As Christmas approaches, the shopping malls start to flood with colorful Christmas decors, toys, apparel and furniture. Sales and gift-giving are typical events during this season. In some Christian countries like the Philippines the countdown for Christmas starts at the onset of ber months starting with September. This means Christmas carols would be audible during this month: similarly, preparations could be underway, shops and bazaar are taking its cue to plan for the season’s extravaganza, employees are looking forward to salary bonuses, children are awaiting for new dresses, shoes and toys. Schools are concocting for stage shows and parties. With lots of hoorays and jubilees expecting to come, this should be the much awaited season for all Christians around the world.
When I was a kid, Christmas used to bring about a tinge of excitement in me; I would start dreaming of chocolates, dolls and new dresses. My thought was confined to things that other kids revel. But my perception of Christmas became more humanly defined as I reach the puberty age. I would start thinking of Christmas presents and gifts that I intend to give to my love ones. Exposing myself to biblical truth my definition of Christmas has suddenly took a different perspective; as I walk through a new horizon in my life, I found out that what I’m celebrating for the long months of Christmas season is nothing but mere materialism and vain glorification of the Christmas symbol. In the first place, date of Christmas has pre-occupied our minds, giving lavish importance to it and depriving the very One whom should be glorified, Christ Jesus.
Knowing the Biblical truth and facts surrounding the birth of Our Savior.
Scholars do not know the exact date of Christ’s birthday; perhaps God doesn’t want us to put emphasis on the date but rather to the Spirit. For more than 300 years people observed His birthday on various dates. During the time of Bishop Liberius of Rome about 354 A.D. he ordered the people to celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25 to coincide with the celebration of the Feast of Saturn, celebrating the birthday of the sun. Christians honored Christ instead of Saturn as the light of the World. The Christians in Egypt and members of the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrated Christmas on January 6.
The Bible says that angels appeared to the shepherds on the hillsides, some argue that the month of December is the coldest and with heavy rainfall in Palestine and therefore to find shepherds on the hillsides must have occurred during the summer months from June to September, but according to the Missnah, the traditional Jewish doctrines; these were not ordinary shepherds and their sheep. They were the shepherds appointed to tend for the temple flocks which were destined for sacrifices and the flocks stayed in the fields throughout the year. The birth of Christ was announced to these shepherds to signify the coming of the replacement for the sacrificial sheep, the so called Lamb of God who would die for our sins once and for all.
Traditionally there were three wise men who traveled from the east to pay visit to infant Jesus, but the Bible have no record of the number of these wise men but mentioned the type of gifts that they brought with them; the gold, frankincense and myrrh. These wise men known during that time as the magi, these were religious group who held an influential power to choose the king over their realm, which was then known as the Parthian Empire. Their inquiry to king Herod about the newborn king have caused uneasiness to nervous king thinking it might take his throne and so reminded the magi to return to him once they found the infant. Yet the angels appeared to them and warned the same to travel on another route.
The Bible had not told on how these gifts of the magi would the infant Jesus expected to do with them. The guess has to do with financing their flight to Egypt. What these gifts signify: the gifts of gold is the gift of royalty which is only suited for the king. If gold adorned the palaces and the crown of the king the frankincense were used by the priest It was the gift of worship (Lev. 2:1). It is known as the perfume of love, the adoration of king for his bride (Song 3:6). And if frankincense was the gift of worship, the myrrh was a gift of suffering. This myrrh was mixed with vinegar and was given to the suffering Christ on the cross to ease His pain. Nicodemus has brought this myrrh to anoint the body of Jesus after He died.. The process of obtaining myrrh denotes suffering, because the bark of the plant is pierced so that the plant will “bleed” a white gum turns red in contact with the air.
The spirit of Christmas does not only signify giving material things but receiving the gift of salvation that is freely given to us by our Father in Heaven. Receive His gift as this is the will of God that everybody should be saved and make your Christmas more joyful and significant
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Ephesians 2:8,9
For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
.
When I was a kid, Christmas used to bring about a tinge of excitement in me; I would start dreaming of chocolates, dolls and new dresses. My thought was confined to things that other kids revel. But my perception of Christmas became more humanly defined as I reach the puberty age. I would start thinking of Christmas presents and gifts that I intend to give to my love ones. Exposing myself to biblical truth my definition of Christmas has suddenly took a different perspective; as I walk through a new horizon in my life, I found out that what I’m celebrating for the long months of Christmas season is nothing but mere materialism and vain glorification of the Christmas symbol. In the first place, date of Christmas has pre-occupied our minds, giving lavish importance to it and depriving the very One whom should be glorified, Christ Jesus.
Knowing the Biblical truth and facts surrounding the birth of Our Savior.
Scholars do not know the exact date of Christ’s birthday; perhaps God doesn’t want us to put emphasis on the date but rather to the Spirit. For more than 300 years people observed His birthday on various dates. During the time of Bishop Liberius of Rome about 354 A.D. he ordered the people to celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25 to coincide with the celebration of the Feast of Saturn, celebrating the birthday of the sun. Christians honored Christ instead of Saturn as the light of the World. The Christians in Egypt and members of the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrated Christmas on January 6.
The Bible says that angels appeared to the shepherds on the hillsides, some argue that the month of December is the coldest and with heavy rainfall in Palestine and therefore to find shepherds on the hillsides must have occurred during the summer months from June to September, but according to the Missnah, the traditional Jewish doctrines; these were not ordinary shepherds and their sheep. They were the shepherds appointed to tend for the temple flocks which were destined for sacrifices and the flocks stayed in the fields throughout the year. The birth of Christ was announced to these shepherds to signify the coming of the replacement for the sacrificial sheep, the so called Lamb of God who would die for our sins once and for all.
Traditionally there were three wise men who traveled from the east to pay visit to infant Jesus, but the Bible have no record of the number of these wise men but mentioned the type of gifts that they brought with them; the gold, frankincense and myrrh. These wise men known during that time as the magi, these were religious group who held an influential power to choose the king over their realm, which was then known as the Parthian Empire. Their inquiry to king Herod about the newborn king have caused uneasiness to nervous king thinking it might take his throne and so reminded the magi to return to him once they found the infant. Yet the angels appeared to them and warned the same to travel on another route.
The Bible had not told on how these gifts of the magi would the infant Jesus expected to do with them. The guess has to do with financing their flight to Egypt. What these gifts signify: the gifts of gold is the gift of royalty which is only suited for the king. If gold adorned the palaces and the crown of the king the frankincense were used by the priest It was the gift of worship (Lev. 2:1). It is known as the perfume of love, the adoration of king for his bride (Song 3:6). And if frankincense was the gift of worship, the myrrh was a gift of suffering. This myrrh was mixed with vinegar and was given to the suffering Christ on the cross to ease His pain. Nicodemus has brought this myrrh to anoint the body of Jesus after He died.. The process of obtaining myrrh denotes suffering, because the bark of the plant is pierced so that the plant will “bleed” a white gum turns red in contact with the air.
The spirit of Christmas does not only signify giving material things but receiving the gift of salvation that is freely given to us by our Father in Heaven. Receive His gift as this is the will of God that everybody should be saved and make your Christmas more joyful and significant
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Ephesians 2:8,9
For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
.
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