Christmastime is here, and means consumerism is at its peak, Christians are ready to argue over the birth date of Jesus, and families are ready to decorate their trees, but mostly end up untangling their lights for hours. Is this the meaning of Christmas? Or as the “Grinch” movie teaches is it really something more than boxes and bows. Jesus was NOT born on December 25th, this is a very common misconception, and many Christians honor It as the Lord’s birthday as much as the Catholics revere the young woman that birthed him, Mary. Jesus’ mother was a human, born into the law of sin just like everyone else in the world, but the thing that set him apart from man was that he was not born into sin because only the father’s blood touches the baby in the womb, not the mother’s own. God is “Abba” father to the saved just as Jesus was his son. John 3:16— “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This verse in scripture we as Christians all know well and is often our intro to our presentation to the lost. In The book of Genesis, we know of the wrath of God when he flooded the earth to rid it of the wicked, and only Noah’s family was to remain along with the beasts of the land in pairs (so they could later produce new offspring.)
God’s wrath aside, his love for his children is unconditional to the extent of where he planted a seed in a virgin to deliver a child that would later deliver the sinners that accept him as Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior through sacrificing his life on the cross. He paid the debt of sin in his blood. John 1:14— “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus was born to the virgin Mary, it is believed by scholars that he was born in the month of September during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), born in a manger surrounded by barn animals; Mary, Joseph, and shepherds from the field that had been alerted by angels. There was a star placed in the sky from the time of his birth. Matthew 2:1-2— “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His Star in the East and have come to worship him?” These three wise men were astrologists that studied the constellations for divine signs. The magi followed the guiding light of this star on a two-year journey and brought baby Jesus (2-year-old) their three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It is believed that their choice of gifts were symbolic to Isaiah’s vision of the nations. That would mean there is no place for the wise men in our modern nativity scene depictions.
Christmas has often been accused of being a “pagan” tradition hijacked by Christians but even if that is so, it has been redeemed as a celebration of love and joy. It is the one time of year that Jesus is widely accepted and celebrated most, and it is a wonderful time when families are drawn together, and gifts are given. It is also the time when “the Word became flesh” and by doing that, Christ came to set us free from the penalty of sin as told in Romans 6:23— “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That is the greatest gift of all. A relationship with Yahweh, leading to the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Let us share this gift, by sharing our blessings, and spreading the Gospel to the multitude for the “children’s bread” is as much for the pagan as it is for the Jew.
Merry Christmas!
Michelle Warr
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