It is quite common this time of year to be asked what Christmas means to us.
Well... the Christ's birth is biblical, being as it is recorded in scripture. So there we have one reason to acknowledge it although I am sure Jesus would prefer we concentrate on His death and resurrection as a focal point. Of course we may have the date wrong as it was given to us as a political decision on Constantine's part, this rather than use a date that perhaps could have been found by simple research of records as to when the census was. It might have been easy enough for the Romans to do considering they ordered it, even if oddly no one has found a record of the census since. But regardless, it's the birth and not the day that matters.
How we celebrate it might be more a worthy issue. Way back (last century) those who celebrated Christmas without being Christian (free holiday) probably still followed the peace and goodwill and that can't be bad. Mustn't waste the day off. Unfortunately that once modest yearly affair is not so much remembered today or even followed. As a matter of fact it no longer involves one special day but has been combined with other events into a time of financial windfall to last well over a month, leaving the impression that money, not the Messiah, is God and the real reason for the modern season.
Let us also look at the birth. Who was invited? Was it an event with both elite and celebrity trying to associate themselves as a matter of status? No. It was those even less than common folk, the lowest of the low who were involved, and it is common folk since who have always cherished Christmas the most (and the Christ for that matter). Regardless of its roots, does it hurt to be reminded at Christmas what really is of value in life? Was Jesus born with great ceremony and into affluence? Was it a boost to the economy? No. He was born poor and in a stable, born the humblest of all mankind. This spirit of humbleness and simplicity... has it remained as a reminder our world is backwards in nature compared to the Kingdom? I suppose the cathedrals and televangelists and the shopping might cause one to think otherwise. Yet does it hurt to use Christmas as a reason in itself to humble ourselves and get our priorities straight?
As for gifts, gift giving by the wise men to celebrate the birth as an excuse for a financial shopping frenzy can not be used. That event occurred much later, even though the fake tradition conjoined with the birthday continues in order to amplify the season's worldly purpose of mercantile gain today. Consider though as an alternative. Did not God give us His Son as a gift? Does it hurt to give gifts, especially even if to just give of ourselves as God did? Does it hurt to use Christmas to remember how to usefully give and yes, even take what is offered in humbleness and appreciation? Much in the way God would like us to accept His gift?
On the other side of the coin, of course there are those of the anti-Christ persuasion who would call you a traitor to your society or nation if you didn't spend big this time of year. They may have over the decades removed Jesus from the picture and turned the season into a capitalistic reason, but in doing so they've only shown themselves for who they are. Does it hurt for them to use Christmas for greed and gain using the traditional self serving ways of man? Not really, for as a result they stick out in stark reality for what they stand for in contrast to God's will. They show by their very ways how everything they do is a perfect example of what the Messiah and the Kingdom is not. Ask yourself, does it hurt us to have Christmas the way it is in order to self analyze and indicate which side we are on... God's or man's? Is it not also important we not abuse the day by assuming one day of lip service to peace and goodwill will absolve us of our actions the rest of the year?
By the way..
Christmas on the 25th wasn't created by pagans nor in any association to their ways, even if the modern trend tends to support this notion. The day of recognition of the Christ's birth was officially combined with a host of previous pagan festivities in the hopes of unification in bringing pagans to the official religion of the empire, another shrewd political move of the times on the part of it's emperor. This is the world of adversarial man after all, not the Kingdom, and even religion is bound to be influenced by the world's self serving image whereupon our will dictates how even God should be represented. Christmas is what we choose to make of it thus acknowledging who we are and where our loyalties lie.
© ...timothyu
Well... the Christ's birth is biblical, being as it is recorded in scripture. So there we have one reason to acknowledge it although I am sure Jesus would prefer we concentrate on His death and resurrection as a focal point. Of course we may have the date wrong as it was given to us as a political decision on Constantine's part, this rather than use a date that perhaps could have been found by simple research of records as to when the census was. It might have been easy enough for the Romans to do considering they ordered it, even if oddly no one has found a record of the census since. But regardless, it's the birth and not the day that matters.
How we celebrate it might be more a worthy issue. Way back (last century) those who celebrated Christmas without being Christian (free holiday) probably still followed the peace and goodwill and that can't be bad. Mustn't waste the day off. Unfortunately that once modest yearly affair is not so much remembered today or even followed. As a matter of fact it no longer involves one special day but has been combined with other events into a time of financial windfall to last well over a month, leaving the impression that money, not the Messiah, is God and the real reason for the modern season.
Let us also look at the birth. Who was invited? Was it an event with both elite and celebrity trying to associate themselves as a matter of status? No. It was those even less than common folk, the lowest of the low who were involved, and it is common folk since who have always cherished Christmas the most (and the Christ for that matter). Regardless of its roots, does it hurt to be reminded at Christmas what really is of value in life? Was Jesus born with great ceremony and into affluence? Was it a boost to the economy? No. He was born poor and in a stable, born the humblest of all mankind. This spirit of humbleness and simplicity... has it remained as a reminder our world is backwards in nature compared to the Kingdom? I suppose the cathedrals and televangelists and the shopping might cause one to think otherwise. Yet does it hurt to use Christmas as a reason in itself to humble ourselves and get our priorities straight?
As for gifts, gift giving by the wise men to celebrate the birth as an excuse for a financial shopping frenzy can not be used. That event occurred much later, even though the fake tradition conjoined with the birthday continues in order to amplify the season's worldly purpose of mercantile gain today. Consider though as an alternative. Did not God give us His Son as a gift? Does it hurt to give gifts, especially even if to just give of ourselves as God did? Does it hurt to use Christmas to remember how to usefully give and yes, even take what is offered in humbleness and appreciation? Much in the way God would like us to accept His gift?
On the other side of the coin, of course there are those of the anti-Christ persuasion who would call you a traitor to your society or nation if you didn't spend big this time of year. They may have over the decades removed Jesus from the picture and turned the season into a capitalistic reason, but in doing so they've only shown themselves for who they are. Does it hurt for them to use Christmas for greed and gain using the traditional self serving ways of man? Not really, for as a result they stick out in stark reality for what they stand for in contrast to God's will. They show by their very ways how everything they do is a perfect example of what the Messiah and the Kingdom is not. Ask yourself, does it hurt us to have Christmas the way it is in order to self analyze and indicate which side we are on... God's or man's? Is it not also important we not abuse the day by assuming one day of lip service to peace and goodwill will absolve us of our actions the rest of the year?
By the way..
Christmas on the 25th wasn't created by pagans nor in any association to their ways, even if the modern trend tends to support this notion. The day of recognition of the Christ's birth was officially combined with a host of previous pagan festivities in the hopes of unification in bringing pagans to the official religion of the empire, another shrewd political move of the times on the part of it's emperor. This is the world of adversarial man after all, not the Kingdom, and even religion is bound to be influenced by the world's self serving image whereupon our will dictates how even God should be represented. Christmas is what we choose to make of it thus acknowledging who we are and where our loyalties lie.
© ...timothyu
