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Did You Miss Christmas?
by Dorothy MOFFITT Did you miss Christmas? The Bible says "He came unto his own and his own received him not.." We may not miss the food and trappings and traditions of Christmas, but do we miss the real meaning of Christmas? At our Bible study we discussed if we really need to celebrate Christmas, which has developed from a pagan spring festival of Estre. Even non Christian countries have adopted the customs of Christmas as a money spinner. The Jews expected God to come to earth as the Messiah with all the trappings of royalty. When he came as a baby to a peasant couple they did not recognize him. King Herod thought of him as a rival and tried to eliminate him by killing all the baby boys in Bethlehem. The shepherds did not miss him when a heavenly angel chorus announced his birth. They found out for themselves. Old Anna waited many years to see him and welcomed him to the temple when his parents took him there to present him to God as good Jewish custom demanded. Old Simeon, also there, in the beautiful song the Nunc Demittus, said he could now die in peace because he had seen God's Saviour. The wise men though not Jews, followed the star and found him. They gave him presents fit for a true king. Not until his cousin John the Baptist announced his arrival as thirty year old man, and God attested that Jesus was his son by a heavenly voice, did the Jews take notice, Even then the church hierarchy resisted his claims, and eventually sent him to his death. But this was in God's plan from the beginning. They were only willing participants. Some parts of the church today reject his virgin birth, his death on the cross and his resurrection. They say he is only a good man and an example. Even the Muslims say he is a prophet. The cross and resurrection is the only way both a human and divine man could pay the ransom for the guilt of our sins, and put us back into a right relationship with God As the second part of our text says"but as many as received him, to those who believed on his name, gave he the right to become the children of God, who are born not of the flesh or the will or man, but of God." Older writer published in magazines and self publisher of books. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |