Himself human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary by an act of miraculous power; not from a human father, but as all things became by Him, in unison with the Father, and in the energy of the Holy Ghost, so by His own power in power, in unison with the Father, the energy of the Holy Ghost, His human nature became a child of the Virgin.

Fourth, He became flesh, but not a human person. As having no human father in taking human nature upon Himself, evidently He did not take upon Him the person of any one man, nor a human person at all. His divine eternal Person was the one only Person of the Word become flesh. This is also indicated in the connection of the two clauses of our text. Jesus Christ, while having perfect human nature, did not have a human person. In nature He was God-man; in person He was only God.

• Not Sinful Flesh

Himself in the womb of His mother while being, because of His birth of woman, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, yet was without the moral taint-’which would have resulted from the ordinary generation (Ram. 8:3; II Cor. 5 :21); but lie had no sin of His own. In those weaknesses and infirmities of the flesh which He had in common with us, and which made more intense and practical His human brotherhood with us, such as hunger, weariness, a sense of the want of sympathy, etc., lie was still without sin, absolutely the spotless man. It was our own veritable human nature, but sinless, which He took into union with His divine nature, and which He thus absorbed into His one eternal personality. And so, speaking with comprehensive accuracy; He became not a man, but man.

• He Retained What He Gained

Sixth, He so became flesh that henceforth He forever retains the two natures. He did not cease to be what He was before —the ‘Word, the filial Person of the Deity, the immaculate and all glorious. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us”: the Word who became flesh was the same He who dwelt among us. And the Word whose glory was that of the filial Deity was the same He of whom after He became flesh John said, in the words next after our text, “We beheld his glory, the j glory as of the only begotten of the Father.”

And as thus, in becoming flesh, He ceased not to be what He was before, so He should ~ never cease to be what He had become. He did not assume humanity as something which could be laid aside, for He became humanity; not as if He had put it on as a garment, which might afterwards be put off, but as if a garment, in the putting on, had come to be a living part of a man himself.

He became flesh. The Lard Jesus Christ is humanity as truly as He is Deity. It is now as integral a part of Himself as is His eternity, or His sonship in the Deity. Henceforth and for ever and ever, God the Son is God the man, as much so as you are a man, as I am a man; whether as now seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high, o’~ as hereafter coming in the clouds of heaven, or as throughout our eternal state, after having wiped all tears from our eyes, leading us whithersoever He goeth.

Seventh, the two natures are in Him as united, but not as confounded. In Jesus Christ we contemplate the perfect union, under the one divine Personality, of two perfect and distinct natures, the deity and the humanity. An old Latin line represents the Word made flesh as saying, “I am what I was, that is, God; I was not what I am, that is, man; I am now called both, that is, both God and man.” The union of the two natures, and yet the distinctness of each, is what must be emphasized. The union is perfect, but it is union, not mixture.

• Natures United But Not Blended

The deity was not lost in the humanity, nor the humanity in the deity, nor were the two so combined as to produce a third thing unlike either of the two. United they were, but not blended. The distinctness and the value of the deity, and the distinctness and the value of the humanity, are each preserved, but uniting as one harmonious whole in one divine august Person, as somewhat similarly a man’s body and soul are united, not mixed, in his one person. Of this union of distinctions and the distinctions in union are fundamental to the redemption work of Jesus Christ, for except as being distinctively man He could not stand for man in the punishment due to man; and except as being distinctively God, His sufferings could not suffice for all men, nor indeed could be even permissible in equity.

And, in addition to what we have said, both the distinctions and the union are beautifully illustrated in the correspondence of the text to the first verse of this Gospel.

“The Word was God,” and, “The Word became flesh”; eternity and time, the divine and the human, each distinct, yet both together. “The Word was with God,” and, “The Word dwelt among us,” the mode of the existence of Deity and a living and historical connection of that existence with human life, each distinct yet both united.

“The Word was in the beginning”; and, “The Word became” (in time); He as beyond all measured duration, yet as manifested in measured duration—the one thing successive to the other, yet both things uniting in His one Person, in whom are thus reconciled for us the opposite elements of life and thought, the infinite and the finite.

• The Doctrine Attacked

Eighth, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” These eight words may remind us of a military encampment in the midst of surrounding foes, guarded on all sides, watchful at every point. First, there come those who deny that Jesus Christ is God, and these words thunder at them, that it is the Word who became flesh, and the Word was God. Next, there have been those who denied that He was really man, and our text has driven them back by the statement that the Word became flesh. And there are those who say that, while He had a human body, He had not a human soul, His deity taking the place of a soul, and our text again repels the attack by that word flesh, which in the light of the Savior’s own words elsewhere, it is impossible to understand here as meaning less than perfect human nature. Others have said that He assumed flesh only for a time, and then laid it aside, as being that which was foreign to Himself, and our text meets them with the truth that He became flesh, and did not merely clothe Himself in it.

Still others have confounded the two natures, mixing them up, and producing a third thing unlike either of the two, as when an acid and an alkali are compounded together, and our text overthrows them by keeping the two terms, the Word and flesh, side by side. And there have been those who, while keeping the natures distinct, have doubled the personality, and said that He was both a human person and a divine Person, and our text repulses them by the fact that the one He who dwelt among us was the eternal Word who became flesh.

• Facts That Prove

Such is the fact of the incarnation; the Word, the Son of God, the filial Deity, becoming all that belongs to the essence of man, without regard to sex or race or time. And this fact is historical; not an unsubstantial legend, but a veritable occurrence. If there were nothing else, as proof, than the historical character of Jesus Christ, towering heaven-high above all attainments of mankind, blooming afresh in every succeeding age and filling the world with fruit, thus demonstrating that He came to be of men and among men not as any other man began to be, it alone would be proof unanswerable.

But there are many, many proofs, and all of unrivaled force, even the enumeration of which we have no time to give. There is just one little feature of our text, which we may glance at as adding confirmation to the great mass of evidences. It is the unpretentious style of statement in which the fact of the incarnation is given. A more wonderful fact was never expressed in words, was never even conceived. If all the marvels of all the ages were condensed in one, they would not make so marvelous a thing. And yet how briefly and simply it is told. The modesty of the text is a wonder only less wonderful than the fact it states. It is not in human nature to speak with such reticence of what is so overwhelmingly wonderful. If the alleged fact had been the writer’s invention, or even his superstitions, expletives and exclamations would have piled around it, sentence upon sentence; pretentious analysis and labored commentary would have bristled in its defense like “quills on the fretful porcupine.” A more than human inspiration must needs have controlled the writer who was so quiet an historian of the transcendent fact of the incarnation. Therefore it is a fact.

• What Is Its Significance?

Wherefore did the Word become flesh? To seek and to save the lost, to suffer and die. Tremendous, then, must be the sinner’s wretchedness; tremendous the blessedness He would secure to the sinner; tremendous the appeal He thus makes to the sinner. For remember, you are not saved by the mere fact of His becoming flesh, for He did not take upon Him your person, as we have seen, but only the nature common to all men. Therefore, to he saved by Him, you must come yourself into individual connection with Him. You must believe on Him. Then you will have been born again —made a Son of God in Him the eternal Son.

And what as regards the believer? The reality and greatness of his estate. The solid ground of his confidence. The beauty and blessedness of his thinking. Its urgency upon him as against sin, and especially against abuse of his body. And what a range of splendor opens before him, as to his future.

For of what character must be the blessedness, which shall fittingly follow so mighty a fact as the incarnation? That his body shall be glorified must of necessity result from the present glory of the body of Christ. And that his soul shall be filled to its utmost capacity with a blessedness only less than God’s, must follow from the subsistence of the human soul of Christ in personal union with Himself in the glory of His Father.

But what more? “We talk of mountains,” says one, “before we have seen the Alps; but when once we have looked on the glittering glaciers and the desolate wastes of eternal snow, the word has a sublimity of meaning it never had till then.” So, although we gain from the Scriptures some true and noble conceptions of the heavenly immortality, dim and poor must our anticipation’s be as compared with what shall be —those ultimate realities amid which believers are yet to find themselves as the result of that surpassing wonder, “The Word became flesh.” Measure the measureless depth of that wonder of the past, and then may you scan the invisible height of yon coming wonder.

“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” Luke 2:15

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19

Introduction

It is the Christmas season and we should be thinking about the significance of the birth of our Lord. As I was pondering Christmas, three things came to my mind.

The first is the widespread attention to the birthday of Christ. All Christian churches, regardless of their denominations, highlight His birth. Even outside the churches, the world takes notice, to one degree or another, of Christmas and therefore come into contact with the Christ child who was born in Bethlehems manger.

The second thing that comes to mind is the widespread ignorance of the real meaning and significance of our Lords birth. Millions join with the shepherds, as it were, in going even unto Bethlehem and focus on baby Jesus, but sadly, they go no farther. They forget that there is a way out of Bethlehem too. Our Lord did not stay there. He went on to a life of service and ministry, to the Cross, the resurrection, and on to glory. The Lord does not want you to linger too long in Bethlehem. He would have you travel with Him to the Cross and be saved and then serve Him until he comes again for you.

The third thing that is impressed upon my mind is the urgent necessity of Bible believing Christians to make known, by all the means in their power, the facts about the person and work of Christ and His Gospel as the shepherds did that first Christmas. We read in Luke 2:15-18 “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” The more ignorance of Bible truths we perceive, the more ought we to pray and plan to make them known.

The Meaning of The Birth of Christ

The meaning of the birth of Christ at Bethlehem is briefly but clearly stated in our text. “that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” 2 Corinthians 5:19

This passage reveals key points about this supernatural event in Bethlehem. It reveals the identity person who was born and the purpose for which he was born.

• It Reveals The Identity of The Person Born
  

“God was in Christ”

Regarding the Person who was born, this was no ordinary birth like unto all the sons of Adam since Cain was born. This birth was unique, occurring once, never to be repeated. The birth of Christ was not merely the birth of a great Teacher; it was all that and infinitely more. It was not the birth of a new Person that came into being at the birth of Christ. While the body, the human nature was new, the Being who dwelt in that body was the eternal Son of God (John 1:1 & 14; Micah 5:2). While He was known as Jesus of Nazareth, He had a remembrance and a consciousness of His prior state of existence, of a place, a power and a glory with the Father before the world was formed (John 17). The birth of Christ meant that there was a union between the Divine and the human, the eternal and the temporal, the infinite and finite, weakness and power. When Jesus was born, he was not just another man after the likeness of Adam but he was a unique Being, the God-Man, Divine and human in one Person.

• The Humanity of Jesus Christ

We need to keep these two facts clear in our minds. The humanity of our Lord was real humanity, not an illusion as the early sect, the Docetae taught. Hebrews says: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same” Hebrews 2:14. We are told in Galatians 4:4 that He was “made of a woman.”

There was this difference between Christ and all other who are born; He had no human father. His body was created by the Spirit, in the womb of the virgin Luke 1:26-35. Because of that, there was no taint of sin (1 John 3:5) transmitted to His flesh (The angel Gabriel called it “that holy thing which shall be born of thee” Luke 1:35). This could not be said of any other born of woman (Psalm 51:5; Job. 14:4; John 3:6; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:3). Our Lords humanity was subject to the sinless infirmities of the flesh. He was tired, thirsty, hungry (John 4:6). His body was mortal. He died on the Cross. When our Lord took upon Himself our nature, He took it forever. Yet, His body was raised from the dead by the power of God (Romans 1:4). It was glorified and freed from earthly limitations. In that body, Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:1-3).

The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is the dividing point in our earthly calendar. We divide time before Christ and after Christ. Christ indeed was human. But there is another side.

• The Divinity of Christ

Now we turn to the Divine side of our Lord. “God was in Christ”. In Christ means dwelling in Christ. God was the Being in Christ. This does not mean that in Christ we have a token indwelling of God, or that God dwelt in Christ in a modified form; or that God was in Christ as the Holy Spirit indwells the believer. It means that Jesus Christ was God substantially. The Bible is very specific on this point. “The Word was God” (John 1:1); “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9): “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;” Colossians 1:19. “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:3. As a matter of fact it could not be otherwise. God can never be less than He is in His Being. The essence of the Godhead is not divisible. Christ, the only begotten Son, in virtue of His eternal generation and Sonship was and is God.

Christ was man and Christ was God. In this hypostatic union of God and man, the one did not destroy the other. Christ had all the powers and prerogatives of the Godhead. While he laid aside the outward glory that went with His person and place when He came into the world (Philippians 2:5-8), He had at his command all the powers that He had exercised in His pre-incarnate state. At the same time as Son of Man, He was wholesomely and sweetly human. He showed care, love and affection for His disciples; He was touched with pity and compassion for the unfortunate: He rejoiced with those who rejoiced, and He mourned with those who wept. Christ and His ministry cannot be accounted for on any other ground, than that God was in Christ.

• The Purpose for Which Christ Was Born

Now that we have seen what the birth at Bethlehem really was, we are ready to follow on to see its ultimate purpose of Christs birth. As I mentioned earlier, too many never get past the baby of Bethlehems manger. I say again, move out of Bethlehem and move on to Calvary!

Turn once again to 2 Corinthians 5:19 “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” In order to understand the purpose of Christs birth, you must understand the meaning of reconciliation. Reconciliation is the act of reconciling parties at variance. In Scripture, man is described as being at enmity with God because of the unresolved issues of mans sin. Reconciliation is the means by which sinners are reconciled, that is restored to a condition of friendship and favor with God. As you can see in 2 Corinthians 5: 19, God has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. That is equivalent in saying that God hath restored us to His favor by satisfying the claims of justice against us. Christ did this by His death on the Cross. Many verses make that clear

Colossians 1:20-21 “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled”

Hebrews 2:17 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

Romans 3:24-25 “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

The Cross is central in this ministry of reconciliation. The events of Bethlehem are incomplete without going to Mount Calvary! Have you been to Calvary?

Picture Credits

Adoration of The Shepherds by Martin Schongawer 1460 A.D.

Crucifixion by Andrea Mantegna about 1457 A.D.

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Let there be not doubt that Christ died for our sins, was buried and He rose again! That is a 100% sure thing. But, I have to tell you, from the time I was a youngster, I could never figure out the “Good Friday” timetable, but I liked the day. Why? It was a holiday and we either had just a half-day of school or the entire day off, because, they said, Good Friday (Great Friday to the Greek Orthodox; Charfreitag or Sorrowful Friday in German) was the day of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. However, I knew about Matthew 12:40 which says, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Try as I would, I could not get three days and three nights using the “Good Friday” reckoning. After trying to count it out on my fingers without success, I brushed aside the problem, figuring the adults knew something I didnt.

Now, as an adult, I decided to look into the matter much more seriously. There are several reasons I reject “Good Friday” as the day of death of Christ. Here is a brief account of my findings.

• “Good Friday” Was Not Celebrated In The Early Church

Jewish Christians in the early church continued to celebrate the Passover, regarding Christ as the true Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7 “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.”). This naturally developed into a commemoration of the death and resurrection of our Lord because he was the true Passover sacrifice. But, while this Pascha or Passover celebration lasted three days, commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I must point out that this Passover celebration was a moveable celebration like Pentecost. It occurred on different days each year. There was NOT a “Good Friday” under this scheme! In fact, another encyclopedia stated this — prior to A.D. 325, Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the week, including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So, obviously there was no “Good Friday” before this time, because Easter could be celebrated on any day and from time to time, was celebrated on Friday.

All that changed in 325 A.D. when the Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea, which issued the Easter Rule, which states that Easter shall be celebrated on Sunday, but did not fix the particular Sunday. It was left to the Bishop of Alexandria to determine the exact Sunday, since that city was regarded as the authority in astrological matters. He was to communicate the results of his determination to the other churches. But there was disagreement among the churches about doing it that way. It was not until the 7^th century that the Easter matter was settled. Easter was to be on the first Sunday that occured after the first full moon, on or after the vernal equinox. However, there is still a twist I need to mention here. The “full moon” in the rule is the ecclesiastical full moon, which is defined as the fourteenth day of a tabular lunation (whatever that is), where day one corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon. It does not always occur on the same date as the astronomical full moon. However, I do know this. The ecclesiastical “vernal equinox” is always on March 21. Therefore, Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25.

Now, back to the key issue “Good Friday!” Historians can trace the development of “Good Friday” to the 4^th century Catholic festivals held in Jerusalem. “Good Friday” was an evolution out of the early Pascha celebrations that took place at Jerusalem that I mentioned earlier. A procession was staged from Gethsemane to the Catholic Church Sanctuary of the Cross, in Jerusalem. The assembled group then heard readings about the death of Christ.

Let me review briefly what I have just told you. “Good Friday” is a man-made invention. It evolved after 325 A.D. because prior to that, there was no set day for Easter and therefore there would not have been a “Good Friday.” It is the invention of the Roman Catholic Church. So where did Rome come up with the idea? It comes from a misunderstanding of Mark 15:42 “And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath” We will unravel the mystery a bit later in this article.

• A “Good Friday” Death Conflicts With What Christ Said

The second reason I reject the “Good Friday” view of the death of Christ is because of what Christ said in Matthew 12:40. I must tell you that I do not believe Christ was mistaken. I believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures. Therefore, what the Bible says, I deem to be wholly true. So, when our Lord said, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” I believe that is true! And, no matter how you slice “Friday” you cannot get three days and three nights from late Friday afternoon until early Sunday morning? At the most, there could only be two nights, 1 day, and a part of another! If Christ had only said three days, I could have understood Him to mean PART of three days, since both in and out of the Scriptures we use the word to mean only a portion of a day. However, the Lord Jesus Christ specifically said, “three days and three nights,” and thus verbal inspiration demands three twenty-four hour days.

• A “Good Friday” Death Does Not Take Into Account The Issue of Floating Sabbaths

Before we look at the Sabbath issue, lets look at the different ways days are divided. While all cultures work on the basis of a 24-hour day, not all cultures begin and end their days at the same time. There are MAJOR difference in the Roman Day, the Jewish Day, and our Modern Day. The ROMAN DAY began at 6:00 A.M. and closed at 6:00 the next morning. The JEWISH DAY began at sunset and closed at the next sunset (or from about 6:00 P.M. to the next 6:00 P.M.). OUR DAY begins at midnight and closes the next midnight. Here is an example of what I am talking about.

The Lord Jesus was placed on the cross “the third hour” according to Mark 15:25. The context of this time delineation is Roman. The third hour of the day in Roman time was 9 A.M., which was the time of the daily sacrifice of the morning.

We also know from verse 33 that “there was darkness over the whole land” from the 6^th to the 9^th hour (Noon to 3 p.m. our time). According to the account in Lukes Gospel, Christ “gave up the ghost” or died some time after that. I find it interesting that the evening sacrifice of the Jews took place at the 9^th hour (3 p.m.). I contend that Christ died on Wednesday sometime after 3 p.m. and was buried before sunset or about 6 p.m., which would be their Thursday and still our Wednesday.

How can I say that? It has to do with fixed Sabbaths and floating Sabbaths. Heres what we know for sure. The Lord was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb before sunset, before the beginning of the Sabbath. We read in John 19:31 “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.”

The parenthetical clause is the key to understanding the entire problem. While it is true that a normal weekly Sabbath begins on sunset on Friday (about 6 p.m.), did you know that there are seven other “High Sabbaths,” all but one of which are floating Sabbaths? By “floating Sabbaths,” I mean they could occur on any day of the week. Therefore, there could have been two Sabbaths in one week, a high or floating Sabbath and a weekly Sabbath.

Can this be true? The answer is “Yes.” An example of this is found in Luke 6:1 “And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.”

In fact, Christ was Crucified on the day before an High Sabbath (floating Sabbath), not the day before the normal Sabbath! Which high Sabbath was it? It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was always held on the 15^th of Nisan (see Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:3-7; Numbers 28:17). The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was an Holy Convocation or High Sabbath and though always on the 15^th of Nisan, that High Sabbath might fall on any day of the week, depending on the year. And, do you know what the day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread was? PASSOVER (see Leviticus 23:5). Christ our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7) was sacrificed for us on the day of Passover!

Now, back to specific biblical support for Christ being crucified just before the High Sabbath instead of Friday, the day before the weekly Sabbath. Consider Matthew 28:1 “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.” The Greek word for Sabbath in this verse is sabbatwn-sabbaton, which J. P. Greens Interlinear Bible, (1985; p. 766) says is Sabbaths “In the end of the Sabbaths” Likewise, my Schofield Bible notes that the grammatically correct reading, according to the Greek is, “the end of the Sabbaths.” This indicates that Christ was not crucified on the day before the weekly Sabbath but the day before the “floating” Sabbath, which fell before the weekly Sabbath.

• “Good Friday” Does Not Allow For Enough Time

Those who claim a “Good Friday” death for Christ have another MAJOR problem. It just is not possible for all of the “red tape” and preparations to have been accomplished in less than three hours. I say less than three hours because we know that Christs death took place some time after 3 p.m. on Friday by their reckoning. The weekly Sabbath began at 6 p.m. Consider the list below. There is not enough time to do all those things. However, if Christ died on a Wednesday after 3 p.m. and arose Saturday after 6 p.m. there is ample time to do all of the things the Gospels list.

• At 3 p.m. Christ calls out “with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46. Yet, at this point there are still three other times Christ spoke “I thirst” (John 19:28); “It is finished” (John 19:30) and “Into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). How much time elapsed after 3 p.m.? I dont know. But, it is safe to say that it was after, and I think well after 3 p.m.
   
• John 19:31 The Jews went to Pilate and requested the legs be broken of those who were crucified to hasten his death.
   
• John 19:32-33 Pilate accepted the request and sent a message to Calvary instructing the victims legs be broken but when they came to Christ, they found him dead. How long would all that discussion and implementation of orders have taken?
   
• John 19:38 “After this, Joseph of Arimathea” travels to Pilate and begged for the body of Jesus. We are not told how much later this was.
   
• Mark 15:44-45 Before Pilate would turn over the body of Jesus to Joseph of Arimathea he sends for the Centurion to be sure Christ is dead. Once that is affirmed, he gives the OK.
   
• Mark 15:44 Joseph of Arimathea goes shopping and buys fine linen for the burial. Then he and friends take Christ down from the cross.
   
• Mark 15: 46-47 & Luke 23:55 Christ is transported to Josephs tomb, placed inside and the opening is sealed with a stone. All of this is done while the women watch.
   
• Luke 23:55-56 The women return to the city and buy the supplies required for embalming our Lord. Preparing these things requires boiling and grinding and that took time.
   
• John 19: 39-40 Nicodemus brings 100 pounds of embalming materials. The stone had to be rolled away. They washed and prepared the body for burial and then wound it in the linen packing in the 100 pounds of spices as they go.

All of the “red tape”, procedures and preparations would have taken TIME! Advocates of a “Good Friday Crucifixion” must have all these things occur in less than three hours. All of these things could NOT have been accomplished in less than three hours! However, if Christ was crucified on the 14^th of Nisan (Passover), on Wednesday and put in the grave before sunset of that day, (the beginning of the Jewish High Sabbath was at sunset on the 15^th of Nisan, which was the Feast of Unleavened bread), there been all day Friday to fit in the many things that needed to be done before the weekly Sabbath (sunset Saturday) began.

When you understand that, you realize that Joseph of Arimathaea arranged to get the body of Christ, wrap it and put it in his grave, all before sunset or about 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening when Jewish High Sabbath began (Luke 23:52-54). Therefore, at about sunset on Thursday He had been in the grave one day and one night. At about sunset on Friday, He had been in the grave two days and two nights. Then, on Saturday, just about sunset He had been in the grave three full days and nights. Then what happened? Some time after 6 p.m. (still Saturday by our reckoning until midnight) CHRIST AROSE!!! According to Matthew 28:1 “In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week” the women came early Sunday morning, our time, but He was already gone.

Many have Sunrise services commemorating the resurrection. Theres nothing wrong with that. But, perhaps we should have a Sunset service. Christ arose about sunset on Saturday. Then in the early morning hours according to Mark 16:1-2, the two Marys discovered the Resurrection. Praise God. He IS RISEN!

In conclusion, I cannot accept “Good Friday” as the day our Lord died because

• “Good Friday” Was Not Celebrated In The Early Church.
• A “Good Friday” Death conflicts with what Christ said.
• A “Good Friday” Death Does Not Take Into Account The Issue of Floating Sabbaths.
• A “Good Friday” Death Does Not Allow For Enough Time To Accomplish All The Things In The Gospels.

I believe that Christ died on the Cross for our sins on Sorrowful Wednesday! But, regardless of what you believe, remember the most important thing is that He did die for our sins and rose again for our justification. Is Christ your Savior? If not, there is no better time to repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ than right now!

Resources consulted include: Encyclopedia Britannica; Catholic Encyclopedia; International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible and Christianity; Connollys Life of Christ; Chuck Misslers Friday or Wednesday.

Outline of The Seven Miracles of Christmas
There is the:

Annunciation
Conception
Explanation
Incarnation
Declaration
Conversation
Visitation

Lets look at each one individually.

• Annunciation Luke 1:26-30

The word annunciation is not commonly used in America today. The word means, making and announcement or proclamation. The announcement in focus here is the one made by the angel Gabriel indicating that the Virgin Mary is Gods choice of all the women upon earth to be the mother of the Messiah. Lets take a closer look at the passage.

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.” Luke 1:26-30

Verse 26 tells us the timing of the announcement. The Angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary in the 6^th month of her cousin Elizabeths pregnancy. Gabriel had previously appeared to Zacharias telling him that Elizabeth would conceive in her old age and bear John the Baptist who would pave the way for the Messiah. But, previous to those two appearances, just six month apart, it had been nearly 500 years since the last recorded mission God has sent the Angel Gabriel to discharge. Daniel 9:21-27 records Gabriels prophetic revelation concerning the time of the Messiahs coming.

Lets examine Gabriels message to Mary found in Luke 1:28.

Hail The word was a common greeting, which meant, Peace be to thee or may you enjoy all possible blessings!

Thou art highly favored This phrase clearly indicates that Mary was being chosen in preference to all the women upon earth, to be the mother of the Messiah. However, it is not appropriate to refer to her as the mother of God, for that is blasphemy.

The Lord is with thee This indicates that the Lord is about to bestow unique favor upon Mary.

Blessed art thou among women — That is to say, among all women of the earth God distinctively blessed Mary beyond all others. She was special among women but not to be exalted above women.

How did Mary respond to Gabriels announcement? You might think that she was elated, but nothing could be further from the truth. Verse 29 reveals that she was troubled. The Greek word translated troubled is diatarassw – diatarasso (dee-at-ar-as’-so; 1298) from where we get our word distressed. Simply stated, she was distressed and puzzled. Why? Because, it was not culturally acceptable with the Jews for a man directly address a woman to begin with. In fact, it was not lawful to be done in any shape or form especially by a messenger. So, no wonder Mary was distressed and puzzled! Not to mention that she should be saluted as a peculiar favorite of God, and blessed among women. Thats the Annunciation. Now to miracle #2

• Conception Luke 1:31-35

“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:31-35

It would be easy to develop two full sermons dealing with these five verses in Luke 1. While that is not my intention here, I can most assuredly say that what is said in them is mind-boggling to me so think of the affect on young Mary who was likely in her teen years. Gabriel declares

1) You will become pregnant

2) It will be a son

3) You will name him Jesus meaning Jehovah Savior

4) He shall be great (all powerful)

5) He will be called by name the Son of God (indicating deity)

6) God will give Him the throne of His father David (indicating his humanity)

7) Jesus will reign over the 12 tribes of Israel forever

8) His kingdom will be limitless both in its inclusiveness of all people and its timeless nature.

After being barraged by all this information Marys response was, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Basically she is saying, how is this going to happen because I am a virgin. Verse 35 says, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” God the Father and God the Holy Spirit formed the human body and human nature assumed by the eternal Word of God who became flesh. Again, the human body and human spirit of the Son of God was created by the energy of God the Father and God the Spirit within the womb of the Virgin Mary. This is the miracle of conception. Next we come to the third miracle of Christmas

• Explanation Matthew 1:18-25

Gabriel had appeared to Mary to tell her what was going to happen and it did happen just as he had said. But what of Joseph, her betrothed? What would he do? And how would he ever believe her when she told him about her angelic encounter. As it turned out, she did not need to say anything. The Angel of the Lord makes a visit to him. Lets read the Scriptural account.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” Matthew 1:18-25

God covered all the bases. As a result, Joseph did not divorce his betrothed but “took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son.” That brings us to the next miracle of Christmas

• Incarnation John 1:1-4 & 14

As with the word annunciation, incarnation is a word that we rarely use in conversation today. The word literally means, the act of clothing with flesh. This is the act of assuming flesh, or of taking a human body and the nature of man; as the incarnation of the Son of God. The second person of the Trinity always existed. We know this by what we read in John 1:1-4 & 14 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

This incarnation of the Word of God, God becoming man was foretold in Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

The Eternal God becoming man indeed is a miracle of the highest degree. That brings us to the 5^th miracle

• Declaration Luke 2:8-17

No one would have noticed or even cared about a baby being born in a barn as it were, if it would not have been for the miraculous declaration of his birth to the shepherds by the angels. After the angelic announcement, the shepherds went to see the Savior and then spread the news far and wide. Lets read the Biblical account found in Luke 2:8-17.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 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. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”

• Conversation Hebrews 10:5-10

There is an important passage of Scripture that is not usually mentioned in association with the Christmas story. It records a conversation between God and his Son. This conversation reveals the reason for the incarnation. Lets read Hebrews 10:5-10.

“Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

What a miracle. God became man so that He could offer Himself as a sin offering for our sins that we might be saved.

• Visitation Matthew 2:1-12

The last miracle of Christmas revolves around the visit of the wise men. They were directed to the Christ child by a star. This star was the wise mens own personal GPS and led them to the home where the young child resided with his parents. Jesus could have been up to two years old at this point. When the wise men arrived in Bethlehem, they worshipped Christ and presented him with costly presents. Lets read the account in Matthew 2:1-12

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.”

Wise men (and women) still seek Christ and when they have found him, they worship Him!

At this time of year people are often preoccupied with shopping, party preparations, travel plans and the whole spectrum of secular holiday celebration. Then, there is the Christian crowd the resists the secular pressures and sincerely tries to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are in that number, I heartily commend you for your faithfulness to our Lord. But, at the same time, I exhort you to look beyond the babe in the manger and be sure you see and share the BIG PICTURE. The best single verse that will help you do just that is Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

This verse is our focus. Lets look at it closely.

Isaiah 9:6 – “For unto us a child is born…”

With out a doubt, one of the first things that comes to mind when a Christian thinks about Christmas is the birth of Christ. And there is nothing wrong with that. That is exactly what we read about in Luke 2:4-7 “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Over the years I have collected several lithographs and drawings of this God ordained event. But there is more to this birth than meets the eye as we will see in our study of Isaiah 9:6. Lets consider the first phrase …unto us a child is born

This phrase points out the fact that Jesus was human! He came into the world the same way you and I come, that is he was born of a woman. Galatians 4:4 says, But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” While he was indeed born of a woman as you and I were, this verse says he was made of a woman. We are made of a man and a woman. While Jesus was the same in one sense, that is he was human, he is different in another sense. He was made of a woman. We will look at what that means a bit later. Right now I want to get back to the humanity of Jesus Christ. He is called the Son of Man 88 times in the New Testament. Further, he referred to himself as a man. In John 8:40 Jesus says, But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

My point is simply this. The phrase unto us a child is born points out the fact that Christ is human and because he is human, he can identify with us. Hebrews 4:15 affirms that when it says, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus Christ was human. He was the son of man. He can identify with us. I am thankful for a compassionate Savior who understands our temptations and our feelings and yet did not sin.

“…unto us a son is given.”

Unlike the conception of any other human being, a human father played absolutely no part in the conception of Christ. He was made of a woman not of a man an a woman! Luke 1:35 describes the miraculous conception of Christ. “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (see Luke 1:26-35 for a more complete explanation).

Now, lets move on to the next phrase. This little phrase, unto us a son is given, is a powerful statement of the deity of Christ. Jesus Christ is God! Why do I say that? Turn with me to John 1:1 & 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Jesus Christ is the second person of the Holy Trinity, the very Son of God! John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Look at 1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

But that is not all. All the fullness of God dwells in His son, Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; You see, the Son given by God is the eternal Lord of Glory. Thus we have what theologians call the hypostatic union. That is, there is a mysterious union of divinity and humanity in Jesus of Nazareth. Now, I want to make it clear, I am not talking about hybrid humanity or degraded deity. I am talking about Jesus Christ being fully man and at the same time fully God. That is an enigma for our finite mind, but it is true. The babe in the manger was the Lord of Glory!!!

“..the government shall be upon his shoulder”

Many have aspired to be the ruler of the world and a few have even claimed to the title! But in reality they were not really the world sovereign but just the world known to them. However, Christ will be the global ruler. In the future, Anti-Christ will attempt to rule the world but his rule will short lived. Then, after the 7 year Tribulation Christ breaks on the scene (Jude 1:14-15) and “He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 1 Timothy 6:15. Christ is the only one who can claim the title deed to this earth (Revelation 5:9). He created the Earth and all that is in it (Revelation 10:6). And He will rule this earth with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:27) for 1,000 years and then He will rule the universe for all of eternity. At first glance you’d never suspect that babe in the manger is the King of the Universe!

and his name shall be called Wonderful

“Wonderful” [Hebrew – t] is not an adjective it is a noun; this is His name. It means miracle or awe. Everything about the person and work of Christ excites wonder from His virgin birth to his miracles, to his atoning death, and literal, physical, bodily resurrection.

his name shall be calledCounseller

The word means to advise or give counsel. A counselor is one who analyzes a situation and gives advice. Christ is our counselor. All wisdom and knowledge resident with and in Christ (Colossians 2:3). Little wonder that the Aspotle Paul said, Philippians 3:10-14 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Christ never sought the counsel of man, and He never asked for the advice of men. Why? Because He was the Lord, the author of wisdom and truth! “For who known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” (Romans 11:34). God has no counselor. The Lord Jesus Christ never called His disciples together and said, “Now, fellows, what do you think I ought to do?” The fact is, we are to go to Christ for counsel for He is the divine counselor and his counsel can be found yet today in the BIBLE!

his name shall be calledThe Mighty God

The Hebrew word for this name is [Hebrew Bab] – El Gibbor. He is the one to whom “all power is given.” He is the omnipotent God. That little baby lying helpless on Mary’s bosom held the universe together (Colossians 1:17). He said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18). He is the Mighty God! Consider Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Christ is the Omnipotent God!

his name shall be calledThe Everlasting Father

This title means the Father of eternity or the Author of Eternity. This simply means that he is the Creator of all things, even time, the ages, and the far-off purpose of all things. As John said, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). In Colossians 1:16 Paul said, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” The baby in the manger is the Author of Eternity

his name shall be calledThe Prince of Peace

The Bible also speaks much of two other kinds of peace–peace on earth and peace in a believers heart. When Christ is in control of the believers life he/she can have that peace. Philippians 4:7 says, And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

However, PEACE ON EARTH will not come until Jesus Christ returns to destroy the rebels and establish His kingdom on earth (Ps. 37:9-11; 72:1-8; Is. 9:6,7; 66:12; Eze. 34:23-25; Hag. 2:6,7). Until then, men on earth will attempt in vain their human schemes for peace (1 Th. 5:3; Re. 6:4). The Bible says there is no peace for the wicked (Is. 48:22; 57:21). As long as the world is in rebellion against God and His Christ (Ps. 2), and as long as the governments of the world are ruled by wicked men, there will not be peace on earth. This is not pessimism, but reality. Peace will come on earth when King Jesus Rules on earth during the Millennium

In conclusion, it is clear to see that Isaiah 9:6 is a short, but power packed verse. It reveals the identity of the baby in Bethlehem’s manger. This should keep us from becoming preoccupied with the helpless infant and recognize him as the LORD OF GLORY!

Is Jesus Christ your Savior? If not, repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ today!

HERES HOW TO BECOME A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN

• ADMIT YOU ARE A SINNER

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

• REALIZE THAT SALVATION FROM SIN IS A GIFT

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

• BELIEVE THAT CHRIST DIED FOR YOUR SINS & AROSE FROM THE DEAD

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” I Peter 2:24

“Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” Romans 4:25

• BELIEVE THAT CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY OF SALVATION

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

• REPENT OF YOUR SINS

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

• ASK CHRIST TO FORGIVE YOUR SINS AND SAVE YOUR SOUL

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13

Pray this simple prayer in faith

Dear Lord,

Thank you for loving me enough to send your Son to die for my sins and to raise Him from the dead that I might be saved. I admit that I am a sinner. I repent of my sins and I know that none of my good works can ever earn your forgiveness. I believe what the Bible says, that salvation is a free gift given to anyone who puts his or her faith in Christ. Lord Jesus Christ, come into my life and be my Savior. Thank you. Amen.

If your was genuine and heart felt you can KNOW THAT YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD BY FAITH IN CHRIST –

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12

Let us know of your decision for Christ that we might rejoice in Gods goodness to you.