December 21, 1999
Some people celebrate Christmas without any idea why this holiday is on the calendar. They send cards, put up lights, go shopping. They play carols on the stereo. They cook turkey and exchange gifts. Yet thoughts of the birthday Child never enter their head.
Yesterday, while decorating our tree, I was almost at that point. My husband’s work would keep him from being here to help with the tree and other preparations. The children have homes and trees of their own. My parents are not well enough to enjoy the holiday with us. It was one of those bah, humbug days.
Later, we sat and enjoyed the twinkling tree lights but the spirit of Christmas still eluded me. This morning, the Holy Spirit put it back into my mind along with the reason it had left. He reminded me that I do not do this for the tree, or my husband, or children, or family. I do not do it for myself. Christmas is not for feasting, carols, cards and lights. Nor is it for giving and receiving, as delightful as gifts may be. Celebrating Christmas is our response to the reason this holiday is on the calendar; it is one way we remind ourselves of God’s gift to us.
Of course that gift was a baby, but more than a baby. The Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . and the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”
When God spoke the world into existence, that powerful voice was His Son. When God spoke to the prophets, those words were His Son. Now, Words made flesh, the ideas and thoughts and expressions of God became a baby. Yet more than words; this baby was God poured into a human skin. Jesus is God made visible, God Himself, God . . . a gift for all people.
The Bible says “He came to His own (the Jewish people) but His own did not receive Him.” They rejected the gift. For them, He could not be God so for them, He remained unopened.
God, through His servant Paul, sent Him to the Gentiles. Some received Him, those who believed in His name. To them He gave the right to become the children of God. They believed He was God. They opened their gift.
God’s gift, once opened, keeps on giving. Yesterday’s bad attitude reminded me of one reason I needed His gift. I was having a self-focused pity party. Only He can turn my eyes away from me unto Someone greater and worthy of my gaze. Only He can pull me out of the mire and replace my whine with worship. His gift did it.
Bob’s late hours and crazy work schedule reminded me of another. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Yet sometimes rest is impossible. For that, Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” His gift pours strength into weary bones. Without the gift, the load is far too much.
Who is eligible to receive this gift? Jesus says it is only for sinners. “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” The Bible makes it clear that we are saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves. Salvation is the gift of God, not our own doing.
One would think that sinners deserve punishment from God and that is true. We do. Nevertheless, in sending Jesus, He sent a substitute, one who would take our punishment, which He did. The wages of sin may be death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Life, forgiveness and cleansing for sin, help with the hard stuff and much more besides . . . this is from God to us, with love.
Have you opened your gift yet?
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
What is the spirit of Christmas? .......... Parables 622
December 22, 1998
What is the “spirit of Christmas”? After a survey, here are some opinions.
Some say it is family being together, eating and giving gifts. It is a pervading sense of good will. Even strangers go out of their way to say ‘Merry Christmas’ (at least they used to!)
Others call it an anticipation, like that of a child filled with wonder and excitement. Many claim it is a spirit of generosity, an open-heartedness that thinks benevolent thoughts and gives gifts. Others say it is remembering the reason for the season yet they do not define it.
Some respond by saying they put up a tree, put lights on their house, and play their Christmas CD’s to get into the spirit of Christmas. For them, you don’t have it until you unpack the decorations or play the music or open the gifts. Others counter by saying no, the Christmas spirit is in your heart, a warm, glowing feeling that you cannot buy in a store.
But many still think the spirit of Christmas is out dazzling your neighbors with more—more ornaments, a bigger tree, more presents, more flashing lights, more moving figurines, more parties, more of everything.
Today’s celebrations are foreign to the first Christmas. That day there were no parties, lights, turkey dinners, brightly wrapped gifts or Christmas carols. The people who took part in the event may have had a song in their hearts, but they were not at all as we imagine them today.
For instance, our Christmas cards picture clean, gentle shepherds, but the genuine tenders of sheep were rough and unkept. Their bodies and clothes both needed a bath and they had little or no education. Shepherds were considered the lowest on the social scale.
Yet the shepherds were joyful. They returned from seeing the newborn Christ “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen.” They had the spirit of Christmas.
After Jesus was born, few recognized His significance. One who did, a devout Jew named Simeon, “took Jesus in his arms and praised God.” He had the spirit of Christmas.
Mary and Joseph seemed amazed at their baby. The Bible says they “marveled at what was said about him.” They had the spirit of Christmas too.
The “spirit of Christmas” as indicated by the story in God’s Word, is partly an incredible awe, an awe that fills the air and touches even those who have no idea where their joy comes from. It is the awe of response to a great message: God became a baby and entered our world as one of us. It is the awe of hearing angels saying this is “good news of great joy for all people.” It is an awe that touches those who haven’t even heard that good news because the spirit of Christmas fuels the joy and the music, and touches people with a warmth from outside themselves, a sweet delight from the heart of God.
Would it be the same without the birth of the child? One man complained about carols ruining his Christmas because “those religious people have to get into everything.” He and others like him fail to make the connection between the celebration and the reason for the season. They are like people who go to a baby shower, eat the food, laugh, enjoy themselves and pass around the gifts, but never bother themselves to admire and praise the baby.
They miss the point but they also miss that ancient and original spirit of Christmas. The Bible says that “God inhabits the praises of His people.” That is, if we throw a Christmas party filled with the praises of our lips, the goodness He puts in our lives and the carols that honor His birth, then He is the guest of honor. For those at the party, the spirit of Christmas becomes a deeper and richer awareness of His presence.
What is the “spirit of Christmas”? After a survey, here are some opinions.
Some say it is family being together, eating and giving gifts. It is a pervading sense of good will. Even strangers go out of their way to say ‘Merry Christmas’ (at least they used to!)
Others call it an anticipation, like that of a child filled with wonder and excitement. Many claim it is a spirit of generosity, an open-heartedness that thinks benevolent thoughts and gives gifts. Others say it is remembering the reason for the season yet they do not define it.
Some respond by saying they put up a tree, put lights on their house, and play their Christmas CD’s to get into the spirit of Christmas. For them, you don’t have it until you unpack the decorations or play the music or open the gifts. Others counter by saying no, the Christmas spirit is in your heart, a warm, glowing feeling that you cannot buy in a store.
But many still think the spirit of Christmas is out dazzling your neighbors with more—more ornaments, a bigger tree, more presents, more flashing lights, more moving figurines, more parties, more of everything.
Today’s celebrations are foreign to the first Christmas. That day there were no parties, lights, turkey dinners, brightly wrapped gifts or Christmas carols. The people who took part in the event may have had a song in their hearts, but they were not at all as we imagine them today.
For instance, our Christmas cards picture clean, gentle shepherds, but the genuine tenders of sheep were rough and unkept. Their bodies and clothes both needed a bath and they had little or no education. Shepherds were considered the lowest on the social scale.
Yet the shepherds were joyful. They returned from seeing the newborn Christ “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen.” They had the spirit of Christmas.
After Jesus was born, few recognized His significance. One who did, a devout Jew named Simeon, “took Jesus in his arms and praised God.” He had the spirit of Christmas.
Mary and Joseph seemed amazed at their baby. The Bible says they “marveled at what was said about him.” They had the spirit of Christmas too.
The “spirit of Christmas” as indicated by the story in God’s Word, is partly an incredible awe, an awe that fills the air and touches even those who have no idea where their joy comes from. It is the awe of response to a great message: God became a baby and entered our world as one of us. It is the awe of hearing angels saying this is “good news of great joy for all people.” It is an awe that touches those who haven’t even heard that good news because the spirit of Christmas fuels the joy and the music, and touches people with a warmth from outside themselves, a sweet delight from the heart of God.
Would it be the same without the birth of the child? One man complained about carols ruining his Christmas because “those religious people have to get into everything.” He and others like him fail to make the connection between the celebration and the reason for the season. They are like people who go to a baby shower, eat the food, laugh, enjoy themselves and pass around the gifts, but never bother themselves to admire and praise the baby.
They miss the point but they also miss that ancient and original spirit of Christmas. The Bible says that “God inhabits the praises of His people.” That is, if we throw a Christmas party filled with the praises of our lips, the goodness He puts in our lives and the carols that honor His birth, then He is the guest of honor. For those at the party, the spirit of Christmas becomes a deeper and richer awareness of His presence.
Friday, July 1, 2016
Ignoring Jesus? .......... Parables 452
December 20, 1994
Christmas cards often feature an artist’s version of the Christmas story. Some show Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem where Jesus would be born. Others depict the couple under a bright star or in a manger scene adoring their newborn Son.
Many cards have bells, candles, snow scenes, poinsettias or symbols traditionally associated with this time of year. Others feature cartoon characters, fat or skinny Santas, or people involved in wintertime activities. I haven’t done a survey but a good percentage of December’s greeting cards do not use the word “Christmas.”
While there is nothing wrong with sending someone “Season’s Greetings,” “Happy Holidays” and wishes for a “Bright New Year,” this makes me wonder how many folks either prefer to ignore the Christmas story or refuse to celebrate the birth of Christ. Obviously some welcome a holiday but prefer Jesus be left out of the picture.
What is it about the birth of this child that offends some people? Why would card companies produce lines that are clearly Christmas cards yet have nothing on them to indicate the reason we celebrate this holiday?
The story itself gives some clues. Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem to register for a new tax. When they arrived, the small town was filled with others who were there for the same reason. If hotel keepers in Israel 2000 years ago were like some innkeepers today, they might have put a bed in a closet or a storage room rather than turn away a woman nine months pregnant, but that did not happen. Perhaps the innkeeper didn’t think of it. Perhaps he didn’t want the inconvenience. Whatever his attitude, many people today respond toward Jesus Christ in those ways. If He is not welcomed and made room for, He is turned away because inviting Him into their lives would be an inconvenience.
After Jesus was about two years old, some wise men were looking for Him. These were ancient magi or “king-makers” from Persia who had seen his star. How did they know this was a significant child? Centuries before, a young Jewish man, Daniel, had been taken captive by the Babylonians. By his wisdom, he earned the respect of the “wise men” of the day. He may have told them about his God and God’s promise of a coming King.
When the descendants of those wise men came to see this little child, they brought gifts. Gold, frankincense and myrrh were unusual presents for a baby but not at all strange for a boy who would someday be king. They gladly bowed in worship at the side of this baby’s bed.
However, there was another king had no intention of worshiping Him. The Roman leader Herod, heard about the magi and about Jesus. Would he lose his throne to a Jew? For him, the child was a threat. He gave orders to his soldiers and they put to death all boy babies under the age of two.
Today’s responses to the baby Jesus is also like the responses of these men of authority. Some recognize Him as the promised King of kings and gladly worship Him. Others see Him as a threat to their power and try to get rid of Him. That could even include a deliberate removal of His name from holiday greeting cards, an industry that likely would not exist if Herod had succeeded in killing the Christ child.
There is another reason that some people want to forget about this baby born in a cow barn. He did not remain a baby. He grew to manhood, turned water into wine, healed the sick, fed multitudes, walked on water, and gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. At first, everyone loved Him; they liked being healed and getting free food, but eventually Jesus claimed to be God and this changed their minds.
God in a manger? Forget it, they said... our God would never lower Himself to that! They were so angry at His claim that they did what Herod tried to do and put Him to death.
In dying, Jesus proved His claim was true. As Peter told the multitudes, “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead... because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.”
The innkeeper did not prevent Jesus from being born. Herod could not kill Him. Those who rejected His claim to be God put Him on a cross and into a tomb but the One who is eternal life could not stay dead. What makes anyone now think ignoring Him on Christmas cards will make the “inconvenience” or “problem” of Christ go away and disappear?
Christmas cards often feature an artist’s version of the Christmas story. Some show Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem where Jesus would be born. Others depict the couple under a bright star or in a manger scene adoring their newborn Son.
Many cards have bells, candles, snow scenes, poinsettias or symbols traditionally associated with this time of year. Others feature cartoon characters, fat or skinny Santas, or people involved in wintertime activities. I haven’t done a survey but a good percentage of December’s greeting cards do not use the word “Christmas.”
While there is nothing wrong with sending someone “Season’s Greetings,” “Happy Holidays” and wishes for a “Bright New Year,” this makes me wonder how many folks either prefer to ignore the Christmas story or refuse to celebrate the birth of Christ. Obviously some welcome a holiday but prefer Jesus be left out of the picture.
What is it about the birth of this child that offends some people? Why would card companies produce lines that are clearly Christmas cards yet have nothing on them to indicate the reason we celebrate this holiday?
The story itself gives some clues. Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem to register for a new tax. When they arrived, the small town was filled with others who were there for the same reason. If hotel keepers in Israel 2000 years ago were like some innkeepers today, they might have put a bed in a closet or a storage room rather than turn away a woman nine months pregnant, but that did not happen. Perhaps the innkeeper didn’t think of it. Perhaps he didn’t want the inconvenience. Whatever his attitude, many people today respond toward Jesus Christ in those ways. If He is not welcomed and made room for, He is turned away because inviting Him into their lives would be an inconvenience.
After Jesus was about two years old, some wise men were looking for Him. These were ancient magi or “king-makers” from Persia who had seen his star. How did they know this was a significant child? Centuries before, a young Jewish man, Daniel, had been taken captive by the Babylonians. By his wisdom, he earned the respect of the “wise men” of the day. He may have told them about his God and God’s promise of a coming King.
When the descendants of those wise men came to see this little child, they brought gifts. Gold, frankincense and myrrh were unusual presents for a baby but not at all strange for a boy who would someday be king. They gladly bowed in worship at the side of this baby’s bed.
However, there was another king had no intention of worshiping Him. The Roman leader Herod, heard about the magi and about Jesus. Would he lose his throne to a Jew? For him, the child was a threat. He gave orders to his soldiers and they put to death all boy babies under the age of two.
Today’s responses to the baby Jesus is also like the responses of these men of authority. Some recognize Him as the promised King of kings and gladly worship Him. Others see Him as a threat to their power and try to get rid of Him. That could even include a deliberate removal of His name from holiday greeting cards, an industry that likely would not exist if Herod had succeeded in killing the Christ child.
There is another reason that some people want to forget about this baby born in a cow barn. He did not remain a baby. He grew to manhood, turned water into wine, healed the sick, fed multitudes, walked on water, and gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. At first, everyone loved Him; they liked being healed and getting free food, but eventually Jesus claimed to be God and this changed their minds.
God in a manger? Forget it, they said... our God would never lower Himself to that! They were so angry at His claim that they did what Herod tried to do and put Him to death.
In dying, Jesus proved His claim was true. As Peter told the multitudes, “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead... because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.”
The innkeeper did not prevent Jesus from being born. Herod could not kill Him. Those who rejected His claim to be God put Him on a cross and into a tomb but the One who is eternal life could not stay dead. What makes anyone now think ignoring Him on Christmas cards will make the “inconvenience” or “problem” of Christ go away and disappear?
Friday, November 13, 2015
The benefits of being injured ............. Parables 352
January 12, 1993
While January snows pile up outside and winter winds chill the bones and make noses red and skin chapped, I was planning to send this column from a beach far south--where my nose would be getting red from the sun and the only white stuff in sight would be sand and the tops of ocean waves.
But it didn’t happen. Two days before Christmas, I stepped down from a box and felt the back of my leg explode as if someone hit it with a sledge hammer. The doctor called it a ruptured calf muscle and the physiotherapist said he was good but not quite good enough to get me walking the beach by the second week of January. In fact, he thought it may take two months to fully heal.
So our Christmas celebrations were definitely different this year. One son decorated the tree. The other one put away groceries and scolded me every time I moved. My husband did all his regular chores and mine too, including cleaning the house and helping me get from bed to bath to kitchen to living room, etc. My mother baked apple pies and made breakfast. Our daughter brought cookies and good humor. Her mother-in-law fed us turkey and all the trimmings. I was able to wrap gifts (even one for me) and made jokes about having a “two-C Christmas” (crutches and codeine).
But in a way, this helplessness has been a gift. I have noticed an increase in my compassion for hurting people. News stories about car accidents and injured children tug at my heart in a new way. I can more easily identify with their pain and frustration of trying to move a limb that refuses to respond because it takes all my concentration to move my toes toward my nose, as the therapist says I must. I know what it feels like to have muscles that simply will not do their work.
I can also feel the hope of those mentioned in the Bible stories that came to Jesus because they were lame. How each one must have rejoiced when they realized Isaiah’s prophecy, made six hundred years before, was now coming true. He foretold a time when “the lame would leap like a deer and the mute tongue would shout for joy.” Even though Isaiah’s prophecy will not be completely fulfilled until heaven, Jesus, during His time on earth, certainly gave many people a taste of what to expect in eternity. All who go there will know the fullness of complete health, every limb will work as it should. There will be no more sorrow or pain.
Yet the best gift right now is seeing my family, as Job said, being “feet to the lame” (29:15). They have taken over my responsibilities with great gusto (but refuse to let me to feel sorry for myself). I can relate to the Apostle Paul when he expressed his joy over the ministry of the Philippians to him. He said that he was not “looking for a gift, but looking for what may be credited to (their) account.” In other words, he rejoiced to see them demonstrating Christian virtues.
Seeing my family rallying together is a blessing. Almost all of them have said something like: “God has a purpose in this” or “There is a good reason that you can’t go on holidays right now.” It delights me that not one seems to perceive that they themselves have demonstrated some of God’s reason and purpose for my injury. Through them, I have seen and appreciated His compassion and loving kindness in a new way.
While January snows pile up outside and winter winds chill the bones and make noses red and skin chapped, I was planning to send this column from a beach far south--where my nose would be getting red from the sun and the only white stuff in sight would be sand and the tops of ocean waves.
But it didn’t happen. Two days before Christmas, I stepped down from a box and felt the back of my leg explode as if someone hit it with a sledge hammer. The doctor called it a ruptured calf muscle and the physiotherapist said he was good but not quite good enough to get me walking the beach by the second week of January. In fact, he thought it may take two months to fully heal.
So our Christmas celebrations were definitely different this year. One son decorated the tree. The other one put away groceries and scolded me every time I moved. My husband did all his regular chores and mine too, including cleaning the house and helping me get from bed to bath to kitchen to living room, etc. My mother baked apple pies and made breakfast. Our daughter brought cookies and good humor. Her mother-in-law fed us turkey and all the trimmings. I was able to wrap gifts (even one for me) and made jokes about having a “two-C Christmas” (crutches and codeine).
But in a way, this helplessness has been a gift. I have noticed an increase in my compassion for hurting people. News stories about car accidents and injured children tug at my heart in a new way. I can more easily identify with their pain and frustration of trying to move a limb that refuses to respond because it takes all my concentration to move my toes toward my nose, as the therapist says I must. I know what it feels like to have muscles that simply will not do their work.
I can also feel the hope of those mentioned in the Bible stories that came to Jesus because they were lame. How each one must have rejoiced when they realized Isaiah’s prophecy, made six hundred years before, was now coming true. He foretold a time when “the lame would leap like a deer and the mute tongue would shout for joy.” Even though Isaiah’s prophecy will not be completely fulfilled until heaven, Jesus, during His time on earth, certainly gave many people a taste of what to expect in eternity. All who go there will know the fullness of complete health, every limb will work as it should. There will be no more sorrow or pain.
Yet the best gift right now is seeing my family, as Job said, being “feet to the lame” (29:15). They have taken over my responsibilities with great gusto (but refuse to let me to feel sorry for myself). I can relate to the Apostle Paul when he expressed his joy over the ministry of the Philippians to him. He said that he was not “looking for a gift, but looking for what may be credited to (their) account.” In other words, he rejoiced to see them demonstrating Christian virtues.
Seeing my family rallying together is a blessing. Almost all of them have said something like: “God has a purpose in this” or “There is a good reason that you can’t go on holidays right now.” It delights me that not one seems to perceive that they themselves have demonstrated some of God’s reason and purpose for my injury. Through them, I have seen and appreciated His compassion and loving kindness in a new way.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Abundant Gifts for You .............. Parables 298
December 24, 1991
For many, this is the happiest time of year. Family gathers and warm memories are shared. Happy celebrations around the piano singing, around the table laughing. Gifts opened and squeals of delight echo through the house and Christmas is a time of abundance.
For some, this is the saddest time of year. Perhaps memories are not heart-warming; a Christmas past brought heartache. Perhaps celebrations are not happy; a family member is addicted to spirits of a chemical variety. Perhaps gift-giving brings no joy; hard times or foolish spending robbed the children of their toys. And those who yearn for an abundant Christmas spend it in physical, mental and emotional poverty.
The occasion is the birth of Christ (remember?) and the party is in His honor. Will the fact that the party has been ruined a few times destroy forever that abundance longed for and yet seemingly so out of reach? Or does the Christ child, now a resurrected and exalted King, still have a gift unopened for you?
For those who mourn and cannot applaud His birth, Jesus reaches out across time, across a million scarred and ruined holidays and cries, “This thief came to steal and kill and destroy... but I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly.”
Abundant life. Anyone who searches the Word of God looking for more presents, a bigger tree, a nicer car, a larger wardrobe, a fancier house, will not find that kind of abundance. Jesus says anything that rots, mildews, or rusts is not worthy of our Christmas list. He has far more valuable treasures in His “santa sack”.
The first parcel is labeled “PARDON.” He offers it with this word: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him... for He will abundantly pardon.” The gift tag is made out “To __________”, so whoever wants this parcel can fill in their name and help themselves.
The second gift is labeled “RENEWAL.” This abundance is for those whose lives have been scarred by their own foolishness, at Christmas time and otherwise. When they fill out the tag on the first gift, this is what they receive: “...not by your good works, but according to His mercy He saves you, through washing you with new life and renewing you by the Holy Spirit... whom He poured out on you abundantly through Jesus Christ your Savior.” This Gift-giver trades His New Life for your old memories.
The next parcel is labeled “SATISFACTION” for He knows we need more than tinsel and glitter. “They (those who receive the first two parcels) are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of His house, and He gives them drink from the river of His pleasures.”
Whether the tree be buried under a great mound of worldly treasures or barren as a greedy man’s heart, the Lord’s gift of satisfaction doesn’t depend on cash flow. Furthermore, it also is free!
Is there any more? Yes, for those memories and miseries that threaten joy all year round, He offers still more surprise-packages. But these have no label and no one knows what is in them until they help themselves. Here is their promise: “He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us....”
Whatever we ask for, whatever we can imagine that would make Christmas and all of life wonderful... He is able to do more, exceedingly abundantly more. And as we turn away from our rotting, rusting treasure and allow Him to give us His gifts, we find the last and most lasting parcel there for us.
It is called “HOPE,”the promise of “an entrance supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
With that, He vows someday the celebration will be totally without tears. For now, we can bring the sorrows of our celebrations to Jesus and let Him turn every one into abundance.
For many, this is the happiest time of year. Family gathers and warm memories are shared. Happy celebrations around the piano singing, around the table laughing. Gifts opened and squeals of delight echo through the house and Christmas is a time of abundance.
For some, this is the saddest time of year. Perhaps memories are not heart-warming; a Christmas past brought heartache. Perhaps celebrations are not happy; a family member is addicted to spirits of a chemical variety. Perhaps gift-giving brings no joy; hard times or foolish spending robbed the children of their toys. And those who yearn for an abundant Christmas spend it in physical, mental and emotional poverty.
The occasion is the birth of Christ (remember?) and the party is in His honor. Will the fact that the party has been ruined a few times destroy forever that abundance longed for and yet seemingly so out of reach? Or does the Christ child, now a resurrected and exalted King, still have a gift unopened for you?
For those who mourn and cannot applaud His birth, Jesus reaches out across time, across a million scarred and ruined holidays and cries, “This thief came to steal and kill and destroy... but I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly.”
Abundant life. Anyone who searches the Word of God looking for more presents, a bigger tree, a nicer car, a larger wardrobe, a fancier house, will not find that kind of abundance. Jesus says anything that rots, mildews, or rusts is not worthy of our Christmas list. He has far more valuable treasures in His “santa sack”.
The first parcel is labeled “PARDON.” He offers it with this word: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him... for He will abundantly pardon.” The gift tag is made out “To __________”, so whoever wants this parcel can fill in their name and help themselves.
The second gift is labeled “RENEWAL.” This abundance is for those whose lives have been scarred by their own foolishness, at Christmas time and otherwise. When they fill out the tag on the first gift, this is what they receive: “...not by your good works, but according to His mercy He saves you, through washing you with new life and renewing you by the Holy Spirit... whom He poured out on you abundantly through Jesus Christ your Savior.” This Gift-giver trades His New Life for your old memories.
The next parcel is labeled “SATISFACTION” for He knows we need more than tinsel and glitter. “They (those who receive the first two parcels) are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of His house, and He gives them drink from the river of His pleasures.”
Whether the tree be buried under a great mound of worldly treasures or barren as a greedy man’s heart, the Lord’s gift of satisfaction doesn’t depend on cash flow. Furthermore, it also is free!
Is there any more? Yes, for those memories and miseries that threaten joy all year round, He offers still more surprise-packages. But these have no label and no one knows what is in them until they help themselves. Here is their promise: “He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us....”
Whatever we ask for, whatever we can imagine that would make Christmas and all of life wonderful... He is able to do more, exceedingly abundantly more. And as we turn away from our rotting, rusting treasure and allow Him to give us His gifts, we find the last and most lasting parcel there for us.
It is called “HOPE,”the promise of “an entrance supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
With that, He vows someday the celebration will be totally without tears. For now, we can bring the sorrows of our celebrations to Jesus and let Him turn every one into abundance.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Ready for Christmas? ................. Parables 247
(December 19, 1990)
Hardly any snow, busy schedule filled with term paper due dates and final exams, now all of a sudden it is Christmas. We only had a couple of weekends to prepare, and I don’t think anyone will get any cards this year. It just doesn’t seem like the holidays should happen right away. Why did I think Christmas would wait until I was ready for it?
So, other people are caught off guard too. Some won’t have much of a celebration, like the soldiers in the Middle East. Some families will be entangled in crisis situations and others will not care at all about Christmas, either indifference or a different holiday to celebrate.
In fact, there were a lot of people caught off guard that first Christmas too. While the date is debatable, the occasion is not; a child WAS born in a manger and His birth WAS announced several hundred years before it happened. Still, not everyone was ready.
Almost no one. Mary had to be ready. There is something about being pregnant that allows no procrastination. When a baby decides to be born, who can stop it? Joseph would have preferred this all happen at home. Who wants to take his pregnant wife on a donkey ride when she is nine months along? But they had been summoned to Bethlehem for a census... so Jesus could be born there, just as had been prophesied hundreds of years before.
When they arrived, the no one had room for company. They were not ready for Jesus. But there was a spare room of sorts. A stable, smelly as it likely was, made a better delivery room than out in the streets. The owner of the stable didn’t celebrate the birth though. As far as we know, he didn’t even know it happened.
There were some shepherds that were not ready either. We can tell by their fear. When the angels came to announce “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,” these fellows nearly had heart attacks from fright. They handled the news well though. They hurried to Bethlehem to see what was going on. Out of all the unprepared people, they handled the event better than most of us do... “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (Luke 2:20).
The Magi were ready. They knew the prophecies, they prepared gifts fit for a king, wrapped them, and as soon as they saw the star, headed out to find the Christ child. Even though it took them a while to get there and they missed the main event, it was better late than never.
Herod was not ready though, at least not to celebrate. He was threatened by the Magi’s announcement that they were seeking the One to be born “king of the Jews” so he cowardly murdered all the children two years old and under in hopes of getting rid of this “king” that might take over his throne.
Getting back to right now, I guess I am more ready than I thought. Jesus entered my life with peace and good will in the early seventies, so whether His actual birth date is December 25 or not, I can glorify and praise God for all that I have heard and seen of Him since then. I didn’t know the prophecies as a young Christian, yet now, as I read them, I’m still amazed at the accuracy of their fulfilment.
As for gifts, the Bible doesn’t say He wants our gold, frankincense or myrrh. Instead, He offers us His gift: Himself, and with that, forgiveness and eternal life. Are we ready for that? If so, He wants one gift in return, with no wrappings. It is the submission of our lives -- the most important giving we could ever do, at Christmas or any other time.
Hardly any snow, busy schedule filled with term paper due dates and final exams, now all of a sudden it is Christmas. We only had a couple of weekends to prepare, and I don’t think anyone will get any cards this year. It just doesn’t seem like the holidays should happen right away. Why did I think Christmas would wait until I was ready for it?
So, other people are caught off guard too. Some won’t have much of a celebration, like the soldiers in the Middle East. Some families will be entangled in crisis situations and others will not care at all about Christmas, either indifference or a different holiday to celebrate.
In fact, there were a lot of people caught off guard that first Christmas too. While the date is debatable, the occasion is not; a child WAS born in a manger and His birth WAS announced several hundred years before it happened. Still, not everyone was ready.
Almost no one. Mary had to be ready. There is something about being pregnant that allows no procrastination. When a baby decides to be born, who can stop it? Joseph would have preferred this all happen at home. Who wants to take his pregnant wife on a donkey ride when she is nine months along? But they had been summoned to Bethlehem for a census... so Jesus could be born there, just as had been prophesied hundreds of years before.
When they arrived, the no one had room for company. They were not ready for Jesus. But there was a spare room of sorts. A stable, smelly as it likely was, made a better delivery room than out in the streets. The owner of the stable didn’t celebrate the birth though. As far as we know, he didn’t even know it happened.
There were some shepherds that were not ready either. We can tell by their fear. When the angels came to announce “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,” these fellows nearly had heart attacks from fright. They handled the news well though. They hurried to Bethlehem to see what was going on. Out of all the unprepared people, they handled the event better than most of us do... “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (Luke 2:20).
The Magi were ready. They knew the prophecies, they prepared gifts fit for a king, wrapped them, and as soon as they saw the star, headed out to find the Christ child. Even though it took them a while to get there and they missed the main event, it was better late than never.
Herod was not ready though, at least not to celebrate. He was threatened by the Magi’s announcement that they were seeking the One to be born “king of the Jews” so he cowardly murdered all the children two years old and under in hopes of getting rid of this “king” that might take over his throne.
Getting back to right now, I guess I am more ready than I thought. Jesus entered my life with peace and good will in the early seventies, so whether His actual birth date is December 25 or not, I can glorify and praise God for all that I have heard and seen of Him since then. I didn’t know the prophecies as a young Christian, yet now, as I read them, I’m still amazed at the accuracy of their fulfilment.
As for gifts, the Bible doesn’t say He wants our gold, frankincense or myrrh. Instead, He offers us His gift: Himself, and with that, forgiveness and eternal life. Are we ready for that? If so, He wants one gift in return, with no wrappings. It is the submission of our lives -- the most important giving we could ever do, at Christmas or any other time.
Friday, November 14, 2014
The Greatest Gift .................. Parables 196
December 20, 1989
“What did you get for Christmas?”
I’m certain at least one person will ask me that question again this year, but I’m not sure how I’ll answer it, at least after hearing about a certain family tradition. It seems members of this one family each put the gifts they are giving into a separate box to place under the tree. When the day comes, they take turns taking the gifts from their box and personally giving them to the person whose name is on the tag. If the person is not present, the giver leaves the gift in the box, undelivered until it can be done personally. If the recipient is gathered around the tree with the others, the giver tells that person how much they mean to them and how happy they are to be able to give them this gift. The receiver responds by taking it, saying thank you, opening and showing it to everyone. After all enjoy that gift, they go on to give another person opportunity to give.
When all the gifts are opened, the family joins hands and prays, giving thanks to God that they are able to show their love for one another by both giving and receiving. And God is of course thanked for the wonderful gift of His Son, the One that Christmas is all about.
As I think about this tradition, my eyes fill with tears of joy at the beauty and simplicity that it represents. The pattern was set nearly 2000 years ago with God as the Giver. He too placed His gift in a unique location, not under a tree but in a person. That Gift was Himself, born in a manger, taking up residence in a human body. Wrapped in that parcel, He was one of us yet also God with us, Jesus Christ, perfect, without sin, all that man was intended to be, all that God is... gift-wrapped for a lost and needy world.
This Gift also has a name tag. On that tag is the name of every man, woman and child ever born; the gift is for all. But the Giver does not force it upon anyone. It is placed only in the hearts of those willing to receive it.
The Spirit of God makes the offer. To all of the people named on the tag, He individually whispers truth: truth about their sin and unbelief, truth about the righteousness of God and the judgment to come, truth about the cross and the resurrection. If that truth is believed, it puts the person in the place to receive, not physically gathered around a tree but spiritually around the focal point of history, the Cross. The Israelites of the Old Testament looked ahead to it; we look back, both seeing the one Gift God offered freely as atonement for our sin. When we open our hearts to Him, the Lord Jesus Christ is placed there... forever.
Of course with His Gift comes His Words of love. It’s His deepest pleasure to give: “For God so loved the world that He gave...” Imagine His joy when we receive! He says all the host of heaven shout and sing when one sinner repents.
All who already have the Gift rejoice with the new recipient, sharing the wonder of this precious treasure, joining together with praise and adoration for the Giver and for His Gift.
After thinking about this tradition and what it implies, I do know how to answer that question. What did I get for Christmas? Not this year, but nearly 20 years ago, God gave me His Son. The joy of that gift grows deeper each Christmas, making giving and receiving much richer -- because both are reflections of the Only Gift that matters.
“What did you get for Christmas?”
I’m certain at least one person will ask me that question again this year, but I’m not sure how I’ll answer it, at least after hearing about a certain family tradition. It seems members of this one family each put the gifts they are giving into a separate box to place under the tree. When the day comes, they take turns taking the gifts from their box and personally giving them to the person whose name is on the tag. If the person is not present, the giver leaves the gift in the box, undelivered until it can be done personally. If the recipient is gathered around the tree with the others, the giver tells that person how much they mean to them and how happy they are to be able to give them this gift. The receiver responds by taking it, saying thank you, opening and showing it to everyone. After all enjoy that gift, they go on to give another person opportunity to give.
When all the gifts are opened, the family joins hands and prays, giving thanks to God that they are able to show their love for one another by both giving and receiving. And God is of course thanked for the wonderful gift of His Son, the One that Christmas is all about.
As I think about this tradition, my eyes fill with tears of joy at the beauty and simplicity that it represents. The pattern was set nearly 2000 years ago with God as the Giver. He too placed His gift in a unique location, not under a tree but in a person. That Gift was Himself, born in a manger, taking up residence in a human body. Wrapped in that parcel, He was one of us yet also God with us, Jesus Christ, perfect, without sin, all that man was intended to be, all that God is... gift-wrapped for a lost and needy world.
This Gift also has a name tag. On that tag is the name of every man, woman and child ever born; the gift is for all. But the Giver does not force it upon anyone. It is placed only in the hearts of those willing to receive it.
The Spirit of God makes the offer. To all of the people named on the tag, He individually whispers truth: truth about their sin and unbelief, truth about the righteousness of God and the judgment to come, truth about the cross and the resurrection. If that truth is believed, it puts the person in the place to receive, not physically gathered around a tree but spiritually around the focal point of history, the Cross. The Israelites of the Old Testament looked ahead to it; we look back, both seeing the one Gift God offered freely as atonement for our sin. When we open our hearts to Him, the Lord Jesus Christ is placed there... forever.
Of course with His Gift comes His Words of love. It’s His deepest pleasure to give: “For God so loved the world that He gave...” Imagine His joy when we receive! He says all the host of heaven shout and sing when one sinner repents.
All who already have the Gift rejoice with the new recipient, sharing the wonder of this precious treasure, joining together with praise and adoration for the Giver and for His Gift.
After thinking about this tradition and what it implies, I do know how to answer that question. What did I get for Christmas? Not this year, but nearly 20 years ago, God gave me His Son. The joy of that gift grows deeper each Christmas, making giving and receiving much richer -- because both are reflections of the Only Gift that matters.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
What is Christmas? ......................... Parables 091
A man walked into a department store in mid-December, heard a carol being played over the store’s sound system, and angrily remarked, “These Christians have to bring their religion into everything - even Christmas.”
Those who know that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ may chuckle or feel somewhat saddened that this person seems to have missed the whole point - that without Christ, there would be no Christmas.
Well, that is not entirely true. There was a time when huge celebrations were held in late December, without Christ. Historically, December was a month of pagan festivals, feasts and orgies. Pageants were held to honor idols as winter reached its fullness. The strength of the sun and spring thaw were eagerly anticipated. Then, in the middle of the 4th century, it was decided that December 25 would be the day that the church would celebrate the birth of Christ. It was hoped that this would somehow sanctify the pagan celebrations and tame the wild revelry to a holy occasion. It was a nice thought - but the heathen festivities continued.
So what does that make Christmas? It has become a strange mixture. Some of the things that Christians do to commemorate the birth of Christ unwittingly include customs picked up from heathen festivals. Some are adapted from later practices including trees, cards, and plum pudding. And many of those who are not Christian turn to “spiritual” activities - singing carols and putting up manger scenes.
Does Christmas confuse you? If so, it is no wonder. Our thoughts of what this holiday really means vary as much as the colors, lights and decorations. Part of my celebration comes from some rather dubious tradition, however we joyfully give gifts, send cards and put up a tree anyway. They have no pagan connotations for us.
Personally, I’d like to send up sky rockets and use loud speakers sometimes, just to share the joy I feel about Christmas. God actually became a man and lived among us! He was not born in a manger so we could say “Isn’t He sweet!” or so we could throw a big party, with or without inviting Him. He was born so He could die for our sins and He rose again so we could boldly declare, “Behold, my Lord and my God!” - He was born so we could receive a gift from Him - eternal life.
I have to agree somewhat with the angry man in the department store - not with his anger but that we who believe in Christ DO have to bring what we believe into this holiday - He is so easily pushed out of it - and those of us who have received His gift have great reason to celebrate.
Those who know that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ may chuckle or feel somewhat saddened that this person seems to have missed the whole point - that without Christ, there would be no Christmas.
Well, that is not entirely true. There was a time when huge celebrations were held in late December, without Christ. Historically, December was a month of pagan festivals, feasts and orgies. Pageants were held to honor idols as winter reached its fullness. The strength of the sun and spring thaw were eagerly anticipated. Then, in the middle of the 4th century, it was decided that December 25 would be the day that the church would celebrate the birth of Christ. It was hoped that this would somehow sanctify the pagan celebrations and tame the wild revelry to a holy occasion. It was a nice thought - but the heathen festivities continued.
So what does that make Christmas? It has become a strange mixture. Some of the things that Christians do to commemorate the birth of Christ unwittingly include customs picked up from heathen festivals. Some are adapted from later practices including trees, cards, and plum pudding. And many of those who are not Christian turn to “spiritual” activities - singing carols and putting up manger scenes.
Does Christmas confuse you? If so, it is no wonder. Our thoughts of what this holiday really means vary as much as the colors, lights and decorations. Part of my celebration comes from some rather dubious tradition, however we joyfully give gifts, send cards and put up a tree anyway. They have no pagan connotations for us.
Personally, I’d like to send up sky rockets and use loud speakers sometimes, just to share the joy I feel about Christmas. God actually became a man and lived among us! He was not born in a manger so we could say “Isn’t He sweet!” or so we could throw a big party, with or without inviting Him. He was born so He could die for our sins and He rose again so we could boldly declare, “Behold, my Lord and my God!” - He was born so we could receive a gift from Him - eternal life.
I have to agree somewhat with the angry man in the department store - not with his anger but that we who believe in Christ DO have to bring what we believe into this holiday - He is so easily pushed out of it - and those of us who have received His gift have great reason to celebrate.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Who is this honored guest? ....................... Parables 043
Christmas is the only birthday party in which most of the guests do not know the person in whose honor the party is given.
In fact, there is as much argument about who Jesus Christ is today as there was after He arrived in Bethlehem, nearly two thousand years ago.
Some thought He was a prophet or perhaps a political redeemer. Others denounced Him as a liar and a blasphemer. Still others thought He was a madman. He Himself claimed to be God. They couldn’t all be right.
The Jews were looking for a promised Messiah who they thought would free them from Roman oppression and establish a Jewish kingdom. So when they saw that Jesus had power to heal diseases and feed multitudes, they welcomed Him. However, His message became clear . . . He came to deliver from their sin, not from the Romans. He called for a change in lifestyle and they changed their acceptance of Him instead. The very ones who wanted to make Him a King, soon were demanding, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.”
The religious leaders considered Him a liar and a blasphemer. He was upsetting their religious system and their authority over the people by claiming to be equal with God, calling Him His Father. These leaders led the demand that He be put to death. Their control over the people depended on getting rid of Jesus.
Some thought He was a crazy man, out of His mind because He wasn’t motivated by fame or personal gain. His own half brothers reasoned that He was crazy because He did not put His own interests first. Not only that, He said that anyone who “saved his own life would lose it, but those who lost their life for my sake would save it.” Clearly unpopular teaching.
Another group responded immediately to His call to follow Him. They were the twelve who later were called the disciples. One of them turned out to be a traitor, and the others ran from Him for a time, but they later returned and affirmed their belief that He was who He claimed to be.
Who is This Christ, This baby boy born in a manger?
Was He a deliverer? Yes, but not of a political sort. He came to set men and women free from the condemnation of sin and deliver them from the death penalty that sin carries.
Was He a liar and a blasphemer? Do liars live as this man lived? No man ever called Himself God and backed it up with the evidence that Jesus did. His “blasphemy” consisted of saying that He was God. If He was God, He was not a blasphemer.
Was He a lunatic? Men who are insane cannot, and do not forgive and heal sinful people, filling their hearts with peace.
Was He God in human flesh? A handful of men thought so. They were so convinced that they “lost their lives” for His sake. Since then, countless others have done the same. The birth of the baby didn’t convince them, nor did His life. If that had been so, they would not have fled from the cross. The evidence that proved the identity of Jesus was the empty tomb - the resurrection. The disciples may have been, for the most part, simple fishermen but they knew, beyond doubt, that lunatics, liars, and mere political messiahs do not rise from the dead.
There are no other options.
In fact, there is as much argument about who Jesus Christ is today as there was after He arrived in Bethlehem, nearly two thousand years ago.
Some thought He was a prophet or perhaps a political redeemer. Others denounced Him as a liar and a blasphemer. Still others thought He was a madman. He Himself claimed to be God. They couldn’t all be right.
The Jews were looking for a promised Messiah who they thought would free them from Roman oppression and establish a Jewish kingdom. So when they saw that Jesus had power to heal diseases and feed multitudes, they welcomed Him. However, His message became clear . . . He came to deliver from their sin, not from the Romans. He called for a change in lifestyle and they changed their acceptance of Him instead. The very ones who wanted to make Him a King, soon were demanding, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.”
The religious leaders considered Him a liar and a blasphemer. He was upsetting their religious system and their authority over the people by claiming to be equal with God, calling Him His Father. These leaders led the demand that He be put to death. Their control over the people depended on getting rid of Jesus.
Some thought He was a crazy man, out of His mind because He wasn’t motivated by fame or personal gain. His own half brothers reasoned that He was crazy because He did not put His own interests first. Not only that, He said that anyone who “saved his own life would lose it, but those who lost their life for my sake would save it.” Clearly unpopular teaching.
Another group responded immediately to His call to follow Him. They were the twelve who later were called the disciples. One of them turned out to be a traitor, and the others ran from Him for a time, but they later returned and affirmed their belief that He was who He claimed to be.
Who is This Christ, This baby boy born in a manger?
Was He a deliverer? Yes, but not of a political sort. He came to set men and women free from the condemnation of sin and deliver them from the death penalty that sin carries.
Was He a liar and a blasphemer? Do liars live as this man lived? No man ever called Himself God and backed it up with the evidence that Jesus did. His “blasphemy” consisted of saying that He was God. If He was God, He was not a blasphemer.
Was He a lunatic? Men who are insane cannot, and do not forgive and heal sinful people, filling their hearts with peace.
Was He God in human flesh? A handful of men thought so. They were so convinced that they “lost their lives” for His sake. Since then, countless others have done the same. The birth of the baby didn’t convince them, nor did His life. If that had been so, they would not have fled from the cross. The evidence that proved the identity of Jesus was the empty tomb - the resurrection. The disciples may have been, for the most part, simple fishermen but they knew, beyond doubt, that lunatics, liars, and mere political messiahs do not rise from the dead.
There are no other options.
Friday, November 15, 2013
ADVENT ......................................... Parables 042
Christmas gets an enormous amount of put-downs. It is “too commercial,” “a big nuisance,” “the loneliest time of year,” and a host of other assorted negatives. Sometimes those sad truths can bury the uniqueness of Christmas, and we forget how special this celebration really is.
Christmas is the advent of the Son of God. Advent means “coming or arrival” and could be used to describe the birth of any child. But “advent” describes the birth of Jesus Christ.
What was so unusual about the arrival of this Child that His birth is called the Advent? He was born of a woman. That is very ordinary. He was born in a stable. That isn’t exactly normal, but many babies have been born in stables, perhaps even during that same crowded night in Bethlehem.
Yet His birth was different. It, and the location of it, had been foretold hundreds of years before. That made it unusual. People were uniquely guided there by angels and by a star. That is not normal. Also, angels brought messages to Mary and Joseph concerning this baby’s name, His identity, and His purpose for coming. Parents do not usually experience that.
Additionally, all other babies are conceived, without personal self-determination about their existence. But the Son of God did not begin His life in Bethlehem. He always existed. Child of the eternal Father, He is an eternal Son, with no beginning, and no end. That makes His advent most extraordinary.
He came from another realm, another domain. He came from beyond what we could know, or see, or touch. It was His desire to leave eternity, and enter time. He arrived in that stable, through the womb of that woman, because He choose to do so, not because someone else wanted to have a baby. And the Bible tells us that He did it because of His great, eternal love for us.
Commercialism, and the sorrows experienced at Christmas are symptoms of the fact that most people have forgotten (or have never realized), that Christmas is a reminder of a marvelous, never-to-be-repeated event.
Because of His Advent, we need not be bound to the negatives of our existence, its sorrows and limitations. In His love, Jesus Christ punched a hole into where we are - not only so He could get in, but so we can get out, so we can enjoy the benefits of His eternal love. To do that, we need to experience a different kind of advent, a very personal “birth experience,” where the Son of God is reborn into our hearts.
For those who know the second advent, the first one has a significance that cannot be overshadowed by the negatives of the season. His coming is marvelous, but the fact that He is still here, in me, is blessing beyond comprehension.
Christmas is the advent of the Son of God. Advent means “coming or arrival” and could be used to describe the birth of any child. But “advent” describes the birth of Jesus Christ.
What was so unusual about the arrival of this Child that His birth is called the Advent? He was born of a woman. That is very ordinary. He was born in a stable. That isn’t exactly normal, but many babies have been born in stables, perhaps even during that same crowded night in Bethlehem.
Yet His birth was different. It, and the location of it, had been foretold hundreds of years before. That made it unusual. People were uniquely guided there by angels and by a star. That is not normal. Also, angels brought messages to Mary and Joseph concerning this baby’s name, His identity, and His purpose for coming. Parents do not usually experience that.
Additionally, all other babies are conceived, without personal self-determination about their existence. But the Son of God did not begin His life in Bethlehem. He always existed. Child of the eternal Father, He is an eternal Son, with no beginning, and no end. That makes His advent most extraordinary.
He came from another realm, another domain. He came from beyond what we could know, or see, or touch. It was His desire to leave eternity, and enter time. He arrived in that stable, through the womb of that woman, because He choose to do so, not because someone else wanted to have a baby. And the Bible tells us that He did it because of His great, eternal love for us.
Commercialism, and the sorrows experienced at Christmas are symptoms of the fact that most people have forgotten (or have never realized), that Christmas is a reminder of a marvelous, never-to-be-repeated event.
Because of His Advent, we need not be bound to the negatives of our existence, its sorrows and limitations. In His love, Jesus Christ punched a hole into where we are - not only so He could get in, but so we can get out, so we can enjoy the benefits of His eternal love. To do that, we need to experience a different kind of advent, a very personal “birth experience,” where the Son of God is reborn into our hearts.
For those who know the second advent, the first one has a significance that cannot be overshadowed by the negatives of the season. His coming is marvelous, but the fact that He is still here, in me, is blessing beyond comprehension.
Monday, July 29, 2013
The Reason for the Season...................................Parables 004
A man walked into a department store in mid-December, heard a carol being played over the store’s sound system, and angrily remarked, “These Christians have to bring their religion into everything, even Christmas!”
Those who know that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ may chuckle, or feel somewhat saddened that this person seems to have missed the whole point, that, without Christ, there would be no Christmas.
Well, that is not entirely true. There was a time when huge celebrations were held in late December, without Christ. Historically, December was a month of pagan festivals, feasts, and orgies. Pageants were held to honor idols as winter reached its fullness. The strength of the sun and spring thaw were eagerly anticipated. Then, in the middle of the 4th Century, a Bishop in Rome choose December 25 as the day that the church would celebrate the birth of Christ. It was hoped that this would somehow sanctify the pagan celebrations and tame the wild revelry to a holy occasion. It was a nice thought -- but the heathen festivities continued.
So what does that make Christmas? It has become a strange mixture. Some of the things that Christians do to commemorate the birth of Christ include customs picked up from heathen festivals. Some are adapted from later practices, such as threes, cards, and plum pudding. And many of those who are not Christian turn to “spiritual” activities -- singing carols, sharing love, and manger scenes.
Does Christmas confuse you? If so, it is no wonder. Our thoughts of what this holiday really mean vary as much as the colors, lights, and decorations. Part of my celebration comes from some rather dubious tradition, however, we joyfully give gifts, send cards, and put up a tree anyway. Personally, I’d like to send up sky rockets and use loud speakers sometimes, just to share the joy I feel about Christmas. God actually became a man and lived among us! He was not born in a manger to have us say, “Isn’t He sweet?” or so we could throw a big party, with or without inviting Him; He was born so He could die for our sins, and rose again so we could boldly declare, “Behold, my Lord and my God,” and receive a gift from Him -- eternal life.
So I have to agree somewhat with the angry man in the department store -- not with his anger, but that we who believe in Christ do have to bring what we believe into this holiday. Those of us who have received His gift have great reason to celebrate.
Those who know that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ may chuckle, or feel somewhat saddened that this person seems to have missed the whole point, that, without Christ, there would be no Christmas.
Well, that is not entirely true. There was a time when huge celebrations were held in late December, without Christ. Historically, December was a month of pagan festivals, feasts, and orgies. Pageants were held to honor idols as winter reached its fullness. The strength of the sun and spring thaw were eagerly anticipated. Then, in the middle of the 4th Century, a Bishop in Rome choose December 25 as the day that the church would celebrate the birth of Christ. It was hoped that this would somehow sanctify the pagan celebrations and tame the wild revelry to a holy occasion. It was a nice thought -- but the heathen festivities continued.
So what does that make Christmas? It has become a strange mixture. Some of the things that Christians do to commemorate the birth of Christ include customs picked up from heathen festivals. Some are adapted from later practices, such as threes, cards, and plum pudding. And many of those who are not Christian turn to “spiritual” activities -- singing carols, sharing love, and manger scenes.Does Christmas confuse you? If so, it is no wonder. Our thoughts of what this holiday really mean vary as much as the colors, lights, and decorations. Part of my celebration comes from some rather dubious tradition, however, we joyfully give gifts, send cards, and put up a tree anyway. Personally, I’d like to send up sky rockets and use loud speakers sometimes, just to share the joy I feel about Christmas. God actually became a man and lived among us! He was not born in a manger to have us say, “Isn’t He sweet?” or so we could throw a big party, with or without inviting Him; He was born so He could die for our sins, and rose again so we could boldly declare, “Behold, my Lord and my God,” and receive a gift from Him -- eternal life.
So I have to agree somewhat with the angry man in the department store -- not with his anger, but that we who believe in Christ do have to bring what we believe into this holiday. Those of us who have received His gift have great reason to celebrate.
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