Nicholas Biswas :
Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice, the King is born! Alleluia! Sing alleluia! Christ is born this day! About 2,019 years ago, the angel Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish woman named Mary and said, “Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of God!” Mary was confused and worried about this sudden news, but she had profound faith in God and said, “I am the Lord’s servant; let it be as you say.” – (Luke 2:10-12)
Mary and her husband-to-be, Joseph, lived in a town called Nazareth. But they had to travel to the city of Bethlehem to register for a census ordered by the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus. Both Nazareth and Bethlehem are in the country now called Israel. It is about 65 miles (105 km) from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and the trip probably took them several days.
Many people are in Bethlehem to register as per law. God must have seen to it that Caesar Augustus made this registration law. Why? Because this made it possible for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, the hometown of his ancestor King David. The Scriptures had long before foretold that this would be the city where the promised Ruler would be born. – (Micah 5:2)
When Joseph and Mary got to Bethlehem, there was no place for them to stay because the inn was already full. They ended up spending the night in a stable, a place where animals were kept. There was probably fresh hay on the floor that they used for beds. That night, Jesus was born. There was no crib, so they laid baby Jesus in a manger, a feeding pot for animals.
What an important night this is! Out in the fields, a bright light gleams around a group of shepherds. It is Jehovah’s glory! One of God’s angels tells the shepherds: “Do not be afraid, for look! I am declaring to you good news of a great joy that all the people will have. For today, there was born to you in David’s city a savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this is a sign for you: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” Suddenly, many more angels appear and say: “Glory in the heights above to God, and on earth peace among men of goodwill.” – (Luke 2:10-14)
When the angels leave, the shepherds say to one another: “Let us by all means go over to Bethlehem and see what has taken place, which Jehovah has made known to us.” They go in a hurry and find the newborn Jesus just where the angel said they would. When the shepherds relate what the angel told them, all who hear about it are astonished. Mary cherishes all these sayings and draws conclusions in her heart.
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, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. – (Isaiah 9:6). Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit – (Galatians 5:22). In fact, it is our Christian duty to rejoice in the Lord – (Philippians 3:1; 4:4 & Thessalonians 5:16). In Christ, the believer is “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” – (1 Peter 1:8)
Although most Christians celebrate December 25 as the birthday of Jesus Christ, few in the first two Christian centuries claimed any knowledge of the exact day or year in which he was born. The oldest existing record of a Christmas celebration is found in a Roman almanac that tells of a Christ’s Nativity festival led by the church of Rome in 336 A.D. The precise reason why Christmas came to be celebrated on December 25 remains obscure, but most researchers believe that Christmas originated as a Christian substitute for pagan celebrations of the winter solstice.
To early Christians (and to many Christians today), the most important holiday on the Christian calendar was Easter, which commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, as Christianity began to take hold in the Roman world, in the early fourth century, church leaders had to contend with a popular Roman pagan holiday commemorating the “birthday of the unconquered sun”.
Every winter, Romans honored the pagan god Saturn, the god of agriculture, with a festival that began on December 17 and usually ended on or around December 25 with a winter-solstice celebration in honor of the beginning of the new solar cycle. This festival was a time of merrymaking, and families and friends would exchange gifts. At the same time, Mithraism – worship of the ancient Persian god of light – was popular in the Roman army, and the cult held some of its most important rituals on the winter solstice.
After the Roman Emperor Constantine, converted to Christianity in 312 and sanctioned Christianity, church leaders made efforts to appropriate the winter-solstice holidays and thereby achieve a more seamless conversion to Christianity. In rationalizing the celebration of Jesus’ birthday in late December, church leaders may have argued that since the world was allegedly created on the spring equinox (late March), so too would Jesus have been conceived by God on that date.
From Rome, the Christ’s Nativity celebration spread to other Christian churches to the west and east, and soon most Christians were celebrating Christ’s birth on December 25. To the Roman celebration was later added other winter-solstice rituals observed by various pagan groups, such as the lighting of the Yule log and decorations with evergreens by Germanic tribes.
The word Christmas entered the English language originally as Christes maesse, meaning “festival of Christ” in Old English. A popular medieval feast was that of St. Nicholas of Myra, a saint said to visit children with gifts and admonitions just before Christmas. This story evolved into the modern practice of leaving gifts for children said to be brought by “Santa Claus”, a derivative of the Dutch name for St. Nicholas-Sinterklaas.
We know that we are children of God, and no one can snatch us away from Him – (John 10:28-29). We are heirs to “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade,” and no one can steal it from us – (1 Peter 1:4 & Matthew 6:20). The joy of the Lord may be inexplicable to the one who does not possess it. But, for the believer in Christ, the joy of the Lord comes as naturally as grapes on a vine. As we abide in Christ, the True Vine, we the branches are full of His strength and vitality, and the fruit we produce, including joy.
Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah uniquely appointed by God to bring about the blessing of salvation to the world. God took our human nature in Jesus Christ, who taught and modeled the new life of the kingdom of God to which he calls his disciples. In his death on the cross he took upon himself the sin of the world, bearing its full cost and penalty so that we are put right with God through his grace by faith in Christ alone. On the cross Jesus also entered into our suffering, defeated the powers of evil and accomplished the reconciliation of all creation. In this bodily resurrection he defeated death and became the forerunner of redeemed humanity. Through his ascension, he is exalted as reigning Lord, and at his return he will execute God’s judgement, destroy Satan, evil and death, and establish the universal reign of God.
The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is a sign of God’s love given freely in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation – an expression that God is with us. This is a great reason for being joyful. Let us rejoice, let us dance as we receive the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
We need to know that in spite of all the troubles and ills which befall us, still the Lord is governing in the affairs of the earth and that if we keep His commandments and are true and faithful to His laws, He will bless us here and now and reward us with eternal life in His kingdom in due course. o
Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice, the King is born! Alleluia! Sing alleluia! Christ is born this day! About 2,019 years ago, the angel Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish woman named Mary and said, “Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of God!” Mary was confused and worried about this sudden news, but she had profound faith in God and said, “I am the Lord’s servant; let it be as you say.” – (Luke 2:10-12)
Mary and her husband-to-be, Joseph, lived in a town called Nazareth. But they had to travel to the city of Bethlehem to register for a census ordered by the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus. Both Nazareth and Bethlehem are in the country now called Israel. It is about 65 miles (105 km) from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and the trip probably took them several days.
Many people are in Bethlehem to register as per law. God must have seen to it that Caesar Augustus made this registration law. Why? Because this made it possible for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, the hometown of his ancestor King David. The Scriptures had long before foretold that this would be the city where the promised Ruler would be born. – (Micah 5:2)
When Joseph and Mary got to Bethlehem, there was no place for them to stay because the inn was already full. They ended up spending the night in a stable, a place where animals were kept. There was probably fresh hay on the floor that they used for beds. That night, Jesus was born. There was no crib, so they laid baby Jesus in a manger, a feeding pot for animals.
What an important night this is! Out in the fields, a bright light gleams around a group of shepherds. It is Jehovah’s glory! One of God’s angels tells the shepherds: “Do not be afraid, for look! I am declaring to you good news of a great joy that all the people will have. For today, there was born to you in David’s city a savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this is a sign for you: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” Suddenly, many more angels appear and say: “Glory in the heights above to God, and on earth peace among men of goodwill.” – (Luke 2:10-14)
When the angels leave, the shepherds say to one another: “Let us by all means go over to Bethlehem and see what has taken place, which Jehovah has made known to us.” They go in a hurry and find the newborn Jesus just where the angel said they would. When the shepherds relate what the angel told them, all who hear about it are astonished. Mary cherishes all these sayings and draws conclusions in her heart.
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, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. – (Isaiah 9:6). Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit – (Galatians 5:22). In fact, it is our Christian duty to rejoice in the Lord – (Philippians 3:1; 4:4 & Thessalonians 5:16). In Christ, the believer is “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” – (1 Peter 1:8)
Although most Christians celebrate December 25 as the birthday of Jesus Christ, few in the first two Christian centuries claimed any knowledge of the exact day or year in which he was born. The oldest existing record of a Christmas celebration is found in a Roman almanac that tells of a Christ’s Nativity festival led by the church of Rome in 336 A.D. The precise reason why Christmas came to be celebrated on December 25 remains obscure, but most researchers believe that Christmas originated as a Christian substitute for pagan celebrations of the winter solstice.
To early Christians (and to many Christians today), the most important holiday on the Christian calendar was Easter, which commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, as Christianity began to take hold in the Roman world, in the early fourth century, church leaders had to contend with a popular Roman pagan holiday commemorating the “birthday of the unconquered sun”.
Every winter, Romans honored the pagan god Saturn, the god of agriculture, with a festival that began on December 17 and usually ended on or around December 25 with a winter-solstice celebration in honor of the beginning of the new solar cycle. This festival was a time of merrymaking, and families and friends would exchange gifts. At the same time, Mithraism – worship of the ancient Persian god of light – was popular in the Roman army, and the cult held some of its most important rituals on the winter solstice.
After the Roman Emperor Constantine, converted to Christianity in 312 and sanctioned Christianity, church leaders made efforts to appropriate the winter-solstice holidays and thereby achieve a more seamless conversion to Christianity. In rationalizing the celebration of Jesus’ birthday in late December, church leaders may have argued that since the world was allegedly created on the spring equinox (late March), so too would Jesus have been conceived by God on that date.
From Rome, the Christ’s Nativity celebration spread to other Christian churches to the west and east, and soon most Christians were celebrating Christ’s birth on December 25. To the Roman celebration was later added other winter-solstice rituals observed by various pagan groups, such as the lighting of the Yule log and decorations with evergreens by Germanic tribes.
The word Christmas entered the English language originally as Christes maesse, meaning “festival of Christ” in Old English. A popular medieval feast was that of St. Nicholas of Myra, a saint said to visit children with gifts and admonitions just before Christmas. This story evolved into the modern practice of leaving gifts for children said to be brought by “Santa Claus”, a derivative of the Dutch name for St. Nicholas-Sinterklaas.
We know that we are children of God, and no one can snatch us away from Him – (John 10:28-29). We are heirs to “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade,” and no one can steal it from us – (1 Peter 1:4 & Matthew 6:20). The joy of the Lord may be inexplicable to the one who does not possess it. But, for the believer in Christ, the joy of the Lord comes as naturally as grapes on a vine. As we abide in Christ, the True Vine, we the branches are full of His strength and vitality, and the fruit we produce, including joy.
Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah uniquely appointed by God to bring about the blessing of salvation to the world. God took our human nature in Jesus Christ, who taught and modeled the new life of the kingdom of God to which he calls his disciples. In his death on the cross he took upon himself the sin of the world, bearing its full cost and penalty so that we are put right with God through his grace by faith in Christ alone. On the cross Jesus also entered into our suffering, defeated the powers of evil and accomplished the reconciliation of all creation. In this bodily resurrection he defeated death and became the forerunner of redeemed humanity. Through his ascension, he is exalted as reigning Lord, and at his return he will execute God’s judgement, destroy Satan, evil and death, and establish the universal reign of God.
The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is a sign of God’s love given freely in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation – an expression that God is with us. This is a great reason for being joyful. Let us rejoice, let us dance as we receive the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
We need to know that in spite of all the troubles and ills which befall us, still the Lord is governing in the affairs of the earth and that if we keep His commandments and are true and faithful to His laws, He will bless us here and now and reward us with eternal life in His kingdom in due course. o
(Nicholas Biswas, contributor to mass media; email: [email protected])
