Understanding the Christmas Season

What Is The Christmas Season All About?

No birth has ever been more celebrated, inspire more hope, or generated more goodwill.  The Christmas season Has inspired great hymns, songs, movies, poetry, TV programs, writings, commentary, etc.  No birthday of any man has its own season associated with it, having been celebrated in some fashion beginning with His birth. Christmas Season

1 – PROCLAMATION/CELEBRATION/RECOGNITION: (Originated by God).

God (Announced Jesus’ birth with a star).

Matthew 2:9-10, “When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen 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 exceedingly great joy.” (NKJV)

Angels:

Luke 1:35, “And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (NKJV).

Luke 2:8-14, “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!” (NKJV)

Shepherds:

Luke 2:15-20, “So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (NKJV).

Wisemen: (were led to Jesus’ location by His star provided by God.)

Matthew 2:1-2, “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, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (NKJV).

Matthew 2:11, “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (NKJV) (Inspired the modern custom of giving of gifts).

Simeon celebrated:

Luke 2:25-32, “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” (NKJV).

Anna the Prophetess gave thanks:

Luke 2:36-38, “Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” (NKJV).

Holy Spirit

Luke 2:26, “And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” (NKJV).

2 – FAMILY: A time for the Gathering of Family (Joseph, Mary, Zecharias, Elisabeth)

3 – TRADITIONS: (Societal, Religious, & Family)

  1. Lights represent Jesus as the light of the world and God as the creator, “let there be light”, God is the father of lights.
  2. The Tree Represents life. The Evergreen is always living. Jesus is alive and is eternal.
  3. Gifts Reflect the gifts given by the wise men but more importantly represents God’s gift of his son.
  4. The Season of Celebration Represents the joy surrounding God’s love and the hope and salvation that resides in him.

4 – FRIENDS: Meaningful relationships honored and renewed.

5 – REFLECTION: A time to reflect on Jesus as our Savior and the true meaning and purpose of life.

6 – GIVING: it is more blessed to give than to receive. It’s a time for generosity, for blessing lives.

7 – RECEIVING: Time to thankfully receive God’s blessings with a thankful spirit. Accept God’s gifts as did Joseph and Mary.  God’s gifts, lovegrace, forgiveness, mercy, encouragement, talents, etc.

8 – LOVE: “love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and spirit, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

9 Truths About the Birth of Jesus

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9 Truths About the Birth of Jesus

9 Truths About the Birth of Jesus

1. The birth of Jesus was a long prophesied and long anticipated event:

  1. Jesus would be born of the “seed” of a woman. Genesis 3:15/Luke 1:34-35
  2. Jesus would be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14/Luke 1:34-35, Jeremiah 31:22, Matthew 1:18-20
  3. Jesus would be Immanuel, “God with us.” Isaiah 7:14/Matthew 1:21-23
  4. Jesus would be called by his name before he was born. Isaiah 49:1/Luke 1:30-31
  5. Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2/Matthew 2:1-2
  6. The birth of Jesus. Isaiah 9:6/Luke 2:11
  7. Jesus would be protected by God. Isaiah 49:2/Matthew 2:13-15
  8. Jesus would grow up in a poor family. Isaiah 11:1/Luke 2:7, Isaiah 53:2, Luke 2:7
  9. Jesus would be aware of his Father from his youth. Psalm 22:9/Luke 2:40

2. God himself orchestrated a major celebration involving believers:

This celebration involved people from all walks of life, various ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.  These included shepherds, angels, wise men from many countries, prophets, etc.birth of jesus

3. The birth of Jesus was unique in the ancient world:

  1. It was unique primarily because Jesus was born of a virgin, however, this truth could only have been accepted by faith. For only Mary would have known for certain that she was a virgin. Everyone else had to accept this by faith.
  2. Jesus’ conception was a miracle but it was not observable.
  3. The virgin birth was not something that could be proven!
  4. The idea of a virgin birth was not significant to an unbelieving world, because it was only hearsay.
  5. Note: artificial insemination is a modern procedure not possible at that time
  6. God brought the Messiah into the world by the birth of the Holy Spirit. It was not an observable witness to confirm his deity like the miracles, his teachings, or his resurrection.

4. The birth of Christ is unique for at least three reasons:

  1. Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit. No one else has ever, nor will ever be born/conceived physically of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:20)
  2. Jesus was living before he was earthly born. No one has ever been born into this world who was already living prior to their conception. Jesus came to earth from eternity and was born into time. (1 Timothy 3:16, Philippians 2:5-8).
  3. Jesus’ birth was specially noted. It was announced beforehand and surrounded by notable events. The births of most historical figures only become significant after they have a accomplished something great. Jesus’ birth was significant before he did anything and no one’s birth has been or ever will be predicted 700 years before the actual birth.

5. God’s message in the birth of Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus birth is a declaration of relationship. God highlights this relationship:

  1. “Son” (Father and Son) (John 1:12, Romans 8:14, 1 John 3:1-2)
  2. “God With Us” (Matthew 1:23)
  3. “He was made like us” (Hebrews 2:17)

6. The birth of Christ is an important event, but other events transcend its importance. For example:

  1. His ministry of healing, miracles, and teaching.
  2. His crucifixion.
  3. His resurrection.

7. The birth of Christ identifies with our spiritual birth:

    1. Like Jesus; We are called to be born of God, John 1:1-14
    2. Like Jesus; Our spiritual birth is celebrated by believers.
    3. Like Jesus; Our spiritual birth is the beginning of a new life, Romans 6:1-4, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (NKJV).
    4. Like Jesus; our spiritual birth is considered a lowly birth from the world’s perspective.

8. The birth of Christ confronts all believers with certain truths:

  1. Our hope does not rest in his birth, but in his resurrection.
  2. We do not worship an infant in a Manger, but a risen Lord.
  3. Believers are not baptized into his birth, but into his death.
  4. Disciples are called to celebrate his death and resurrection in the Lord’s supper.

9. Histories testimony confirms the significance of his birth, thereby affirming his status as the son of God:

  1. His birth influenced the way the world measures time:
    1. B.C. Before Christ
    2. A.D Anno Domini, Latin, meaning the year of our Lord.
  2. His birth is still the most celebrated birth in all the world. It transcends nations and cultures.
  3. His birth is inspiration for the greatest season of goodwill among men.

The Birth of Christ Jesus

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The Birth of Christ Jesus

The Birth of Christ Jesus

Regardless of our personal view or feelings about Christmas as a celebration of the birth of Christ, all of us should consider Paul’s teaching about being considerate and tolerant of each other in matters in which God allows freedom.

Romans 14:5-6, “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.” (NKJV)birth of Christ

The actual date of Jesus’ birth is unknown. It is not revealed in scripture nor does early church history point to a specific date. Actually much is unknown- for example:

    1. The number of wise men, estimates as high as forty.
    2. How long Joseph and Mary stayed in Bethlehem.
    3. How long the family stayed in Egypt.
    4. The actual date that they took up residence in Nazareth.
    5. When and where Mary gave birth to her other children.
    6. How long Joseph actually lived.
    7. How many boys are two years old and under were put to death because of Herod’s decree.

Christmas, as we know it today, was established by men and has come down to the modern era through a long history of tradition. We could say, Christmas is a manmade tradition with roots in pagan worship. However, the birth of Christ itself is truth, but the modern occasion that celebrates and acknowledges that truth is largely tradition.

Today, the birth of Christ is the most observed and celebrated birth in the world.

9 Truths About the Birth of Jesus

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Marriage not Fornication

Marriage Not Fornication

Marriage is Approved by God. Fornication is Not.fornication feet

The marriage relationship is a sacred bond; husband and wife are “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Jesus says so in Matthew 19:4-6:

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

“One flesh” is the physical union of man and woman. First Corinthians 6:16 says “Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For ‘the two,’ He says, ‘shall become one flesh.’” His point is not that these two are married, but they are pretending to be, so their relationship is a lie. That is why he says, “Flee sexual immorality (fornication). Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:19). He sins against his own body by using his body to commit fornication. Pretending is not the same as being married.

Marriage is approved by God. Fornication is not. Do you want to be approved by God? Cease fornication and get married. That is Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 7:2-4: “Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.”

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Babylon the Great

Babylon the Great

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!”  This statement comes via an angel coming down from heaven in a vision of John in Revelation 18.  But who is Babylon?

The first mention of Babylon in the Bible comes from 2 Kings 17:24. The Assyrians were in power at the time and had destroyed the northern tribes of Israel.  As a method of keeping the land productive and also void of attempts of mutiny, the Assyrians moved people from the middle eastern province of Babylon as well as other lands to settle the land of Israel.  At a later time, Babylon as an empire and a city is mentioned in the book of Daniel.  For our investigation of the Babylon of Revelation 18, verse 9 of that text specifies the Babylon of focus is a city, not a province, country, or empire.

Narrowing the scope of examination, the city of Babylon was an ancient city dating back to the time frame of 2200 BC as part of the Accadian empire.  It at that time was small and relatively insignificant, but by the time of the Chaldean/Babylonian empire of Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BC it was a mighty city, possibly the largest in the world.  The pride and immorality of this city is most exemplified by Nebuchadnezzar, and it would be humbled as he was (see the book of Daniel). It was this mighty city that would be crushed by Cyrus the Great of Persia in 539 BC.  Is this the Babylon read about in Revelation 18?

The chapter of Revelation under examination gives further insight to the identity of Babylon the Great.  She was very sinful influencing kings, nations, and people of the world.  All nations were deceived by her.  The destiny of this city according to John’s inspired writing was destruction.  Verse 24 of the text provides a very specific clue as to who this Babylon is.  “And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”

Jesus when upon the earth spoke of the coming destruction of Jerusalem.  Matthew 23:29-37 is one of the places His words are recorded.  Jesus in this context speaks of those He would send to direct the lives of men: prophets, wise men, scribes.  He mentions that the Israelites would persecute, flog, crucify, and kill them.  Very exactly he states in verse 37, “O JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM, the city that KILLS the prophets and stones those who are sent to it.”  He also identifies in verse 35 that “all the righteous blood shed on earth” would come upon Jerusalem.  This establishes almost exactly the sentiment of Revelation 18:24.  “ALL” the blood of the slain prophets was found in Jerusalem – Babylon the Great!

An additional aid in understanding Jerusalem as the identity of our quest is the term “great city” used five times in Revelation 18.  Revelation 11:8 speaking of Jerusalem calls it the “great city” where the Lord was crucified.  In fact, it is my assertion every instance of the words “great city” in Revelation reference Jerusalem.

Jerusalem played the harlot with the world.  It was arrogant, adulterous, and murderous.  That it is compared to the historically immoral city of Babylon should come of no shock.  Jerusalem had been called out over centuries for what it was and the behaviors it engaged in.  It had also been compared Sodom frequently by the prophets.  Jerusalem was a shambles of what it should have been, which was a light upon a hill.  Rather, Jerusalem was a plague that polluted and destroyed as did Babylon.  Indeed, it became Babylon the Great.

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