Christmas is a busy time of year. We put up tree and want it to be perfectly decorated to show off the perfectly wrapped gifts. There are office Christmas parties and shopping as well as school plays (don’t say Christmas play because that’s politically incorrect). By the time Christmas arrives we’re just plain tired of the hustle and bustle.

On Christmas morning we open gifts, some from “Santa,” then either go to visit family and friends or they come to our homes. In spite of all the running here and there, warm memories are made. How much of this reflects honoring Christ and how much is done to try to make a scripted hallmark moment come true?

The truth is, none of it honors Christ. Parents seem worried that their children will stop believing in the fictional Santa but don’t give a thought about their faith in Jesus. The birth of Jesus took place in a humble manger, but that event was more important than any event in history—except for the Resurrection. Our attitude should be more about worshipping the King than about creating the perfect hallmark moment.

“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.” (Isaiah 9:6)

There is no gift that compares to this Gift.

The Bible doesn’t forbid getting together with loved ones and having a good time. God established Jewish feasts and the first Christians certainly spent time together sharing what they had with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Scripture tells us that Jesus enjoyed being with people while eating meals. Of course the Scribes and Pharisees held this against Him. Jesus called them out for their self-righteousness.

“For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, an a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!” (Luke 7:33-34)

It’s impossible to please some people. We aren’t told that Jesus attended birthday parties but we know He attended at least one wedding where He turned water into wine. The book of Job might indicate that birthdays were celebrated long ago.

“And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.” (Job 1:4)

Job would offer sacrifices for them on these days, which some scholars believe are birthdays, just in case they had sinned or cursed God. Job loved his family and loved God. There’s nothing wrong with having a good time with friends and family, but be sure that you don’t sin in the process. We can be sure that Jesus didn’t commit any sin, and Job shows the heart of a man who put God first. As you celebrate Christmas, be sure to keep Jesus first and put no other god before Him.

Today we celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25, but why this day?

Scripture doesn’t tell us the day He was born, but just as with Easter, it was joined to a pagan celebration day. December in Bethlehem is cool and rainy, so the Shepherds wouldn’t have been out in the fields tending their flocks. Some people believe Christ was born in the spring, while others believe He was born in August or September.

The fact is, if God wanted us to know the specific day He would have told us. What we do know is that Caesar Augustus decreed that everyone had to return to their own city to be taxed.

“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.” (Luke 2:4-5)

The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem in December would have been more than difficult, especially with Mary being ready to give birth.

We’ve added Christmas trees to our traditions (another pagan ritual). The prophet Jeremiah talks about decorated trees.

 “For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.” (Jeremiah 10:3-4)

This sounds like what we do today! Jeremiah is talking about making idols and worshipping them. We may want the lights to shine bright and the ornaments to all be placed perfectly, but I don’t know anyone who worships the Christmas tree as an idol.

“They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.” (Jeremiah 10:5-6)

A tree is not an idol unless you worship it. We use it mostly as a decoration and  as a place to put our gifts for family and friends. Our gift giving is said to commemorate the visit of the Magi, but it wasn’t until sometime after Christ’s birth that the Magi came bearing gifts.

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

They went to a house, not a manger, and saw the young child, not a baby. We like to condense the story into something that fits a Sunday school play, but the truth is much more interesting. Are trees and gifts acceptable for a Christian? The answer lies in your heart. Do you worship the tree and give gifts to it? Sadly most people don’t even think about worshipping Jesus when getting and giving presents, let alone worshipping pagan gods.

 Remember His birth and worship Him only.

The traditions we keep make warm memories (hallmark moments), and there’s nothing wrong with that. Special ornaments are brought out each year and they bring back special memories as we place them on the tree branches. Gifts are chosen with love and when our children’s eyes pop when they open a box with the special toy they wanted, our hearts melt to see their happiness. This isn’t wrong and Scripture doesn’t forbid it.

On the other hand, Christmas has become more about  the hustle, bustle, and gifts than it is about Jesus. That is wrong. The gifts get more expensive because the kids expect more each year. If they don’t get the latest video games or the trendiest fashion then they are very disappointed. The materialism that surrounds Christmas is wrong and is a type of idol worship. We need to teach our children about Who gives the greatest gifts of all, and it isn’t Santa.

“If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:11-13)

We want to give wonderful gifts to our children, but if we neglect to teach them that God gave the greatest gift of all, then shame on us.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Eternal life only comes through Jesus’ shed blood on the cross. The gift is free, but has to be accepted. That truth is the best gift a child or an adult can receive.

As Christians we need to keep Jesus in our hearts and on our minds every day of the year. We say that we celebrate December 25 as the day Christ was born, so let’s keep Him in the forefront of our thoughts and activities. Don’t be shy about greeting others with “Merry Christmas.” Don’t be ashamed to put up a nativity scene. If someone is offended by it, that person needs to come to know Jesus.

Sing Christmas carols. Actually, sing Christmas carols in March, July, or October. Christ was born and that’s a fact that should be celebrated every day. While celebrating His birth, don’t forget that He had to be born in order to lay down His life to redeem us from our sins. While trying to create that perfect hallmark Christmas, don’t forget to worship the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is God’s gift to us every day of the year.

 God bless you all,

 Nathele Graham

 

The Christmas story is one of hope and joy. It’s evidence that when God makes a promise He is faithful to fulfill it and He allows people to be a part of bringing His promises to fruition. How often do we read about Joseph and Mary but don’t stop and really think about the story behind these people who were willing to do what God asked of them?

They took on a great responsibility and they were up to the challenge, but the choices that each had to make were life changing. God asked Mary to give birth to the Messiah and she and Joseph were to raise and protect Him until He became an adult. Every parent should take raising a child as a serious responsibility, but when the Child is the Saviour of the world, that takes very special people.

Many people think that Mary was more than a mere human. This idea doesn’t come from the Bible and cannot be supported by Scripture. Mary was a normal young woman, possibly a teenager who had hopes and dreams of marriage and a family like all young women. Her lineage is given to us by Luke who traces it back to King David through his son Nathan (Luke 3:31), and further back to Judah (Luke 3:33), and right on back to Adam.

The birth of the Messiah had been prophesied by Old Testament prophets and women throughout the ages hoped to be the one to give birth to Him. When a woman married, her desires changed. She and her husband would have children, and she would be disqualified because she was no longer a virgin.

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

With God, all things are possible, and the virgin birth was no exception. In Mary’s day, if a woman who wasn’t married and became pregnant she would be condemned under Jewish law and could be stoned to death. The choice Mary would soon make could have meant her death. She was promised in marriage to a carpenter named Joseph, but the wedding ceremony hadn’t taken place; Mary was a virgin. Her life was normal and nothing out of the ordinary until the angel Gabriel appeared to her.

“And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.” (Luke 1:28-29)

“Troubled” means she was scared! Gabriel saw her fear and calmed her saying that she had found favor with God. That must have made her feel a little better but his next words would have been shocking.

“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” (Luke 1:3)

I often wonder what went through Mary’s mind. She knew the penalty for being pregnant and not married, and Joseph would have every right to walk away from his commitment to marry here. There would be gossip to face and what would her parents say? Scripture doesn’t say that Mary hesitated nor did she ask for time to think about it. She didn’t discuss the pros and cons with friends about it or flip a coin. She simply asked how.

“Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34)

God always gives us a choice, and Mary chose to obey God. No wonder He chose her for such a special task. She had a heart to obey God no matter what it might mean to her personally. Christians can learn from Mary’s attitude and not question God, but simply obey Him.

“And the angel answered and said unto her, ‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’” (Luke 1:35)

Mary’s next words show strength of character. She didn’t understand how it would be accomplished, but trusted God to make it happen.

“And Mary said, ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’ And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)

It was a simple answer but very profound. Her life would be changed, but her willingness to serve God is a beautiful testimony of faith. Mary had to trust God to work out the details. If she was given a reprieve from being stoned, she was still without a husband to care for her and would be an outcast.

God doesn’t do a half-way job when He asks us to step out in faith. Though she wasn’t married, she was promised in marriage to Joseph who must have been a remarkable man. God had chosen him for the task of caring for Mary and for the Baby she carried. The Gospel of Matthew tells us a little about Joseph. Like Mary, Joseph was also a descendent of King David, but his line was through David’s son Solomon (Matthew 1:6). This was the royal line.

Scripture doesn’t tell us much about Joseph, but what it does say describes a very honorable man. He and Mary were to be married, but suddenly she became pregnant. He knew the child wasn’t his and he would have been within his rights to publically bring charges against her. He thought about his options and was considerate of Mary when deciding what to do.

“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.” (Matthew 1:19)

Though the marriage hadn’t taken place, the betrothal was a binding agreement upon both of them and had to be dissolved legally. Joseph didn’t want Mary to suffer public humiliation so he decided to quietly step out of the picture and let her move on with her life as best she could. What he didn’t know was that God had chosen him for a great purpose. Though Joseph wasn’t the biological father of the Child, God chose him to be the man that would act as the earthly father of the Messiah.

The angel came to Joseph and reassured him: “…fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 1:20b)

Joseph had known Mary was pregnant, but apparently she hadn’t told him that the Child’s Father was God! That would be hard to explain. The angel said that Joseph wasn’t to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, and so he did. Mary must have been relieved. Joseph also proved himself to                 be worthy of God’s favor because he was willing to wait until after her Child was born to consummate their marriage.

“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had biddenhim, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:24-25)

This dispels another myth. Some people believe that Mary was a perpetual virgin, but that’s just another of man’s fabricated stories. Joseph and Mary did consummate the marriage after Jesus was born. Scripture says Jesus was her “firstborn” which implies at least a ‘second born” child. Joseph and Mary did have children together, and their names appear later in Scripture.

Don’t let anyone convince you that Jesus wasn’t God incarnate. He had no biological human father, which means His blood wasn’t tainted by Adam’s sin. That allowed His pure blood, which He willingly shed on the Cross of Calvary, to take away the sin of anyone who sincerely comes before Him and asks for forgiveness. It was through Mary that Jesus was human, which qualified Him as our Kinsman.

“If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.” (Leviticus 25:25)

When Adam ate the forbidden fruit he sold what he possessed. No longer could he walk with God and Paradise was lost. Unlike the sacrificial blood of animals to cover sin, only God’s pure blood can take sin away. Because Jesus was fully God and fully human He was qualified to be our Kinsman Redeemer and purchase back what Adam lost.

“For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:16-17)

Jesus is God and His love for us is the reason He entered His creation as one of us. He was born in a manger in Bethlehem in order to offer us the gift of redemption that can only come through His shed blood. There is no love that can be compared to the love of God.

Joseph took care of Mary and was obedient to follow God’s instructions. They travelled to Bethlehem because of a census, and that’s where Mary gave birth to the Messiah, which fulfilled prophecy. The lowly shepherds were the first to visit Jesus in the manger where He was born and sometime later the wise men came from the east to worship the newborn King. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and these gifts probably financed the hasty trip to Egypt, another fulfilled prophecy.

“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” (Matthew 2:13)

Herod was evil and, in an attempt to thwart God’s plan of salvation, Satan inspired him to send soldiers to murder all children in Bethlehem who were younger than two years old. If Joseph hadn’t been obedient, Jesus would have been killed.

Both Joseph and Mary were asked to step out in faith and trust God. Even though they didn’t understand the whole picture, they obeyed God step by step and day by day. Their goals in life were honorable: Joseph had a carpentry business and was able to support a wife and family and Mary’s desire was to be a wife and mother. Their lives were changed because God had higher plans for them.

Because of their obedience the entire world was changed. You are an important part of God’s plan. Even though you don’t understand how God will accomplish His will through you, are you obedient? Instead of trying to out-think God, simply obey Him. He worked out the details for Joseph and Mary, and so He will work out the details of what you are called to do. Simply trust Him.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron Graham’s previous commentaries archived at: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original Scripture is “theopneustos” (God breathed).