Celebration and Worship

People have put forward various reasons for the choice of December 25 for the birth of Jesus: 1) December 25 is nine months after March 25, which the historian Sextus Julius Africanus and the early church father Tertullian calculated to be the date of the Passover on which Jesus was conceived (see Tertullian’s Adversus Judaeos, Ch. VIII). This reckoning was based on the tradition that Jesus was conceived and died on the same calendar day. 2) According to another tradition, March 25 was the anniversary of the creation of the world. Jesus’ conception on that date would lead to His birth on December 25. 3) December 25 coincided with a pagan festival celebrating the winter solstice. The church thereby offered people a Christian alternative to the pagan festivities and eventually reinterpreted many of their symbols and actions in ways acceptable to Christian faith and practice. December 25 has become more and more acceptable as the birth date of Jesus. However, some argue that the birth occurred in some other season, such as in the fall. Followers of this theory claim that the Judean winters were too cold for shepherds to be watching their flocks by night. History proves otherwise, however, and we have historical evidence that unblemished lambs for the Temple sacrifice were in fact kept in the fields near Bethlehem during the winter months. With that said, it is impossible to prove whether or not Jesus was born on December 25. And, ultimately, it does not matter. The truth is we simply don’t know the exact date of our Savior’s birth. In fact, we don’t even know for sure the year in which He was born. Scholars believe it was somewhere between 6 BC and 4 BC. One thing is clear: if God felt it was important for us to know the exact date of the Savior’s birth, He certainly would have told us in His Word. The Gospel of Luke gives very specific details about the event, even down to what the baby was wearing–“swaddling clothes”—and where He slept—“in a manger” (Luke 2:12). These details are important because they speak of His nature and character, meek and lowly. But the exact date of His birth has no significance whatsoever, which may be why God chose not to mention it.

GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible record for us? -

That Jesus was born to a virgin mother

that He was born in Bethlehem

that He was born in fulfillment of scripture

That He was GOD INCARNATE

In remembrance of the Incarnation, what wo we do now?— Pick a time to celebrate and worship

What is the Massive implication of this season-

the INCARNATION

Brief history of the universe:

God speaks the universe into existence

God walks in the garden, in fellowship with Adam and Eve

God appears in various Theophanies/Christophanies

“In the fullness of time...” Christ came- God in the flesh, Emmanuel

“Hypostatic Union” by Shai Linne (verse 2)

The Son of God: 100% divinity Self-existent 2nd Person of the Trinity Magisterial Imperial at the helm Infinitely transcending this material realm He's so original, gettin to know Him is pivotal Behold the invincible prototypical Holy Principal

Possessor of all divine attributes The omnis, wisdom, grace, beauty, love, wrath and truth

He’s the One that all creation was made through And by Him, the earth’s foundation was laid, too Ask the angels, they saw it on pay-per-view Created Satan too, matter of fact He created you And nothing can escape Jesus’ sovereign rule From the farthest galaxy to the smallest molecule

So who deserves to gain fame? By the word of His power the universe is maintained In other words, put the cosmos back on the shelf

Without Christ reality would collapse on itself Jesus, the marvelous author of all consciousness

Beyond what the sharpest biologist acknowledges He needs no archeologists or smart apologists He sees all hearts- Omnipresent Cardiologist Master of Logic, Macrocosmic Novelist Following any other god is just preposterous!

WORSHIP

No other God like our God.

Isaiah 44:6–8 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.””

Revelation 21:1–6 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.”

Mystical genealogy of Jesus

John 1:1–5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Being made a servant

Philippians 2:5–11 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”