B This is the perfect combination a knowledge of the Good News and men who need to hear it. The world treats the message of Christmas as wishful thinking because the world is not right with God and it does not wish to assume its own spiritual responsibility before Him. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. It is an attempt to take what you know and then by an exercise of the mind to build upon it. Looking at the verse closely, we find that it uses the word "rest" twice. It teaches us that we will find this second rest when we take time to "figure out" the Lord Jesus Christ and attempt to walk in His way. The Life! The verse quoted was translated from Latin to English by Frederick Oakeley, 1841. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. When circumstances are right, there is happiness; but when the source of happiness departs, happiness goes with it. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. In other words, the only ultimate essential for proclaiming the gospel is a knowledge of it. The other kind of amazement is a holy wonder in response to those acts of God which are beyond human comprehension. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. It is not just brooding or getting into a pious frame of mind. It is selfishness and pride, plus the lack of individual peace and contentment. Moreover, if you will permit me to apply it in this way, it seems to me that apart from the truths which the angels revealed to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds two thousand years ago concerning the birth of Christ apart from really understanding what they said and meant undoubtedly, this Christmas, the real meaning of the birth of Christ will pass us by also. It is in this sense a doxology, which means to express a right opinion of God verbally. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. I believe that I can illustrate the fact that two kinds of peace are involved here by the wording of one of Charles Wesley's great hymns, in which the same contrast is found, although the actual word used is different. For from him and through him and to him are all things. Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Inc, 1716 Spruce St. Philadelphia, PA 19103 The first of these important appearances was to Mary. Or that they had not been endorsed by the temple authorities? Crashaw, Richard (1612?-1649). And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord., For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.. On December 25th people the world over will celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. Keiper, Ralph L. Peace in Storm. It was confused because it lacked revelation and, therefore, also an awareness of truth. Blog, A He was born to die. Perhaps you are anxious to be delivered from some tenacious sin, but you do not seem to have deliverance. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. The Bible says that when Jesus was born, a multitude of angels appeared suddenly and erupted in joyful praise to God, saying: "Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill." ( Luke 2:13, 14) However, it is noteworthy that nowhere in the Bible is there even a suggestion that Jesus' birthday should be celebrated. V Christmas is not Christian because it is associated with many pagan birth mythsand Dec. 25 was not the date of Christ's birth. There are plenty of decorations to buy and parties to attend during this season but how should we really celebrate Christmas? Salvus means "healthy" or "whole." We need to think about each of these ways. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's house. Christians celebrate Christmas, or the birth of Jesus Christ, on December 25th. There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. The Greek word for peace is eirene. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. It is one of the great words of the Greek language. But over against this dying world was Jesus. The second message brought by the angels concerning the birth of Christ is the message to Joseph. Sol Invictus was a pagan god who was believed to be the unconquered sun. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). He wrote and remember, he is writing to Christians "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Who was He really? And we need to understand exactly what the biblical meaning of these words is if we are to understand this part of the angel's announcement. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate. When men seek to have their own way, it becomes a mighty farce. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. Moreover, the Bible teaches that if you will believe that that is, if you will believe that you are not at peace with God naturally but that He has made peace through the death of His Son for your sin - then God will enter into the kind of eternal relationship with you in which you can be called His son or daughter. 5. Luke 1:35 ESV / 25 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. You shall not do any ordinary work. Judging from the Christmas cards I get every year, I suspect that this is the phrase from the Christmas story that is most popular with people in our day. Systematic Theology. Psalms 118:24 - This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Ralph L. Keiper once said, "When we know Christ, not as a doctrine or a theory, but as Savior and Friend in our daily experience, we gain a confidence in Him which brings peace to our hearts. 52 Bible Verses about Celebration Verse Concepts They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. The Bible says, But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! They would readily tell you that the Bible commands us to celebrate Jesus' birth - that it is a time of rejoicing for the coming of the Savior of the world. At best she might have guessed that the child that was born to her might possibly be the Messiah. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). Is there such a verse? "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Each year when I read the Christmas story, I am impressed with the role that the angels play in it. The difficulty with this approach does not lie in the thought that the biblical view of salvation is unrelated to such themes. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. Christ was born to save! Geocoding You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. Malachi, who lived in the fifth century before Christ, was the last of the prophets. Let me illustrate this by a story from the life of Dr. Ralph L. Keiper, who was a professor of English Bible at Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary in Denver, Colorado, and who was for many years associated with Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse in his ministry. Jesus was born to be our Savior as the carol says: Christ was born to save! If you know this joy, then you can go on, as the angels did, to give glory to God; and you can possess that peace of heart and soul which transcends understanding. Praise the Lord! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. In other words, the best way to celebrate Christmas is by becoming a follower of Him whose birth we commemorate. Nevertheless, this is the day that most people, Christians and non-Christians alike, observe as His birthday, and if we are to mark it at all, this seems to be the only realistic time to do it. A concordance soon gives the answer. And then this is what is so wonderful Joseph believed him. 'From whence,' he asks, 'come wars and fighting among you?' And "you will find rest for your souls." The Practical Epistle of James. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. His works were first collected in one volume in 1858, by William Barclay Turnbull. It comes from a verb which means "to reconcile" or "to bring back into harmony." O come, all ye faithful, And he called out with a mighty voice, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! The professor replied that he thought he had. His birthday was celebrated on December 25th. Things seem to go as they have been going from the beginning, and you want something better. Tillich developed his understanding of salvation from the meaning of the Latin word salvus, which underlies it. He is able to deliver you from whatever your particular sin may be alcoholism, unlawful sex, a bad temper, gossiping, pride, selfishness whatever it is. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Although there is no mention of Jesus specifically mentioning to celebrate Christmas, the Bible does say that he was born on December 25th. This can be a very trying experience. There are two answers. 2. This is the first message that I would leave with you. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. And the shepherds would not have come to the manger in the little town of Bethlehem if the angels had not conveyed their message. Jesus Christ does not thus become some magical wand which causes all our troubles to disappear. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:1-3). You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. To understand what God has to say about peace, we need to recognize that there are different types of peace spoken about in the Bible and that of all of these, the most important is the peace we have with God as the result of justification. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. What is the solution? "The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology" explains that the earliest Christians did not have a time when they regularly observed Christ's birth. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Systematic Theology Volume 2: Existence and the Christ. We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said to him, Will you take me down to this band? And he said, Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band. And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. Shout to God with loud songs of joy! However, God does promise to give us what we need (Philippians 4:19), and He promises to keep our minds in His peace, if we will pray to Him. In other words, James is saying that war begins with men's emotions. Love never ends. In this verse, Simeon says to Mary, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a . One day just before Christmas vacation, the professor said, "Well, Keiper, are you going to preach that old Christmas farce again?" Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Toll Free: 1-877-247-2426. Ponder the great doctrines of the Christian faith doctrines of the incarnation, atonement, grace, sanctification, heaven, perseverance, and others so that you begin to grow strong in doctrine. These words mean "a right opinion," "a wrong opinion," and "a contradictory opinion" respectively. Clap your hands, all peoples! Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Now when you acknowledge a person's true worth or express a proper opinion of him, you may be said to be glorifying him. What is the source of the fighting and turmoil in the world today and, unfortunately at times, within the churches? Why not join every year with the shepherds on that first Christmas, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen (Luke 2:20)? Further light is shed upon these verses by the meaning of the words for peace in the original Greek and Latin. Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? There are a few Bible verses that seem to suggest that Jesus did not want people to celebrate his birth. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Will anyone argue that they were uneducated? Before we turn to the book of Luke, I want to say first that by far the best and greatest way to celebrate Christmas is by becoming a Christian if you have never done so. Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. Now, just as the Bible speaks of peace with God so it also speaks about a peace of God, and this is quite different. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. I know, of course, that Jesus was probably not born on December 25 at least there is no real evidence that He was. Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Philadelphia: Evangelical Foundation), 1961, pages 12-13. For praising God is essentially an act of glorifying God with the whole being and, in this, music quite naturally takes a part. He asked him to examine the last clause of the verse carefully: "good will toward men." Or, in other words, there is a peace with God that we receive freely at the moment of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is another peace that we are able to enter into increasingly as we learn to know and trust Him. This holy amazement is closely melded to adoration. Sing God's praises. It is clearly God's transformation and control of the emotions. James means that the lack of peace between men has its true source in men's emotions. However, by the late fourth century it was generally celebrated in churches. Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 ESV / 156 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. The word "pact" also comes from it. Finally, in chapter 1, verse 7, Paul indicates that the only solution to the problem lies in receiving peace from God: "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." TopicalBible Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. This is the peace spoken of by the Apostle Paul in the first verse of the fifth chapter of Romans: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The situation would have been difficult for anyone to understand, let alone a man engaged to a woman who was expecting a child. In the book of Philippians, Paul speaks of this peace when he says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Moreover, since acknowledging His true worth is the essential meaning of worship it means to acknowledge God's worth to glorify God is to worship Him by words. Did they have joy? How could their tongues be silent when they had heard such music? Rather, He enables us to face them with a quietness, a calmness and confidence, which makes it possible to find a solution" 10 This is the peace that Edward Bickersteth wrote about in the late nineteenth century, in a verse which has since become one of our great hymns: The first way in which we find this peace, then, is by learning of Jesus.