I've debated over writing this. I will go ahead and say it here, at this time for us to think about. This is in no way to put others down or create a controversy. People need to think with some spiritual insight instead of following everyone else. We are coming upon a time of year when the religious world will be calling attention to the birth of Jesus. His birth will be in song, in visible ornaments, pageants and plays, dramatized and worshiped. Many sincere and religious people will focus on the birth of Jesus.
The birth of Jesus was not what Jesus asked His disciples (followers) to remember about Him. As Jesus sat with His own apostles, He told them to remember His death (Luke 22:17-20). It is the death of Jesus we assemble together on the first day of each week to remember.
The Old Testament prophets prophesied over and over of His death. Yes, they mentioned His birth here and there but the emphasis was on His dying for the lost. God planned the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus from the beginning of time. It was no accident..."...at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (Rom. 5:6) "This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Eph. 3:11) Peter preached to the Jews that "this Man, delivered up by that predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death." (Acts 2:23) All of creation was pointing to this one event as man's spiritual well being would depend on the death, burial and resurrected Christ.
When the apostles were sent into all the world, they were to preach the gospel (good news) that Jesus had died, was buried and arose on the third day. Not once do we find them speaking and glorifying the birth of Jesus. Paul reminded the Corinthian church about where their salvation came from: the death, burial and resurrection (I Cor. 15:1-4). It was the dying of Jesus for my transgressions and His resurrection for my justification (declared not guilty) (Rom. 4:25). Paul's life was lived daily around the resurrected Christ (Gal. 2:20), not His birth.
The churches of Galatia were being led back into following the Jewish customs of feasts and seasons as set by God under the Law. In Christ, here is God's response to that: "But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain." (Gal. 4:9-11)
God never intended our lives to be broken down into seasons. Our worship and adoration of the Lord is not seasonal because man makes it up. Jesus left us a life-giving proclamation to unite His people every first day of the week called the Lord's Supper. I realize Matthew and Luke record the birth of Jesus but there is very little that deals with His birth compared to the chapters describing His death, burial and resurrection. People aren't saved by His birth but His death, burial and resurrection.
To use seasons for family, friends and enjoyment, that is a privilege we have been given in Christ Jesus (Rom. 14). Enjoy the time. But our worship and adoration of our Lord is not to be seasonal but daily because He raised for our sins. "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." (Col. 2:8)
2 comments:
Even though this is a "touchy" subject which the world grabs onto and uses, it is, nonetheless, an issue that does need to be brought up especially now.
Our faith and our worship, for those which have obeyed Christ, should not have any season to it whatsoever. Paul brings this up in Colossians 1. If we set our sight on Chirst, our focus will be where it should be regardless of the actions of the world. Yes, it is difficult to be completely surrounded and engulfed in the "season" of which the world focuses on at this time of the year. Christains know, through study and the wisdom granted by God, this is not to be our focus.
How do we do this? How do we make sure we are setting our sight on what we should? Through study of God's word. The examples are there for us to learn from. We should not fool ourselves into believing we are facing something new when the World's focus is misplaced. Look at Lot. He was surrounded by those that had the wrong focus and yet he held steadfast to God. Look at Moses, Noah, and the list goes on and on.
What Christians do feel when there is this misplaced focus, even when it's on the birth of Christ, is probably more of a sadness and a heavy heart since we realize the focus is not right and that it appears to be so overwhelming, especially when we attempt to teach those around us where their focus should be.
You stated this well and it should make us all think. Many are being taken captive by traditions of men and principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. I have personally heard some of the so called big name brotherhood preachers defend celebrating the birth of Christ while ignoring God's word on not being taken captive. It makes me wonder, if they have to defend their adoration of the birth of Jesus by misapplying Rom. 14, maybe they have already been taken captive.
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