what does the bible say about celebrating jesus' birth
Rather, He enables us to face them with a quietness, a calmness and confidence, which makes it possible to find a solution" 10 This is the peace that Edward Bickersteth wrote about in the late nineteenth century, in a verse which has since become one of our great hymns: The first way in which we find this peace, then, is by learning of Jesus. In other words, James is saying that war begins with men's emotions. Keiper asked what he meant. All Joseph could have thought was that Mary had been unfaithful. But our time is poorly spent if we allow the bustle of Christmas to eclipse our times of Bible study and of pondering upon God's Word. "Good Christian Men, Rejoice" Words: Heinrich Suso (?-1366); translated from Latin to English by John M. Neale in Carols for Christmastide (London: 1853). Let your prayer be the cry of the publican: "God be merciful to me, a sinner!" And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand hima threefold cord is not quickly broken. The difficulty with this approach does not lie in the thought that the biblical view of salvation is unrelated to such themes. This can be a very trying experience. They would readily tell you that the Bible commands us to celebrate Jesus' birth - that it is a time of rejoicing for the coming of the Savior of the world. On the other hand, if man cannot save himself spiritually if he is headed for an eternity without God and is unable to reverse his condition then Jesus Christ had to come. The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He trusted God and received a great revelation concerning the work of the Savior. The Way! 5. I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. Each year when I read the Christmas story, I am impressed with the role that the angels play in it. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it? And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 6. Systematic Theology Volume 2: Existence and the Christ. L This article may not be reproduced in any other fashion without the expressed written permission of the Alliance. 7. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. It looks at the fighting and the wars of history and of our own age and does not find the type of peace that it is seeking. But now, for over four hundred years, the prophetic voice had been silent. That is the question. Love never ends. That has been the cry of God's people from the beginning "How long, O Lord, how long?" Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. Because of the gospel, Christians understand that the peace of God is only for those who acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. "Peace, Perfect Peace" Words: Edward H. Bickersteth, Jr., 1875. The Infinite clothed in human flesh! Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. How could they refuse to tell what they had seen? J . But not once in the Bible does God tell us to celebrate Christmas" (1). If anyone would argue in this way, he should notice that the shepherds had the most important authorization of all possession of good news which had been revealed to them by God. Volume I, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951), page 146. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And in the center of them in the appearances of angels to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds there are the three messages which, more than any other, perfectly explain the true, divine meaning of Christmas. When the angels had departed, the shepherds decided to go to Bethlehem. In other words, the only ultimate essential for proclaiming the gospel is a knowledge of it. Greet also the church in their house. The Wise Men Were Not There. Anyone can understand Christmas in just three sentences: I am a sinner. Before we turn to the book of Luke, I want to say first that by far the best and greatest way to celebrate Christmas is by becoming a Christian if you have never done so. Should Christians celebrate birthdays? | GotQuestions.org 7. Both of these ideas are related to the idea of a mediator who brings irreconcilables together. Keiper, Ralph L. op. We learn of His mercy. But the significance of it would have passed her by. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. But then, suddenly, an angel appeared with the message: After the angel spoke a host of angels appeared, all praising God and saying. Nothing destroys joy except sin. But how? It is a time where they remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. One day just before Christmas vacation, the professor said, "Well, Keiper, are you going to preach that old Christmas farce again?" Q Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! 1. He is able to deliver you from whatever your particular sin may be alcoholism, unlawful sex, a bad temper, gossiping, pride, selfishness whatever it is. Jesus Christ is that Savior. Nor would Joseph have known. Tillich, Paul. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He then assured the professor that the reason why the Christmas message was an apparent farce to him was not God's fault. In Luke 2:8-20, it says: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Glorify and praise God for what was done that first Christmas. Come to Him! The professor replied that he thought he had. Spend some time at Christmas thinking over what you do know of God and trying to understand the ways of God more fully. What Does the Bible Say About Celebrating Christmas? - OpenBible.info And the dead in Christ will rise first. Did Jesus Say Not To Celebrate His Birth | Hearinnh Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. Here is a rest that is given and a rest that is found. Would anyone want to say that these men were not authorized to spread such a message? It was lost because it lacked direction, primarily spiritual direction. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. But if that is true, why do we not see peace today? They had no thought about spiritual things at least we are not told that they did and they certainly didn't expect the miracle. Mary and Joseph were far from home, in a strange town without even a room to themselves in which Mary could give birth to the Child. The difficulty lies rather in the fact that today, if only because of the impressive achievements of medical science, this approach inevitably fails to distinguish between the salvation that God alone can bring and that salvation which men are apparently providing for themselves. There is much activity but many go through these activities in a joyless way. The Apostle James was one who knew this, and he spoke of it in a passage that is a perceptive analysis of such problems in the world and in church circles. Privacy Christ the Lord. They are an important part of our lives, and our relationship with them should continue to grow every day. You can remember these events. For we quickly come upon the Lord Jesus Christ's great invitation recorded in Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. Luke 1:35 ESV / 25 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. This, of course, is monstrous. It is the kind of amazement we associate with special effects in a movie or with an Olympic gold medal winner. "Joy to the World" Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David, 1719. Have you confessed them to God and to others? Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Together these verses teach that men are not naturally at peace with God but that God has acted to make peace through the Lord Jesus Christ. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Peace on earth. Finally, when you have done these things and are truly qualified to speak, go back and tell others what you know. And where are you from? He said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. Wesley wrote it as follows: Apparently, some of the editors of our hymnbooks, including the one used in my own church, have been troubled by Wesley's line "Let us find that second rest," fearing that some people would think (or that Wesley himself thought) that there was a "second blessing" experience to find beyond salvation. A complete edition was edited in 1904 for the Cambridge University Press as Richard Crashaw: Steps To The Temple, Delights of the Muses and Other Poems by A. R. Waller. 7 This basic approach to salvation has been picked up in an avalanche of books on pastoral counseling, Christian psychiatry, and the cure of souls. Music: Beecher, John Zundel, Christian Heart Songs, 1870. It was a sad world in their time. This is a cause for amazement. And the herald proclaimed aloud, You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Well, peace with one another results from having peace with God and with finding the peace of God personally. Publisher: OpenBible.info. Yet, Solomon was inspired to write, "A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth" . That is good. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. Salem Media Group. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. Let Us Celebrate Jesus Christ's Death Not His Birth First of all, the Bible tells us that Jesus was born on Christmas day. The shepherds took this message, in the only form they knew, to their contemporaries. Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 ESV / 156 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. That is, men are not men of peace. Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. It says, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men the testimony given in its proper time" (1 Timothy 2:5,6). Moreover, you can do it in song. Y Peter tells us that God delays only long enough to call to repentance all whom He has before determined should believe ("He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" see 2 Peter 3:9). But now, assuming that you have believed on Him and that you are a Christian, what can you add to this in order to properly celebrate Christmas? Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. It is selfishness and pride, plus the lack of individual peace and contentment. The Latin word for peace is pax. If you know this joy, then you can go on, as the angels did, to give glory to God; and you can possess that peace of heart and soul which transcends understanding. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord., For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.. What Does the Bible Say About Celebrating Jesus Birthday? This is what theologians call, "Hypostatic union." It explains how God, the Son of God, took human nature but He remained God at the same time. Trust Him! For, since Wesley had filled his mind with Scripture and since he used references to it extensively in his verses, it is likely that he was thinking of a verse of the Bible that speaks of two kinds of peace, two kinds of rest, and was saying that he wished to enter into the second as he had once entered into the first.Mls Audience Demographics, Body Found In New York River, This Is My House Michael Paris, Articles W