QTN 18-1-11 Christmas

Opening

Questioning the Norm - is it Biblical to question what we are being told? Is this a form of protest or anarchy that is built on the premise of destroying the church? No on both accounts. It is our duty as Christians to make sure that the narrative that is put out is correct and it is our duty to ensure that the true description of scripture is at the fore front of what we do. In the last 30 years, there has been great strides and forward progress in contemporary Christian music. Along with this progress came the movement of contemporary preaching. But in my opinion, this movement in preaching has not keep up with the progress in contemporary Christian music.

The songs have become more upbeat, create a stirring in the heart, in a sense it has created a call to action in our hearts. It stirs our emotions, the songs have become God centered on His attributes, His Glory and Power. On the other hand, contemporary preaching has moved in the complete opposite direction. Preachers want their messages to stir the same emotions in their listeners. The messages have to be relevant and entertaining to the listener or they will go somewhere else. The messages have moved from God-centered to man-centered. The message has to be relevant to what is happening in the lives of the congregation. It has to be relatable to their lives. The messages are more about application, antidotes and jokes (with a verse or two). It is no longer centered on God’s word and His attributes, His sacrifice, about what He has done. I’m not saying that there are not good points to be made this way, but it cannot be the center of a message.

We have to speak of things that we can explain. To many times good minded people talk about things that have no Biblical foundation, and to a young or new believer, that can create a weak foundation. People go off to school and their faith is challenged either by circumstance or by an individual. If we don’t have a solid Biblical foundation what do we stand on?

Just this week, Nancy and I had two conversations, one about a friend who was approached by a cult, using scripture just wrongly. It was because of that person solid foundation they were able to rebuke that person. They even told them that most people do not have that much Bible knowledge.

The second was about an article about the rise in popularity of the satan religion.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:17–18 ESV

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:17

It is imperative that we preach God’s word and not a ear tickling message. If we want to reach people for God, for a real saving grace, then we must preach the cross and the reason for the cross. A message about how to live may be good, and it may resonate with people to do the right thing. But if they don’t have the reasons they need Christ or who Christ is, who, what and why are they accepting Him. How can God really make changes in their lives if they are not surrendering to Him? Take for instance Max Lucado spiritualizing the donkey.

Spiritualizing the Donkey

“Beneath a suspended star a baby will be born, the angels will sing, the wise men will kneel and children of all ages will go home telling their parents that next year they want a part in the nativity play. Little boys want to be Joseph. Little girls want to be Mary. Some want to wear the angel wings or bear gifts from a distant land. A few might even offer to be the hard-hearted Herod or the hassled innkeeper.

But no one, ever, as far as I know, volunteers to be the donkey. Which is odd, actually, for what greater honor could exist than to do what the donkey did?

The Christmas donkey did his work. He delivered Jesus so Jesus could be delivered.

He plodded. He didn’t gallop or giddy-up. He did what donkeys do. He steadily stepped in the direction the master directed.

And, upon arrival, he stepped to the side. He demanded no recognition, expected no compensation. He isn’t even mentioned in the Bible.

He was happy to do his job and let Jesus have all the attention.

Perhaps we could learn a lesson from the Christmas donkey?”

Ok Max even went on Fox News and other circuits to be interviewed about this position. He ended the message with

So here’s to the donkeys of the story. May your ride be faithful and your rest be fruitful. And we will do our best to follow your example.

Why do we spiritualize things that are not Jesus Christ?

I don’t give a hoot about following the example fo a donkey, I would rather follow the example of the one who came and lived a sinless life, who then gave His life for me. This is at the heart of the issue of contemporary preaching. A great narrative, a great application but scripturally inaccurate. Foundationally, it is built on sand.

Is this not creating an idol of something?

2nd commandment

Exodus 20:4–5 ESV

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,

The greatest commandment,

The greatest commandment,

Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

How are we going to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul and mind by this antidote of a donkey? If you spiritualize something, can you then make it a greater focus the one we should be focusing on?

Lucado’s antidote does have a great application that it is about Jesus and not us. We are to get out of the way and let Him work. But there are better ways to show this, that are Biblical and foundationally solid and are God centered.

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Or

1 John 4:10 ESV

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

We are in sin, we have no way out. But God being a Good God, a Loving God sent His Son to do what we can’t. That is the Christmas narrative that I care about. The example we should follow is Jesus not a donkey

1 John 2:6 ESV

whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

John 10:11 ESV

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 15:13 ESV

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

The Winter Birth

Why do we celebrate Christmas when we do. Was Jesus born during the winter?

Nothing in scripture supports a winter birth. One of the main points as proof is the shepherds. They did not tend flocks during the winter. This activity was a spring through fall activity.

Luke 2:8–9 ESV

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

The fact that they were watching over their flocks, suggest that this was not during the winter. So why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus at this time? Depending on what denomination you grew up on there is a difference on how we came up with the date.

Most Catholics, Lutherans and Orthodox religions point to the Annunciation fo Mary as being around March 25th which would give you a December 25th birthdate. But none of this is supported in scripture as they claim. There are two accounts, Matthew 1:26-38 and

But reading these verses there is no date given. These are interpretations from the early church to explain a date. Not one author gave an indication of the season or time. Why because the date is not important, but the event is.

People (or at least some) say that we should not celebrate Christmas because it came from a pagan holiday. Hogwash says I. Constantine did create Christmas as a celebration of the birth of Christ around December 25, 336. And yes that coincides with 2 pagan winter festivals. The first, starting on December 17 and lasting seven days, honored Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture. The second, starting on December 25 and lasting through January 1, commemorated the birth of Mithras, the Persian god of light. The reality of the creation of Christmas is not that Constantine did away with another pagan festival, he just added Christmas as a holiday (Holy Day) for the birth of Christ. He did not do away with the other festivals (or anything pagan for that matter), those disappeared through the years on their own.

Mary on the Donkey

Luke 2:1–7 ESV

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 2:1-

Does this sound like the Christmas story you have heard? Normally we hear about a very pregnant Mary riding into town, with a gruff inn keeper telling them they have no room in the inn. And they can use the stable out back, because he does have a heart. She gave birth and the shepherds and the wisemen visited with them.

These both sound similar but scripture doesn’t back up the narrative that most are familiar with. Mary riding in on the donkey ready to give birth is no where in scripture. The only thing that is there is in

Luke 2

Luke 2:6 ESV

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

It doesn’t say how long they were there. We don’t see when they left for Bethlehem. All we are told is that it was after Jesus was conceived and Mary visited her cousin. . We do know that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about 3 months

Luke 1:56

Luke 1:56 ESV

And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

So she stayed til it was about time for Elizabeth to give birth. Making Mary about 3 or 4 months pregnant. The time for Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem would take 3 to 4 days, 5 to 6 for a very pregnant Mary but we still do not have a time that they left. The census was not a one particular time frame like we see today. This process took several years to complete. Ancient records show the census ended around 6 AD during the time of Quirinus and probably started around 2 or 1 BC.

It stands to reason, that Joseph would not wait until the end of the pregnancy to travel with Mary. But again, that is only through deduction and not scripture. Also during this time period, we didn’t see Holiday Inn express on every corner. Culturally Joseph and Mary would stay with family not a hotel. We also see a difference of definition on how we use the word today. Back then it was used more as a description of a quest room or party room. It is the same root where we get the bridal chamber

Jesus used the same word in

Luke 22:11 ESV

and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

Mark 14:14 ESV

and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

Houses then centered around life and family. So the manger would have been in the house in the portion where the animals would have been kept. They didn’t have separate barns per say unless they were very wealthy. The house would have been around 24 feet by 24 feet. whether is was built or carved into the side of the hill (cave) doesn’t matter. It would have had two levels, one for the animals and one for the family.

Important to Remember

The birth of Christ, when it took place is not the thing of importance. The fact that the immaculate conception and birth took place is the important thing to remember. The miracle of the virgin birth is were the focus should be. We serve a powerful God, He should be front and center in all of our lives.