"What Are You Getting for Christmas?"

#1 · December 2, 2003, 9:49 am

Quote from Forum Archives on December 2, 2003, 9:49 am
Posted by: henkf <henkf@...>

"What Are You Getting for Christmas?"

Texts: Isaiah 40:1-10; Matthew 3:1-3; John 8:1-15

   Before I remind you what Christmas is really all about, I need to dispel some of our images of how Christmas came to be celebrated on this day in the first place.

December 25 is not the date on which Christ was born. It is evident that Jesus was not born during the middle of winter, for at the time of his birth, the shepherds were living out in the fields with their flocks. As the bible says: "There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). As is well known, the shepherds in Palestine do not "abide in the fields" during the winter season because of the extreme, cold temperatures. The shepherds always bring their flocks in from the mountain slopes and fields no later than October 15th!

     Further proof of this conclusion may be seen from the fact that at the time Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehem to be taxed (Luke 2:1-5). There are no records of this period whatsoever that would indicate that the middle of the winter was the time of taxing. Even Jesus said, when talking of the end times, "pray that your flight not be in the winter" (Matt. 24:20). And so the harshness of the winter season in Palestine, even though it is less harsh than what is experienced in much of Canada, it is harsh enough to stop people from traveling and certainly to stop the shepherds from tending their flock at night. And so we see that Christ could not have been born in the Winter. On the other hand, there is evidence that taxes were paid in the fall season of the year. This was the logical time for the taxes to be paid since this was at the end of their harvest. There is also evidence that when Joseph and Mary made this trip, it was the time of a great feast at Jerusalem. This is the most logical reason why Mary went with Joseph, to attend the feast, as they also did on later occasions (see Luke 2:41), for there was no law that required a woman's presence at a taxing.

     We know that the time they went to pay taxes was also the time of one of the great feasts at Jerusalem because of the enormous crowd, so enormous in fact, "there was no room in the inn" at Bethlehem (Luke 2:7). Jerusalem was normally a city of only 120,000 inhabitants, but (according to the Jewish historian, Josephus) during the feasts, sometimes as many as two million Jews would gather there. With such vast throngs of people coming to the feast, not only would Jerusalem be filled, but the surrounding towns also, including Bethlehem, which was only five miles to the south. Mere taxation would not cause a crowd this big to be in Bethlehem, for each person returned to his own city to be taxed.

The time of Christ's birth was in the summer or early fall. And so, taking all of these things into consideration, it seems evident that Joseph and Mary made the journey, not only to pay their taxes, but also to attend a great feast at Jerusalem. This was at the end of the harvest season that they were taxed and this was also the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. All of this, as well as the evidence already given would mark the birth of Christ not in the winter and therefore not December 25th

     Since Christ was not born on December 25th, then how did this particular day come to be a part of the church calendar? Instead of this day being the time of Christ's birth, it was the very day and season on which the pagans for centuries had celebrated the birth of the Sun-god! A study into history shows how far apostate church leaders went in their effort to merge Christianity and paganism into one religion, even to placing the birth of Christ on a date to harmonize with the pagan birthday celebration of the sun-god!

     When Christianity gained influence in the fifth century they outlawed the pagan worship of the sun holiday with little success. Finally they adopted the holiday into the church and changed the words and meanings of the festivities to fit with "Christianity". It took many years to effect this

It was in the fifth century that the Roman Catholic Church decided that the birth of Christ be observed forever on December 25th, the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol, one of the names of the sun-god!

For centuries we have been trying to overcome the struggle between the worship of God and other gods. Christmas brings this struggle into full focus. The season can highlight the spiritual quest of our lives with the presence of the very light of the world or it can deepen the darkness by becoming just a secular party in which commercialism is the only end.

This week I read about a display at a shopping mall to highlight the spirituality of Christmas celebrations in various faiths. This is an attempt to put some perspective on what all the celebration is about and to bring the light of God's love into the lives of people who may just find the season to be a cause for depression.

Shouldn't we try to convey the true meaning of Christmas?

Let's not get too carried away with the trappings of Christmas and get more involved with the truth of Christmas.

   Christmas is not only a time of remembering what gifts we should give in Christ's name to those we love. It is also a time of remembering the gift God gave in our names and for our sakes ,the gift of Christ. What are some of God's gifts that come to us through the Christmas story?

1. The first Christmas gift is the gift of Jesus, the light of the world.

God began the custom of giving. So the first Christmas gift given is the gift from God. His present is Jesus, the light of the world. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness of our lives. For the light of the world is Jesus. John 1:4-5 proclaims, "In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." Our Christmas decorations of lights, whether they be electric bulbs on our tree or candles on our table, remind us of the gift of the Creator the light of the world. The incarnation of God in a baby is the gospel's affirmation of the invasion into human darkness of the light of the world.

2. The second Christmas gift is the gift of Mary and Joseph.

God had prepared Mary, and Mary had prepared Joseph for the birth of the Christ child. It was their arms that God chose to embrace and cuddle the Christ child. It was their hands that God chose to wrap the infant Jesus in swaddling clothes to keep him safe.

3. The third Christmas gift is the gift of the shepherds.

They brought to the Christ child a very precious present the gift of wonder. The first people to see Jesus were simple people who were occupied with daily tasks, but were not preoccupied with temporal things. Wonder touched their hearts and minds when they heard the angel, and they arose and went to Bethlehem bearing their gift of wonder. Unlike the Magi, who came with regal gifts, the shepherds probably came empty-handed. These simple people of the fields hurried to Bethlehem with nothing but their wonder to give. Their hands were empty, but their hearts were full of awe. It is our sense of wonder and awe in the face of God's glorious gift of Christ that emboldens us to follow in the shepherds' footsteps and proclaim the good news that Christ has come into our world. Thankfully the gift of wonder is contagious. In the words of Luke, those who heard the shepherds "wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds" (2:18 KJV).

4. The fourth Christmas gift is the gift of the wise men ,the gift of excellence.

Contrary to what you see in paintings, the wise men did not come to Jesus' birthplace. They arrived late, after Mary and Joseph had brought Jesus home to Nazareth. These magi, or wise men, brought the child Jesus the most treasured gifts of their day gold, frankincense and myrrh. They offered the gift of excellence first fruits, not leftovers. Their gifts demonstrated that it is the best of our talents and our treasures that every wise man and woman will offer to Christ.

5. Finally, the fifth Christmas gift is the gift of the baby Jesus himself, the gift of joy.

Over and over again in the gospel accounts of Christmas, you come across the word "joy." It is in the angelic announcement: "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10 KJV). To a world crying out in all its confusion, pain and perversion for salvation, the baby Jesus brought the gift of good news, and with it, joy. In the "worst of times," this tiny baby offered the best of truth. In the worst of times, God does the best of things. In Christ, we have been gifted with the pathway to God, the route to fulfillment in life, the light which shines to illumine our steps toward God. Teilhard de Chardin asserted that "If we have faith, then everything about us begins to gleam." The gift of the baby Jesus was this gift of gleaming truth.

May I challenge you this Christmas season to discover just how much you do spend on Christmas and on what. May I suggest that you cut those costs by twenty-five percent and donate that same percentage to the poor, sick, hungry or needy this Christmas. Other "alternatives" being advocated by various lifestyle watchers include: encouraging each family in your church to adopt a "needy" family for the coming year; hold a gift-making workshop at the church, showing people how to put themselves into the gifts they give to others; center Christmas on activities instead of "thing-giving"visit sick or shut-in friends and neighbors, organize a community Christmas worship service, or organize a study-action group devoted to using the monies usually spent on commercial Christmas celebrations for hunger projects or other human welfare efforts both locally and globally.

As you search for presents for those you love, remember that the greatest presents of Christmas are not physical, but spiritual. In all your celebrations take this journey to Bethlehem and share these spiritual gifts of light, obedient preparation, wonder, excellence and the joy of truth.

At Christmas
may God open Your heart to love,
Your mind to wonders,
Your ears to life,
and Your life to the divine presence.
May you experience God's peace for your troubles,
God's forgiveness for your guilt,
God's presence for your loneliness,
God's light for your path,
God's guidance for your journey,
and God's joy for your life.
May you know The hope of the Christmas season,
The rejoicing and celebration of the carols,
The caring found under the mistletoe,
The sharing found in giving,
The good news proclaimed by the angels,
The anticipation and excitement of the prophets,
The assurance that all is well found in the Scriptures,
and The wonder of God's love found in Jesus.
May you leave with The twinkle of bright lights in your eyes,
The happy sounds of Christmas ringing in your ears,
A vision of the Savior in your mind,
The spirit of the season in your memory,
The joy of the season in your life,
The faith of the Christ child in your soul,
and The message of the season on your lips.
Amen.

-----

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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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Posted by: henkf <henkf@...>

"What Are You Getting for Christmas?"

Texts: Isaiah 40:1-10; Matthew 3:1-3; John 8:1-15

Before I remind you what Christmas is really all about, I need to dispel some of our images of how Christmas came to be celebrated on this day in the first place.

December 25 is not the date on which Christ was born. It is evident that Jesus was not born during the middle of winter, for at the time of his birth, the shepherds were living out in the fields with their flocks. As the bible says: "There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). As is well known, the shepherds in Palestine do not "abide in the fields" during the winter season because of the extreme, cold temperatures. The shepherds always bring their flocks in from the mountain slopes and fields no later than October 15th!

Further proof of this conclusion may be seen from the fact that at the time Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehem to be taxed (Luke 2:1-5). There are no records of this period whatsoever that would indicate that the middle of the winter was the time of taxing. Even Jesus said, when talking of the end times, "pray that your flight not be in the winter" (Matt. 24:20). And so the harshness of the winter season in Palestine, even though it is less harsh than what is experienced in much of Canada, it is harsh enough to stop people from traveling and certainly to stop the shepherds from tending their flock at night. And so we see that Christ could not have been born in the Winter. On the other hand, there is evidence that taxes were paid in the fall season of the year. This was the logical time for the taxes to be paid since this was at the end of their harvest. There is also evidence that when Joseph and Mary made this trip, it was the time of a great feast at Jerusalem. This is the most logical reason why Mary went with Joseph, to attend the feast, as they also did on later occasions (see Luke 2:41), for there was no law that required a woman's presence at a taxing.

We know that the time they went to pay taxes was also the time of one of the great feasts at Jerusalem because of the enormous crowd, so enormous in fact, "there was no room in the inn" at Bethlehem (Luke 2:7). Jerusalem was normally a city of only 120,000 inhabitants, but (according to the Jewish historian, Josephus) during the feasts, sometimes as many as two million Jews would gather there. With such vast throngs of people coming to the feast, not only would Jerusalem be filled, but the surrounding towns also, including Bethlehem, which was only five miles to the south. Mere taxation would not cause a crowd this big to be in Bethlehem, for each person returned to his own city to be taxed.

The time of Christ's birth was in the summer or early fall. And so, taking all of these things into consideration, it seems evident that Joseph and Mary made the journey, not only to pay their taxes, but also to attend a great feast at Jerusalem. This was at the end of the harvest season that they were taxed and this was also the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. All of this, as well as the evidence already given would mark the birth of Christ not in the winter and therefore not December 25th

Since Christ was not born on December 25th, then how did this particular day come to be a part of the church calendar? Instead of this day being the time of Christ's birth, it was the very day and season on which the pagans for centuries had celebrated the birth of the Sun-god! A study into history shows how far apostate church leaders went in their effort to merge Christianity and paganism into one religion, even to placing the birth of Christ on a date to harmonize with the pagan birthday celebration of the sun-god!

When Christianity gained influence in the fifth century they outlawed the pagan worship of the sun holiday with little success. Finally they adopted the holiday into the church and changed the words and meanings of the festivities to fit with "Christianity". It took many years to effect this

It was in the fifth century that the Roman Catholic Church decided that the birth of Christ be observed forever on December 25th, the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol, one of the names of the sun-god!

For centuries we have been trying to overcome the struggle between the worship of God and other gods. Christmas brings this struggle into full focus. The season can highlight the spiritual quest of our lives with the presence of the very light of the world or it can deepen the darkness by becoming just a secular party in which commercialism is the only end.

This week I read about a display at a shopping mall to highlight the spirituality of Christmas celebrations in various faiths. This is an attempt to put some perspective on what all the celebration is about and to bring the light of God's love into the lives of people who may just find the season to be a cause for depression.

Shouldn't we try to convey the true meaning of Christmas?

Let's not get too carried away with the trappings of Christmas and get more involved with the truth of Christmas.

Christmas is not only a time of remembering what gifts we should give in Christ's name to those we love. It is also a time of remembering the gift God gave in our names and for our sakes ,the gift of Christ. What are some of God's gifts that come to us through the Christmas story?

1. The first Christmas gift is the gift of Jesus, the light of the world.

God began the custom of giving. So the first Christmas gift given is the gift from God. His present is Jesus, the light of the world. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness of our lives. For the light of the world is Jesus. John 1:4-5 proclaims, "In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." Our Christmas decorations of lights, whether they be electric bulbs on our tree or candles on our table, remind us of the gift of the Creator the light of the world. The incarnation of God in a baby is the gospel's affirmation of the invasion into human darkness of the light of the world.

2. The second Christmas gift is the gift of Mary and Joseph.

God had prepared Mary, and Mary had prepared Joseph for the birth of the Christ child. It was their arms that God chose to embrace and cuddle the Christ child. It was their hands that God chose to wrap the infant Jesus in swaddling clothes to keep him safe.

3. The third Christmas gift is the gift of the shepherds.

They brought to the Christ child a very precious present the gift of wonder. The first people to see Jesus were simple people who were occupied with daily tasks, but were not preoccupied with temporal things. Wonder touched their hearts and minds when they heard the angel, and they arose and went to Bethlehem bearing their gift of wonder. Unlike the Magi, who came with regal gifts, the shepherds probably came empty-handed. These simple people of the fields hurried to Bethlehem with nothing but their wonder to give. Their hands were empty, but their hearts were full of awe. It is our sense of wonder and awe in the face of God's glorious gift of Christ that emboldens us to follow in the shepherds' footsteps and proclaim the good news that Christ has come into our world. Thankfully the gift of wonder is contagious. In the words of Luke, those who heard the shepherds "wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds" (2:18 KJV).

4. The fourth Christmas gift is the gift of the wise men ,the gift of excellence.

Contrary to what you see in paintings, the wise men did not come to Jesus' birthplace. They arrived late, after Mary and Joseph had brought Jesus home to Nazareth. These magi, or wise men, brought the child Jesus the most treasured gifts of their day gold, frankincense and myrrh. They offered the gift of excellence first fruits, not leftovers. Their gifts demonstrated that it is the best of our talents and our treasures that every wise man and woman will offer to Christ.

5. Finally, the fifth Christmas gift is the gift of the baby Jesus himself, the gift of joy.

Over and over again in the gospel accounts of Christmas, you come across the word "joy." It is in the angelic announcement: "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10 KJV). To a world crying out in all its confusion, pain and perversion for salvation, the baby Jesus brought the gift of good news, and with it, joy. In the "worst of times," this tiny baby offered the best of truth. In the worst of times, God does the best of things. In Christ, we have been gifted with the pathway to God, the route to fulfillment in life, the light which shines to illumine our steps toward God. Teilhard de Chardin asserted that "If we have faith, then everything about us begins to gleam." The gift of the baby Jesus was this gift of gleaming truth.

May I challenge you this Christmas season to discover just how much you do spend on Christmas and on what. May I suggest that you cut those costs by twenty-five percent and donate that same percentage to the poor, sick, hungry or needy this Christmas. Other "alternatives" being advocated by various lifestyle watchers include: encouraging each family in your church to adopt a "needy" family for the coming year; hold a gift-making workshop at the church, showing people how to put themselves into the gifts they give to others; center Christmas on activities instead of "thing-giving"visit sick or shut-in friends and neighbors, organize a community Christmas worship service, or organize a study-action group devoted to using the monies usually spent on commercial Christmas celebrations for hunger projects or other human welfare efforts both locally and globally.

As you search for presents for those you love, remember that the greatest presents of Christmas are not physical, but spiritual. In all your celebrations take this journey to Bethlehem and share these spiritual gifts of light, obedient preparation, wonder, excellence and the joy of truth.

At Christmas
may God open Your heart to love,
Your mind to wonders,
Your ears to life,
and Your life to the divine presence.
May you experience God's peace for your troubles,
God's forgiveness for your guilt,
God's presence for your loneliness,
God's light for your path,
God's guidance for your journey,
and God's joy for your life.
May you know The hope of the Christmas season,
The rejoicing and celebration of the carols,
The caring found under the mistletoe,
The sharing found in giving,
The good news proclaimed by the angels,
The anticipation and excitement of the prophets,
The assurance that all is well found in the Scriptures,
and The wonder of God's love found in Jesus.
May you leave with The twinkle of bright lights in your eyes,
The happy sounds of Christmas ringing in your ears,
A vision of the Savior in your mind,
The spirit of the season in your memory,
The joy of the season in your life,
The faith of the Christ child in your soul,
and The message of the season on your lips.
Amen.

-----

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.545 / Virus Database: 339 - Release Date: 11/27/2003