Celebrating Christmas - Part 2

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Emphasizing the Birth of Christ – Is it Wrong?

I spoke in my previous post about the radio minister I heard recently while in commute. I told how his entire message could be summarized in explaining why it is wrong to emphasize the birth of Christ. His message was not that it is wrong to put up a Christmas tree; or that it is wrong to teach your children about Santa Claus; or that it is wrong to exchange gifts – the man actually preached that it is wrong for a preacher to emphasize the birth of Christ in his preaching! Rejoicing in the fact that God had become a man to put away our sins, according to this man, is a sin!

As for these people who hate the acknowledging of Christ’s birth – I do not understand them! I could take one month out of the year, and emphasize fasting and prayer, and that would be fine, according to them. I could take a month out of the year, and acknowledge the individuals who founded our church, or the pioneers of our movement, and that would be fine. But if I take a month out of the year, emphasizing and acknowledging that Jesus Christ the Son of God took upon Himself a body that it might be broken for my salvation – THAT WOULD BE A SIN! This would be funny if it were not sad.

I have good news for individuals like this man. Listen to me very closely. I preach the whole counsel of God. I preach the birth of our Lord, as well as the death. I preach His first coming, as well as His second coming. I preach about the need for children of God to be filled with the Spirit of God for the purpose of soul winning. I preach about Christ’s miracles that He performed. I preach about God’s plan for the nation of Israel. I preach against sin, whether individual iniquities or national immoralities. I preach the blood of Christ, as well His resurrection. You may limit yourself, but you shall not limit my preaching. I preach it all! The birth of Christ may be off limits to you, but to us who preach the entire Bible, we will declare that God Almighty became a man! And if we get carried away in this blessed thought, we may take the next six months to sing and preach about the birth of Christ! No aspect of Christ’s being; no subject of Christ’s person; no event in Christ’s life; no teaching from Christ’s lips; and no actions from Christ’s example is a sin for us to proclaim – and proclaim it we will!

The Deity of Christ

I beg the reader to stay with me a little longer. In my previous post, I made mention of the so-called Jehovah’s Witnesses. I explained that this cultish group is completely against the acknowledging of the birth of Christ.

I find it interesting that this same group who hates any emphasis brought upon the birth of Christ also denies the deity of Christ. The Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to honor the Lord’s birth – and they also flatly deny that Christ ever was, is, or ever will be God Almighty. You may get a Jehovah’s Witness to refer to Christ as the Son of God, but you will never get a Jehovah’s Witness to admit that Christ is God!

I have seen this trend in other circles, not just within the “Kingdom Hall.” If you are reading this and you are a Christmas hater, let me ask you a simple question, and I will ask you personally if you contact me regarding this post – “Is Jesus God?”

Some teach that Jesus was God before He was born, but when Christ was born of the flesh, He ceased to be God. NONSENSE! If these people would just read the story of Christ’s birth, they would know better than that! Yes, Christ was God before He was born. But He was still God Almighty when He was born of the virgin Mary. Look at one of Isaiah’s prophecies regarding the birth of Christ:

Isaiah 7:14 – “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

This prophecy speaks specifically of Christ’s birth. The name of the child would be called Immanuel. Someone tell me the meaning of “Immanuel.” Matthew tells us. Listen to him:

Matthew 1:22-23 – “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US.”

Jesus is GOD WITH US – not at His death; not at His resurrection; not in heaven before His conception – but AT HIS BIRTH! No wonder the Jehovah’s Witnesses miss this. They’re not too fond of the birth of Christ!

Let us examine another prophecy of Isaiah regarding Christ’s birth:

Isaiah 9:6-7 – “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

Notice again, the prophecy is specifically regarding the birth of Christ – “Unto us a child is born,” the prophet says. At His birth, what is the name given to Christ? “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, THE MIGHTY GOD…” Did you see that?

Christ is called the Mighty God – not at His death; not at His resurrection; not in heaven before His conception – but at His birth! Christ did not cease to be God when He was born. Anyone who teaches this is a false teacher, and it would be wise to refuse them the time of day. Jehovah’s Witnesses would not be so mixed up if they’d only grow fond enough of the birth of Christ to study it!

Look with me at one more passage found in Hebrews 1:

Hebrews 1:6 – “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.”

The “He” in this verse is God the Father. The verse deals specifically with the birth of Christ. When “He,” that is, the Father, brought His first begotten (Jesus Christ) into the world, He commanded all the angels to worship His Son. Notice two verses later, the Father is still speaking:

Hebrews 1:8 – “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

Look at it closely – the Father speaks to His Son, and says, “Thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever.” Who said that Jesus Christ the Son is God? God the Father says so! In Hebrews 1:8, the Father Himself refers to His Son as being God.

This verse also answers the question, “How long will the Son be God?” Just until He is born in the flesh? Just until He dies on the cross? Just until His resurrection? Just until He comes again? How long does the Father acknowledge that His Son is God?

Hebrews 1:8 – “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is FOR EVER AND EVER!”

Isn’t that simple? The Father declares the Son to be God, and declares Him to be God eternally. If the Jehovah’s Witnesses would stop bashing the birth of Christ long enough to study it, they would see that the Son of God is God the Son, and He is God eternally!

A Final Plea to Christians who Hate Christmas

To those Christians who do not celebrate Christmas in any way, let me say first that if you have been born again, having a genuine salvation experience, I consider you my brother or sister in Christ. It does not bother me that you do not celebrate Christmas. I do not care whether or not you put up a Christmas tree. I do not care if you set aside this time of year to reflect on the birth of Christ, or if you do not.

However, I must ask you the question, “Do you believe that Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God, but that He is also God Almighty?” If you have trouble referring to Jesus as God, then I will have trouble extending a hand of fellowship to you. A study of the birth of Christ would reveal to you that Christ was God before His birth, at His birth, during His earthly life, during His death, at His resurrection, and at the right hand of the Father. He never ceased to be God, and never will. If you stutter and stammer at these truths and cannot say flatly that Jesus Christ is God Almighty, no questions asked, then you have serious problems. Your Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible.

I would leave you a word of warning:

Colossians 2:16 – “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.”

You may not celebrate Christmas, and that is your prerogative. But when you judge someone in respect of a “holyday,” you are in disobedience to the scriptures. There are many who celebrate the birth of Christ during this time of year – and say what you will - whether you like it or not, they are not pagan. They are not worshipping the virgin Mary. They are simply rejoicing in a Biblical truth. You may respond by saying that if someone is merely honoring the birth of Christ, shouldn’t they honor it throughout the year? That is a good point, and I personally honor the birth of Christ throughout the year. But listen to the words of Paul the apostle:

Romans 14:5 – “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”

If your only complaint with someone acknowledging the birth of Christ during this time of year is that some do not acknowledge it year round, then remember – Paul the apostle says that it is perfectly acceptable to esteem one day above another!

In a final word of warning to Christians who refuse to celebrate Christmas, I would advise you to guard against any belief of yours to become a source of pride. If your stance of refusing to celebrate Christmas causes you to look down your nose at someone else, boasting of your spiritual state which is superior to theirs, you are DEAD WRONG even if you are right. If you are sold on the thought that refusing to celebrate Christmas is the correct teaching of the Bible, then I would remind you that having a good spirit every bit as important as having the right doctrine.

CONCLUSION

Yes, I celebrate Christmas. I exalt the Son of God as being God the Son. I am absolutely amazed at the love I see when the Son, in unison with the Father, agreed to take upon Himself a body for one primary purpose – that my sins would be laid upon that body, and that He who knew no sin would die for them! I am astounded that Christ would leave the splendor of heaven’s portals to come to this cold, dark world to bear my sins in His body, willingly dying for them!

I have often said that if Christ had been born in a palace, He would have taken an incredible step down! But Christ went further down than that! He left the glories of heaven to be a pauper! And excuse me for rejoicing in this great thought! I will continue to do so! I pity anyone who believes it is a sin to rejoice in such a great truth! How blinded they must be! They do not know a blessing when they see one!

I close with the words of Henry Barraclough:

Out of the ivory palaces,
Into a world of woe;
Only His great, eternal love
Made my Saviour go.

Go to Part 1

Celebrating Christmas - Part 1

To anyone who begins reading this post, my only request is that you read both parts in their entirety. Please do not contact me regarding its contents until you have read both parts in full.

“Do you celebrate Christmas?” That is the question that people often ask me at this time of year. Before I can give a clear answer, we must have a clear question; and the fact is, we do not. Making the question clear centers around defining clearly what is meant by the phrase, “celebrating Christmas.”

By “celebrating Christmas,” if you mean, “participating in the ancient, annual pagan festivals that occurred around the 25th of December,” then, no, I do not celebrate Christmas. If “celebrating Christmas” means “celebrating Santa Claus,” then, no, I do not celebrate Christmas. If “celebrating Christmas” means “exalting the virgin Mary to a place of deity,” as our Catholic friends do, then, no, I do not celebrate Christmas.

But, if by the term, “celebrating Christmas,” you mean “rejoicing in the fact that God Almighty humbled Himself, taking upon Himself human form; taking time to worship Jesus Christ, remembering that He willingly left the splendor of heaven to live in this cold, dark world, ultimately sacrificing His own life that we might live,” then, YES, I most certainly do celebrate Christmas!

Some Hate the Message of the Birth of Christ

Just down the road from my church, there is a cultish organization, known as the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. These so-called witnesses of Jehovah, among other ludicrous beliefs, absolutely hate the idea of anyone taking time to acknowledge the birth of Jesus Christ. I will mention this group again later, but for now, just know that they hate the idea of “celebrating Christmas.”

While driving down the road about two weeks ago, I was listening to a minister preach a sermon on the radio. I do not know the name of the minister, nor the station to which I was listening. But the man’s entire sermon was centered on the evils of acknowledging the birth of Christ. I do not know how many lost sinners were converted through this message, but I can give a good guess.

The Apostles Never Preached the Birth of Christ…REALLY?

As for the radio minister I just mentioned, one of his reasons for hating the mention of Christ’s birth was that the apostles never preached the birth of Christ. And, Christ never commissioned us to preach the birth of Christ. The apostles were always preaching the resurrection of Christ.

Okay, let us examine this for a moment. First of all, it doesn’t take much to see the hypocrisy of this statement. This radio minister just told us that the apostles never preached the birth of Christ, and that is his reason for not preaching the birth of Christ. My question to him – Did the apostles ever preach the forbiddance of preaching Christ’s birth? The answer is no. So, if this minister is going to neglect to exalt Christ’s birth because the apostles never did, then he should neglect to condemn the exaltation of Christ’s birth, because the apostles never condemned it!

Second of all, this minister’s assumption that the apostles never emphasized the birth of Christ is simply dead wrong. All four of the gospel accounts recorded the fact of Christ’s coming into this world. Matthew and Luke give detailed accounts the story of Christ’s birth. John opens His gospel account with Jesus Christ being the Word.

John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John furthermore explains that the Word was made flesh.

John 1:14 – “And the Word was made 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.”

When was the Word made flesh? The answer is simple – at His conception and birth. John noted that God had been born in the flesh.

Mark makes mention of the fact that Jesus CAME in Mark 10:45. When did Jesus COME? He came when we was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin Mary.

Paul, the apostle who wrote the greater part of the New Testament, spoke of Christ’s coming in the flesh.

Romans 1:3 – “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.”

Galatians 4:4 – “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

Philippians 2:5-8 – “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

I Timothy 3:16 – “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Peter, in I Peter 4:1, speaks specifically of Christ’s suffering IN THE FLESH.

The Hebrew writer makes several references to the birth of Christ.

Hebrews 1:6 – “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.”

Hebrews 2:9 – “But we see Jesus, WHO WAS MADE A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

Hebrews 2:16 – “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.”

Hebrews 10:5 – “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.”

John the apostle, not only in his gospel account, but also in his first epistle, makes reference to Christ being manifested. When was Christ MANIFESTED? You got it – at this conception and birth.

I John 1:1-2 – “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”

I John 3:5 – “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

I John 3:8 – “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

In addition to his gospel account and epistles, John the apostle gives a detailed perspective on the birth of the man child, Jesus Christ, in Revelation 12.

The fact of the matter is that nearly every New Testament writer, at one point or another, emphasized the great truth that God had become man. So, the claim that the apostles never recognized the birth of Christ is absurd, to put it in a nice way.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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