The first Christmas was celebrated more than two thousand (2000) years ago in Bethlehem of Judah, Israel. It was initiated in heaven and celebrated in both heaven and earth. It all started when God sent His only begotten Son from His heavenly glories to be born in a manger as an innocent, helpless infant into the family of Mary and Joseph. Though the first Christmas wasn’t celebrated worldwide, but it was celebrated by both angels and men. And I must remark that that was the best and purest Christmas that both heaven and earth will ever watch and witness throughout time.
Earth was totally in ignorant of anything called Christmas until heavenly messengers intimated a few individuals who eventually became partakers of this first Christmas. While the actual date of this first Christmas still remains an issue of debate in some Christian quarters, December 25th has become the most widely accepted date of remembering the birth of Jesus Christ and most accepted date of celebrating Christmas globally. The distinctive characteristics of the first Christmas are never in debate. These distinctive characteristics are actually what help to define Christmas. The Scripture clearly delineated these distinctive characteristics in two biblical narratives. These narratives read as follow:
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace to men on whom his favour 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.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and
seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:6-20 NIV.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
Matthew 2:1-2,10-11 NIV.
Both narratives describe the birth of Jesus Christ and the events that surround his birth. The details contained in both narratives delineate the distinctive characteristics of Christmas that help define Christmas. From the details of both narratives, I’ll define Christmas in the following ways:
First, Christmas can be defined as a time of spreading the good news about our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ that is meant for all people. The angel, after dispelling the shepherds’ fear, declared to them that, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10 emphasis mine, NIV). And this good news is that, “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11 NIV). The angel was first to spread this good news to the shepherds and when the shepherds confirmed the certitude of this news, they in turn shared the good news to others. The Scripture declares that, “So they {the Shepherds} hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them” (Luke 2:16-18 NIV). This means that Christmas is a time for those who confirmed the certitude of the good news to share it with others.
Second, Christmas can be defined as a time of great joy for all people. The good news about our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ is meant to give great joy for all the people, not just a selected few. The angel declared that, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10 emphasis mine, NIV). According to this declaration, the joy of Christmas is great and it’s one meant for all people. God intended for Christmas to be a season of great joy for all His people. It’s very unfortunate that some for either religious reasons or others have excluded themselves from the great joy of Christmas. The great joy of Christmas is divinely intended for all irrespective of their race, nationality, ethnicity, tribe and religious affiliation. The great joy of Christmas transcends every human barrier. It’s meant for all the people.
Third, Christmas can be defined as a time of praising God with songs. The angel who appeared and declared the good news to the shepherds was joined by other angels who together celebrated the good news with praises to God. The Scripture declares that, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests’” (Luke 2:13-14 NIV). Likewise, the shepherds, after seeing the baby Jesus, “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20 emphasis mine, NIV). As the first celebrants of Christmas, these angels and the shepherds showed us how Christmas is to be celebrated. They celebrated the first Christmas with praises to God. This shows that Christmas is a time of praising God with songs.
Fourth, Christmas can be defined as a time of giving glory to God. This might seem to be synonymous with the third definition of Christmas, but there is a slight difference here. Singing praises to God entails giving glory to God as indicated in the Scripture’s declaration that, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests’” (Luke 2:13-14 emphasis mine, NIV). But giving glory to God is more particular than giving praises. While praising God entails general worship songs, glorying God is giving utterances/sayings and singing songs that reveal God’s greatness, majesty, splendor and beauty for who He is and what He has done. The angels praised God which is their regular preoccupation, but they glorified Him as the highest. Glorifying God is a component part of praising God. The Scripture declares that, “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20 emphasis mine, NIV). The slight difference is that praising God is more generic as against glorifying God that is very particular. So Christmas is not just a time of praising God in general; it’s also a time of glorifying God for the specifics in our lives as Christians. The issue here is, What exactly has the coming of Jesus Christ accomplished in your life as against knowing Him knowing Him as God generally? What are the specifics things you can glorify Him for in your life?
Fifth, Christmas can be defined as a time of peace and favour for earth’s inhabitants. The angels, in praising God, declared: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests” (Luke 2:14 emphasis mine, NIV). They declared peace and favour as part of the Christmas packages released by God to humans on earth. This means Christmas ushered in God’s peace and favour to earth’s inhabitants. Christmas is a time of declaring God’s peace and favour to humanity. The angels never appeared in the open fields to the shepherds to proclaim God’s wrath or to wrought destruction as they did in Sodom and Gomorrah; rather they dispelled this notion when they spoke these words to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid” (Luke 2:10b NIV). While some Bible Translations make this peace and favour open to all earth’s inhabitants, others make this peace conditional. An example of the Bible Translation that makes God’s peace and favour available to all earth’s inhabitants is this: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill {favour} towards men” (Luke 2:14 emphasis mine, NKJV). While an example of those who make God’s peace conditional is this: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests” (Luke 2:14 emphasis mine, NIV). This conditional translation means that God’s peace is only on those on whom His favour rests. This implies that our reception of God’s peace is predicated on our reception of His favour. I believe that God’s peace and favour are obtained in Jesus Christ, God’s indescribable Christmas gift and package. Christmas is, therefore, a time for all who are in Christ to build every broken relationship and to demolish every wall of enmity. It’s a time of demonstrating God’s peace and favour to all earth’s inhabitants.
Sixth, Christmas can be defined as a time of worshipping the Lord with our precious gifts. This is a deduction from how the Magi worshipped the baby Jesus. The Scripture declares that, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh” (Matthew 2:11 emphasis mine, NIV). According to this declaration, the Magi did not only bowed down and worshipped the baby Jesus; they also opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, incense/frankincense and myrrh. The idea of distributing gifts to our relations, neighbours, friends and colleagues is noble, but like the text declares we must imbibe the practice of worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ with precious gifts on Christmas day. Unfortunately, the concept of having Church service on Christmas day is gradually disappearing in some Christian denominations. I believe this must be retained and revived where necessary. Attending Church service is a vital part of worshipping Jesus on Christmas day and this must accompanied with giving of precious gifts to the Lord. And since the Lord is no longer physically present here, I believe such gifts should collected by the church and given to the less privileged in the society, not kept in church purse for ministers/preachers to consume. When last did you attend church service on Christmas day and presented the Lord with precious gifts?
Seventh, Christmas can be defined as a time of deep meditation and reflection on the things we have heard concerning the Saviour, the Messiah and the Lord. The Scripture declared that, after the shepherds’ departure, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19 NIV). This is a good attitude and habit that all Christians need to adopt in their celebration of Christmas. Mary when left alone decided to ponder and reflect on the things she had heard spoke about Jesus. As Christians, we must learn the habit of meditating and reflecting on the several things we have heard spoke about Jesus. This will enable us escape the busyness of Christmas and set our hearts on the Lord and His words. Meditation is a Christian virtue that we must maintain in our celebration of Christmas. Don’t forget it. No Christmas activity is as worthwhile as meditation and reflection. Take time for it.
These seven definitions of Christmas are also the seven biblical purposes of Christmas and they are filled with the various activities we must maintain and retain in our celebration of Christmas. In our celebration of Christmas, we must set aside time to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, to praise and glorify God. And we must ensure we utilize the opportunity that the celebration provides us to mend every broken relationship, to reach the less privileged with precious gifts and never forget to meditate and reflect on the Lord and His words.
From the biblical texts (Luke 2:6-20 and Matthew 2:1-2,10-11), it is evident that the first Christmas was celebrated by ordinary people like the shepherds and intellectuals like the Magi (the wise men) in the simplest way anyone can possibly imagined. There was no partying, no feasting, no drunkenness, no orgies, no fireworks that attracted global attention (rather it was God’s glory that shone around the shepherds (Luke 2:9) and the star that guided the Magi (Matthew 2:2,10)), no bang-outs, no Santa Claus/father-Christmas and the likes we have today. Unfortunately, today’s celebrations of Christmas reflect very little of the first Christmas’ celebrations recorded in the Bible. Most celebrants of today’s Christmas seldom worship the Lord Himself as did the Magi or spread the good news about the Saviour Jesus Christ as did the angels and the shepherds or praise and glorify God as did also the angels and the shepherds or meditate and reflect on the Lord and His words as did Mary. The seven biblical purposes of Christmas which I have clearly defined above, no doubt, are almost forgotten in our today’s celebrations of Christmas. While we are busy preparing for the food we and our loved ones will eat and the clothes we and our loved ones will wear, I wonder how many are preoccupied with spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. We are so consumed with meeting our earthly needs that we seldom remember that the celebration of Christmas cuts across earth and heaven. The first Christmas was not only initiated by heaven. It was properly planned and packaged by heaven to be rightly celebrated by both heaven and earth. Its celebration cuts across both heaven and earth. Angels and shepherds and Magi celebrated it.
Prior the commencement of the celebration of the first Christmas, the angel who appeared to the shepherds declared the reason for the celebration and the season Christmas. The angel declared that, “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11 NIV). In like manner, when the Magi came looking for Jesus, prior being worshipped, they asked: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2 NIV). This means Christmas must be celebrated with the right reason in mind and view. Where this is lacking, abuse is inevitable. In both instances where humans celebrated the first Christmas, they were initially intimated by heaven. The shepherds were intimated by the angel and the Magi by the star. In the case of the shepherds, they were not just informed, they also witnessed the heavenly celebration of this first Christmas. The Scripture records that,
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
www.practicalexaltation.blogspot.com
Earth was totally in ignorant of anything called Christmas until heavenly messengers intimated a few individuals who eventually became partakers of this first Christmas. While the actual date of this first Christmas still remains an issue of debate in some Christian quarters, December 25th has become the most widely accepted date of remembering the birth of Jesus Christ and most accepted date of celebrating Christmas globally. The distinctive characteristics of the first Christmas are never in debate. These distinctive characteristics are actually what help to define Christmas. The Scripture clearly delineated these distinctive characteristics in two biblical narratives. These narratives read as follow:
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace to men on whom his favour 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.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and
seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:6-20 NIV.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
Matthew 2:1-2,10-11 NIV.
Both narratives describe the birth of Jesus Christ and the events that surround his birth. The details contained in both narratives delineate the distinctive characteristics of Christmas that help define Christmas. From the details of both narratives, I’ll define Christmas in the following ways:
First, Christmas can be defined as a time of spreading the good news about our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ that is meant for all people. The angel, after dispelling the shepherds’ fear, declared to them that, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10 emphasis mine, NIV). And this good news is that, “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11 NIV). The angel was first to spread this good news to the shepherds and when the shepherds confirmed the certitude of this news, they in turn shared the good news to others. The Scripture declares that, “So they {the Shepherds} hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them” (Luke 2:16-18 NIV). This means that Christmas is a time for those who confirmed the certitude of the good news to share it with others.
Second, Christmas can be defined as a time of great joy for all people. The good news about our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ is meant to give great joy for all the people, not just a selected few. The angel declared that, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10 emphasis mine, NIV). According to this declaration, the joy of Christmas is great and it’s one meant for all people. God intended for Christmas to be a season of great joy for all His people. It’s very unfortunate that some for either religious reasons or others have excluded themselves from the great joy of Christmas. The great joy of Christmas is divinely intended for all irrespective of their race, nationality, ethnicity, tribe and religious affiliation. The great joy of Christmas transcends every human barrier. It’s meant for all the people.
Third, Christmas can be defined as a time of praising God with songs. The angel who appeared and declared the good news to the shepherds was joined by other angels who together celebrated the good news with praises to God. The Scripture declares that, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests’” (Luke 2:13-14 NIV). Likewise, the shepherds, after seeing the baby Jesus, “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20 emphasis mine, NIV). As the first celebrants of Christmas, these angels and the shepherds showed us how Christmas is to be celebrated. They celebrated the first Christmas with praises to God. This shows that Christmas is a time of praising God with songs.
Fourth, Christmas can be defined as a time of giving glory to God. This might seem to be synonymous with the third definition of Christmas, but there is a slight difference here. Singing praises to God entails giving glory to God as indicated in the Scripture’s declaration that, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests’” (Luke 2:13-14 emphasis mine, NIV). But giving glory to God is more particular than giving praises. While praising God entails general worship songs, glorying God is giving utterances/sayings and singing songs that reveal God’s greatness, majesty, splendor and beauty for who He is and what He has done. The angels praised God which is their regular preoccupation, but they glorified Him as the highest. Glorifying God is a component part of praising God. The Scripture declares that, “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20 emphasis mine, NIV). The slight difference is that praising God is more generic as against glorifying God that is very particular. So Christmas is not just a time of praising God in general; it’s also a time of glorifying God for the specifics in our lives as Christians. The issue here is, What exactly has the coming of Jesus Christ accomplished in your life as against knowing Him knowing Him as God generally? What are the specifics things you can glorify Him for in your life?
Fifth, Christmas can be defined as a time of peace and favour for earth’s inhabitants. The angels, in praising God, declared: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests” (Luke 2:14 emphasis mine, NIV). They declared peace and favour as part of the Christmas packages released by God to humans on earth. This means Christmas ushered in God’s peace and favour to earth’s inhabitants. Christmas is a time of declaring God’s peace and favour to humanity. The angels never appeared in the open fields to the shepherds to proclaim God’s wrath or to wrought destruction as they did in Sodom and Gomorrah; rather they dispelled this notion when they spoke these words to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid” (Luke 2:10b NIV). While some Bible Translations make this peace and favour open to all earth’s inhabitants, others make this peace conditional. An example of the Bible Translation that makes God’s peace and favour available to all earth’s inhabitants is this: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill {favour} towards men” (Luke 2:14 emphasis mine, NKJV). While an example of those who make God’s peace conditional is this: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests” (Luke 2:14 emphasis mine, NIV). This conditional translation means that God’s peace is only on those on whom His favour rests. This implies that our reception of God’s peace is predicated on our reception of His favour. I believe that God’s peace and favour are obtained in Jesus Christ, God’s indescribable Christmas gift and package. Christmas is, therefore, a time for all who are in Christ to build every broken relationship and to demolish every wall of enmity. It’s a time of demonstrating God’s peace and favour to all earth’s inhabitants.
Sixth, Christmas can be defined as a time of worshipping the Lord with our precious gifts. This is a deduction from how the Magi worshipped the baby Jesus. The Scripture declares that, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh” (Matthew 2:11 emphasis mine, NIV). According to this declaration, the Magi did not only bowed down and worshipped the baby Jesus; they also opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, incense/frankincense and myrrh. The idea of distributing gifts to our relations, neighbours, friends and colleagues is noble, but like the text declares we must imbibe the practice of worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ with precious gifts on Christmas day. Unfortunately, the concept of having Church service on Christmas day is gradually disappearing in some Christian denominations. I believe this must be retained and revived where necessary. Attending Church service is a vital part of worshipping Jesus on Christmas day and this must accompanied with giving of precious gifts to the Lord. And since the Lord is no longer physically present here, I believe such gifts should collected by the church and given to the less privileged in the society, not kept in church purse for ministers/preachers to consume. When last did you attend church service on Christmas day and presented the Lord with precious gifts?
Seventh, Christmas can be defined as a time of deep meditation and reflection on the things we have heard concerning the Saviour, the Messiah and the Lord. The Scripture declared that, after the shepherds’ departure, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19 NIV). This is a good attitude and habit that all Christians need to adopt in their celebration of Christmas. Mary when left alone decided to ponder and reflect on the things she had heard spoke about Jesus. As Christians, we must learn the habit of meditating and reflecting on the several things we have heard spoke about Jesus. This will enable us escape the busyness of Christmas and set our hearts on the Lord and His words. Meditation is a Christian virtue that we must maintain in our celebration of Christmas. Don’t forget it. No Christmas activity is as worthwhile as meditation and reflection. Take time for it.
These seven definitions of Christmas are also the seven biblical purposes of Christmas and they are filled with the various activities we must maintain and retain in our celebration of Christmas. In our celebration of Christmas, we must set aside time to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, to praise and glorify God. And we must ensure we utilize the opportunity that the celebration provides us to mend every broken relationship, to reach the less privileged with precious gifts and never forget to meditate and reflect on the Lord and His words.
From the biblical texts (Luke 2:6-20 and Matthew 2:1-2,10-11), it is evident that the first Christmas was celebrated by ordinary people like the shepherds and intellectuals like the Magi (the wise men) in the simplest way anyone can possibly imagined. There was no partying, no feasting, no drunkenness, no orgies, no fireworks that attracted global attention (rather it was God’s glory that shone around the shepherds (Luke 2:9) and the star that guided the Magi (Matthew 2:2,10)), no bang-outs, no Santa Claus/father-Christmas and the likes we have today. Unfortunately, today’s celebrations of Christmas reflect very little of the first Christmas’ celebrations recorded in the Bible. Most celebrants of today’s Christmas seldom worship the Lord Himself as did the Magi or spread the good news about the Saviour Jesus Christ as did the angels and the shepherds or praise and glorify God as did also the angels and the shepherds or meditate and reflect on the Lord and His words as did Mary. The seven biblical purposes of Christmas which I have clearly defined above, no doubt, are almost forgotten in our today’s celebrations of Christmas. While we are busy preparing for the food we and our loved ones will eat and the clothes we and our loved ones will wear, I wonder how many are preoccupied with spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. We are so consumed with meeting our earthly needs that we seldom remember that the celebration of Christmas cuts across earth and heaven. The first Christmas was not only initiated by heaven. It was properly planned and packaged by heaven to be rightly celebrated by both heaven and earth. Its celebration cuts across both heaven and earth. Angels and shepherds and Magi celebrated it.
Prior the commencement of the celebration of the first Christmas, the angel who appeared to the shepherds declared the reason for the celebration and the season Christmas. The angel declared that, “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11 NIV). In like manner, when the Magi came looking for Jesus, prior being worshipped, they asked: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2 NIV). This means Christmas must be celebrated with the right reason in mind and view. Where this is lacking, abuse is inevitable. In both instances where humans celebrated the first Christmas, they were initially intimated by heaven. The shepherds were intimated by the angel and the Magi by the star. In the case of the shepherds, they were not just informed, they also witnessed the heavenly celebration of this first Christmas. The Scripture records that,
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
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