Truth

Truth

Red Letter Christmas

John 18:37

English Standard Version

37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)

6 For to us a child is born,     to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder,     and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace     there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

To establish it and uphold it

with justice and with righteousness     from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

So what is the truth about Christmas?

The word Christmas comes from MASS of Christ

And was started by the Roman Catholic Church

Why?

Long ago there was pagan festival called Saturnalia festival it honored the Saturn god, the roman Sol god and the Persian Mithra god, a comibined festival for the sun gods and it was held on Dec 25th

Roughly around the year 350 ad Pope Julius declared Dec 25th as Jesus birthday. Over time the birth of Jesus celebration took over the celebration of the gods, although many of the traditions still continue today.

During Saturnalia, work and business came to a halt. Schools and courts of law closed, and the normal social patterns were suspended.

People decorated their homes with wreaths and other greenery and evergreens.

Instead of working, Romans spent Saturnalia gambling, singing, playing music, feasting, socializing and giving each other gifts. Wax taper candles called cerei were common gifts during Saturnalia, to signify light returning after the solstice.

On the last day of Saturnalia celebrations, known as the Sigillaria, many Romans gave their friends and loved ones small terracotta figurines known as signillaria, which may have referred back to older celebrations involving human sacrifice.

Saturnalia was by far the jolliest Roman holiday. They called it the best of times.

So your first question might be when was Jesus born?

Well we honestly have no idea the exact day, the bible does not tell us

Matter a fact the only Birthdays that where ever talked about being celebrated in the bible was Pharaohs in genesis and king Herod’s in Mathew and Mark.

If we had to take a guess at Jesus birthday and it its just that it’s a guess. Most believe it is late sept early October

First clue

Luke 2:8 (ESV)

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

This could never have occurred in Judaea in the month of December. The shepherds always brought their flocks from the mountainsides and fields and corralled them not later than October 15, to protect them from the cold, rainy season that followed that date.

Song of Solomon 2:11 and Ezra 10:9 speak to this.

Luke 2:16 (ESV)

16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

The magi.. not kings .. not three who knows how many.. where not at Jesus birth but months later

The beautiful connection these magi have is actually to Daniel who ruled over them and he would of taught them about the Jewish origin of the Messiah and oh by the way the magi did not follow the star to Bethlehem. These magi where also knowns a astronomers.. there was a planet that some believe might have been Jupiter that would have been bright in the sky..what is called a celestial event Matthew 2:2 We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. And Jesus was not a baby when the magi came he was a child under the age of 2.

And Mary and joseph might have been in a garage not a stable and there may or may not of been animals . we know of a manger but that’s all the bible says .Luke 2:4-7.

So what is the true meaning of Christmas?

Joseph..angel

Matthew 1:21-23 (ESV)

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,     and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us).

The truth is Jesus came to save us from ourselves

John 18:37

Jesus said the whole purpose for his birth was to be truth

Jesus is the truth

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This truth in Jesus day was life altering for some and problematic for other..no different today. The truth is hard for some and believing it would alter their whole way of life.

The bible says that it should.. it should pierce us like a double edge sword it should renew a right spirit..it should produce fruit.. humility, giving, loving the unlovable.

The Truth is God is with us

John 14:6 (ESV)

I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus came to sacrifice himself for us so that we could be in relationship with the Father.

1 John 5:20 (ESV)

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

We experience truth in the word and its when we read and understand it that we either live in it or the world’s truth.

Revelation 1:5 (ESV)

5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

We should listen to the truth

Psalm 86:11 (ESV)

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,     that I may walk in your truth;     unite my heart to fear your name.

J. B. Phillips was translating the New Testament from Greek to modern English 40 years ago and said afterwards, "[I] felt rather like an electrician rewiring an ancient house without being able to turn the mains off" (Letters to Young Churches, London, 1947, p. xii).

When he finished with the gospels, he said, "There is an almost childlike candor and simplicity, and the total effect is tremendous. No man could ever have set down such artless and vulnerable accounts as these unless some real Event lay behind them" (The Ring of Truth, London, 1967, p. 58).

We live in a world which truth seems super hard to come by.. watching news, reading posts, getting lost on reddit.. who do we believe what do we believe

Its usually after you spend a lot of time with someone listen to them speak and you start to gain their understanding of the subject that you see wether they are speaking truthfully or with validity.

Dr. E.V. Rieu was a scholar who translated both the ancient poet Homer and the four gospels from Greek into modern English. He was not committed to their spiritual content at the time.

But he said, "I got the deepest feeling that I possibly could have expected. It . . . changed me; my work changed me. And I came to the conclusion that these words bear the seal of . . . the Son of Man and God. And they're the Magna Carta of the human spirit" (The Ring of Truth, London, p. 56).

Lee strobel case for Christ atheist set out to debunk the bible and God…

John 7:17 (ESV)

17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.

Truth is we are called to celebrate the truth of Christ

Colossians 1:15-20 (ESV)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. N m

All things root themselves in sin one way shape or form because we are sinful people…I think births, anniversaries and even death can be celebrated for those who follow Christ.. So how much more should we celebrate Jesus..

even if the date of December 25 was chosen because of its proximity to some kind of pagan festival. Let's just take it, sanctify it, and make the most of it, because Christ is worthy of being celebrated

Jesus stood before pilate and still spoke truth while facing death

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (ESV)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for[a] you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Candy Cane