Celebrate Christ at Christmas
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” (Luke 2:13-15)
One of my favorite Christmas songs as a child is one written by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards, “Silver Bells.” This song captures the urban experience of Christmas. For your convenience, I have included the lyrics:
Silver bells, Silver bells,
It's Christmas time in the city.
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring,
Soon it will be Christmas day.
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks,
Dressed in holiday style,
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas.
Children laughing, people passing,
Meeting smile after smile,
And on every street corner you hear...
Growing up in Baltimore at Christmas time was exciting. I recall a department store that would create the best Christmas displays in their window and how the crowds would wait with bated breath each year to see. In fact, stores and advertising agencies would establish the atmosphere for Christmas shopping as early as Thanksgiving. Each year the Thanksgiving Day parade would conclude with Santa Claus on the final float. From that point, the season builds over the next four weeks and concludes on Christmas day.
Because my parents were able to afford the amenities of the season, Christmas for my sister and me was very enjoyable. We had decorations that included Christmas lights, a tree, and the cans of spray snow for the windows. For Christmas dinner, we enjoyed the traditional foods: turkey, ham, candied yams, cornbread stuffing, sweet potato pie, pound cakes, and so forth. Most importantly, this was the time I received new gifts (toys). The process was actually very simple. I would provide the list of my desires to my parents, and they would deliver it to Santa. To receive these gifts, I would have to be on my best behavior until Christmas to assure I received what I had requested.
For me as a child, waiting for Christmas Eve was extremely difficult. I recall once asking my mother if I could go to bed as early as noon on Christmas Eve as a means to speed up the process. Several decades later, things have greatly changed. Both my mom and dad have gone to their heavenly rewards, along with other cherished family members. I no longer reside in Baltimore, and the neighborhood I lived in as a child, should I ever decide to visit, is no longer the same.
Nonetheless, Christmas continues to provide me with warm fuzzy memories and continues to invoke a great level of excitement. Although I love to receive material gifts, my joy is in knowing that God’s gift to the world, the infant Christ whose birth we celebrate each year on December 25th, grew up and carried out his mission of salvation.
Jesus called disciples, taught humanity about heavenly things, died on the cross to pay our sins, was resurrected, and now resides in heaven with the Father interceding for us.
I pray for the many people who do not know the “Christ” in Christmas or get to know our Savior and have a life changing experience. Perhaps God can use us to share the good news with those who don’t know what Christ’s birth is truly about. Nonetheless, for Christ followers, this is our season to share the good news, as we rejoice and cherish God’s great love for us by sending Jesus to save us.
Merry Christmas!
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NP February 17, 2021 12:13pm
As concerning the Word of life, Luke 10 section 25-28 says: On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
Luke 18 section 18-25 says: A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Matthew 5 section 43-48 says: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
In Old Testament, the Jewish people and their ancestors were given the Law to observe. First, What Adam and Eve should observe was that they could not eat the fruits from the tree of wisdom. Then, their son Cain was told that he should not kill. As sins became increased, the laws were also added more. Up to the generation of Moses, the Law in Old Testament was given to Israelites. We know that the Law is good and the Law is used to punish people who commit sins, but people cannot obey the Law because the sinful spirits are in people. Even that we know stealing and giving false testimony are sinful, but greedy and pride spirits in us drive us to do sinful things. So as Old Testament prophesied we need to get rid of our sinful nature from our spirits.
Jeremiah 31 section 31-33 says: "The time is coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Ezekiel 36 section 24-27 says: "'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
The prophecies are fulfilled when Jesus begins to teach love. The two greatest commandments are " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Love is above the Law and if people have love they are free from the law of sin and death. People who are full of love will not think about stealing or giving false testimony but are merciful and they feed hungry people or give thirsty people something to drink or invite strangers in or clothe people who need clothes. The Law is for people who commit sins. Nobody will say that he will get reward because he does not steal before. But love is the grace we get. And with love we will get eternal life.
Romans 13 section 8-10 says: Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Luke 17 section 20-21 says: Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say,' Here it is,' or ' There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
John 4 section 23-24 says: Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."