What is the source of the fighting and turmoil in the world today and, unfortunately at times, within the churches? But that is not what the Bible is talking about when it talks about salvation. First, it involved her memory; for we are told that she treasured up all these things. Ponder the great doctrines of the Christian faith doctrines of the incarnation, atonement, grace, sanctification, heaven, perseverance, and others so that you begin to grow strong in doctrine. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. The answer is in chapter 3, verse 17: "And the way of peace they do not know." For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. The appearance of Gabriel to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. The passage begins by speaking of the shepherds. While a lot of well-meaning, devoted, and sincere Christians celebrate Christmas, we need to think if this celebration does really glorify . It was a sad world in their time. After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. One person who has been responsible for watering down the biblical meaning of the word "salvation" is Paul Tillich, the German-born American theologian. Geocoding You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. 52 Bible Verses about Celebration Verse Concepts They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. Nevertheless, each of them fails at the most important point the great fact that salvation in the biblical sense is by God alone and tries to encourage the age-old desire of man to save himself, which is impossible. 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). Psalms 118:24 - This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. The hymn is Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, and the stanza to which I am referring is the second. Reprinted by Moody Press, 1969. Continue by pondering these things. 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. This, of course, is monstrous. The verse quoted was translated from Latin to English by Frederick Oakeley, 1841. 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? "Come unto me and I will give you rest." Music: Beecher, John Zundel, Christian Heart Songs, 1870. Have you heard these messages and appropriated them for yourself? And there is peace with one another. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Think what it involved in the case of Mary, Jesus' mother. - Sort By Book Order. pages 24-25. Second, it involved her affection, for she treasured these things in her heart. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. They are: The appearance of Gabriel to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. And, of course, this is the sense in which we glorify God. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Four Reasons Christmas Is Not a Christian Holiday - Life, Hope & Truth Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in his incarnation. He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? S One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Can you do that? He trusted God and received a great revelation concerning the work of the Savior. But what does the Bible specifically say about your day of birth? (Philadelphia: Evangelical Foundation), 1961, pages 12-13. Do you sometimes feel that God has forgotten you? 8. Things seem to go as they have been going from the beginning, and you want something better. God has not forgotten. God told us everything needed for life and godliness ( II Peter 1:2-4 ). Praise the Lord! But if the second type of peace is not something automatic that is, if you have to find it how do you find it? The Scriptures say, "And let him who hears say, Come!" It is in this emotional center of man, called by Scripture 'the heart,' that James says war begins, when the lusts within a man strive together." When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found . He leads me beside still waters. 5. ", Dr. Keiper walked with him over to his office and, calling him by name, said, "Have you ever read the text carefully?" BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod. O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold Him You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Systematic Theology. 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). To ignore them is unimaginable. 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. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 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. Greet also the church in their house. If man could save himself, then there would have been no need for Jesus Christ to be born. Happiness is related to circumstances. Jesus is coming! There is much activity but many go through these activities in a joyless way. There are two answers. For you see, Joseph was in a difficult position. Then glorify and praise God for what you know. It is the kind of amazement we associate with special effects in a movie or with an Olympic gold medal winner. Then, you can think about these things and allow God to teach you more about Himself. Publisher: OpenBible.info. He came to earth and became a man but kept fully the divine nature in Himself. The difficulty with this approach does not lie in the thought that the biblical view of salvation is unrelated to such themes. Jesus fulfilled that promise when He died for your sin and rose again for your justification. They must learn to love Him and to serve Him more and more. What Does the Bible Say About Celebrating Jesus Birthday? I wonder if you have experienced joy at this season. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Malachi, who lived in the fifth century before Christ, was the last of the prophets. May God give you grace to do that. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 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. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Jehoshua, meaning "Jehovah is salvation." God is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. What had happened to these men? There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. Contact Us. It was dying because it had no adequate cause for which to live. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Gaebelein, Frank. There is the peace of God, which is personal. But the circumstances were not good. There is a clue to what peace means in this verse in the way the word is used in the earlier chapters of Romans. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. There are many reasons why Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. We can estimate when Jesus was born by counting backward from his death on Passover, Nisan 14 in the spring of the year 33 C.E. Well, peace with one another results from having peace with God and with finding the peace of God personally. Further light is shed upon these verses by the meaning of the words for peace in the original Greek and Latin. 1. In chapter 2, verse 10, Paul writes of God's fairness in granting "glory, honor and peace, for everyone who does good.". It is a time where they remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is the question. Publication date: Apr 30, 2023. Will you turn your focus toward Christevery day. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Why? Second, there is the strong possibility that the persons may not be in harmony but that they will want to make a pact between themselves in order to settle their differences. Bible Verses About Celebrating Birthdays - KING JAMES BIBLE ONLINE It is one of the great words of the Greek language. God gave Israel many celebrations in the Old Covenant such as the Feast of Booths, year of Jubilee, etc. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. There are a few theories. When men seek to have their own way, it becomes a mighty farce. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Where does God say not to celebrate Jesus' birth? So, the best way to celebrate Christmas is to believe on Jesus as your Savior. 5 Bible Verses That Celebrate the Birth of Jesus - Mamiverse That is, men are not men of peace. Are Birthday Celebrations Christian? - Restored Church of God For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. In one sense all the acts of God are legitimate grounds for such amazement. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Music: In Dulci Jubilo, 14th Century German melody; harmony from Christmas Carols Old and New, 1871. Tillich, Paul. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. So, according to Tillich, who popularized this approach in his three-volume Systematic Theology and in his lectures, salvation can therefore be applied "to every act of healing: to the healing of sickness, or demonic possession, and of servitude to sin and to the ultimate power of death" 6 It means "reuniting that which is estranged, giving a center to what is split, overcoming the split between God and man, man and his world, man and himself. To what did they return? But in changing the line, the editors of the hymnbooks have probably missed the main point of Wesley's thinking. As you pray that prayer, you will find that God has already been merciful in Jesus. I bring you good news of great joy" (Luke 2:10). 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. The Bible says that when Jesus was born, a multitude of angels appeared suddenly and erupted in joyful praise to God, saying: "Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill." ( Luke 2:13, 14) However, it is noteworthy that nowhere in the Bible is there even a suggestion that Jesus' birthday should be celebrated. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. Let Us Celebrate Jesus Christ's Death Not His Birth In other words, James is saying that war begins with men's emotions. Frank E. Gaebelein writes about this passage in The Practical Epistle of James, "A few years ago, former Chancellor Hutchins of the University of Chicago said war begins in the minds of men. Let's consider four reasons why Christmas doesn't meet the criteria of being "Christian.". If we turn back to the earliest chapters of Genesis, we discover a description of the globe before God fashioned it into the kind of world we know now; and we are told that "the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. Jesus was born to be our Savior as the carol says: Christ was born to save! 11. It is unfortunate that these great words "savior" and "salvation" have been watered down so much as they have been in our day. A Psalm of David. Of course, you can and you should! Joy is a wonderful thing; it is an appropriate part of Christmas. Anybody who knows good news is authorized to tell it, particularly when it is news that will be the means of salvation of others. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? If you have, then you understand your need of a Savior and are at the place where you can receive Jesus as the One who died to save you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. To him be glory forever. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Then take time each day to draw strength from His Word, the Bible, and to pray, and to have fellowship with other believers. His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do. And they know that as a result of this faith, they are at peace with one another. Jesus is called God-man. D For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. Keiper asked, "Why do you call it a farce?" Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. But shouldnt He be part of your life every day? And David said to him, To whom do you belong? He became a man in His incarnation. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. 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. Peace on earth. It is before his own master that he stands or falls. The meaning of His name is "He will save His people from their sins" But not once in the Bible does God tell us to celebrate Christmas" (1). This holy amazement is closely melded to adoration. Because of the gospel, Christians understand that the peace of God is only for those who acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Allow it to stretch your mind, and learn that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in any human philosophy. U The reasons why they became witnesses are that there was an event, a great event, and that others very much needed to hear of it. This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Joyful and triumphant, And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. "Everything" leaves nothing out. Where Does The Bible Say Not To Celebrate Christmas Amen. Sol Invictus was a pagan god who was believed to be the unconquered sun. This combination, when truly grasped, produces witnesses. It comes from a Latin verb which means "to make a bargain" or "to make an agreement between contracting parties." This passage suggests four ways of celebrating Christmas: Tell others about it. Well, they had been out in the fields of Bethlehem in the middle of the night, watching over their sheep as they had for many hundreds of nights previously and as their fathers undoubtedly had before them. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. Music: Pax Tecum, George T. Caldbeck and Charles J. Vincent, 1876. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.. OpenBible.info Also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toilthis is God's gift to man. He restores my soul. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Others celebrate it by getting drunk, some beginning at the office party on the last working day before Christmas and not sobering up until sometime after the twenty-fifth or even after New Year's. And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand hima threefold cord is not quickly broken. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. They had heard the music of heaven. Topics: Jesus Christ. C For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." But she could not have known that for sure. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Ralph L. Keiper once said, "When we know Christ, not as a doctrine or a theory, but as Savior and Friend in our daily experience, we gain a confidence in Him which brings peace to our hearts. "O Come, All Ye Faithful" Words: John F. Wade, circa 1743. But then, suddenly, an angel appeared with the message: After the angel spoke a host of angels appeared, all praising God and saying. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. (Luke 18:13). Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. So the question is not "where did God say not to ." It is always the question "where did God say to ." See: Holiday Observances. Salem Media Group. It is based upon what God has done, and it is given to the Christian by God and is sustained by God. What Does the Bible Say About Rejoice At A Death Cry At A Birth? Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. Proud member Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. In these verses the angel first greets Mary, then gives this message: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Three sentences! They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with . 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. Instead they carry us deep into the mind and counsels of our great God. "The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology" explains that the earliest Christians did not have a time when they regularly observed Christ's birth. You can sharpen up your affections; indeed, you must, for it is a terrible thing to have your love for the One who is the Lord of love grow cold. When the angels had departed, the shepherds decided to go to Bethlehem. Ponder on its meaning. They had seen the angels and had come to worship the angels' King. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Moreover, since acknowledging His true worth is the essential meaning of worship it means to acknowledge God's worth to glorify God is to worship Him by words. 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. I 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" . He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago)" (Luke 1:68-70). The Wise Men Were Not There. This article may be printed and distributed with this notice attached for personal use such as small groups and local Bible study groups. Grosart. Thus says the Lord: "Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity.A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. Why Do We Celebrate Jesus Birthday On Christmas | Hearinnh To do so is to participate in the Christmas story. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? The world won't let us miss the holiday. But it does not mean that God has forgotten. He would have simply thought her unfaithful. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Keiper asked what he meant. When a person is at peace with God judicially and is experiencing increasingly in his own life that peace of God which transforms him and gives him tranquility even in the midst of great emotional turmoil and misunderstanding, then there is a firm foundation on which to overcome those interpersonal tensions that upset families, churches, cities, governments and the world. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. I covet that kind of joy for you. The Life! You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. Labs Finally, when you have done these things and are truly qualified to speak, go back and tell others what you know. Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Sing God's praises. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. Keiper then took his Bible from his briefcase and turned to Luke 2:14, to the verse that is our text, and then read with his professor, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (KJV). And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. You can remember these events. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! You do not have, because you do not ask God. However, there is no evidence that Christmas was originally . If you and I and all others who call upon the name of our God should do it, I suppose that the whole world would then rightly resound with His praise. And you will enter, perhaps for the first time, into the Christmas story. To the choirmaster. Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Or that they had not been endorsed by the temple authorities? Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants. Once more they cried out, Hallelujah! "He was born like us as well as died like us. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. The trouble lies with men. Think of the situation under which the Jews lived at this time. Celebrating Christmas can also take the form of pondering it, for Mary "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). 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. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 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. And yet this is what we often do with Jesus. L Because man is at odds with God, there cannot be peace on earth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. Have you confessed them to God and to others? However, God does promise to give us what we need (Philippians 4:19), and He promises to keep our minds in His peace, if we will pray to Him. Z. But the angel appeared and explained to Joseph what was happening. The second concerns the salvation of men. Imitate the shepherds in spreading the word concerning what you know about the Christ child. In fact, it . This has something to do with the age in which we live as well as with the general aspirations of mankind, I suppose. Not only did these men have something to tell, as we do, they also knew of a world that needed desperately to hear their message. Christmas Is Rooted in Paganism In addition to Christmas having no Scriptural basis, it is important to note that the celebration of this holiday did not stem from Christian or Church-based doctrines. How Should We Celebrate the Birth of Christ. But I imagine that the joy of this couple on this occasion was the greatest this world has ever seen.