CHRISTMAS – DID IT HAPPEN?

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. – Isaiah 7:14

“The birth of God’s Son was no accident; it was not the result of unforeseen or uncontrollable events. The all-knowing Creator and Sustainer of all things is never caught off guard. God does not respond to human events; He superintends them. Nowhere is this divine omniscience more clearly seen or more profoundly delineated than in the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

(Marvin J. Rosenthal, Not Without Design)

Also pointed out by Rosenthal and others is that though many great men of history are remembered with holidays on their birthdays, none have both their birth and death commemorated as is Jesus Christ. Yet as we approach the celebration of his birth as the Incarnation of God’s Son we again face the challenges of skeptics and humanists who want public observance curtailed if not removed. The increasing nature of these complaints in media, advertising and the courts lay stress upon a Christian celebration that has been practiced for many centuries. For true and faithful believers it may only be a distraction. Our devotion to Christmas is only a seasonal tribute to our Holy Savior whom we revere and adore not only for his Birth but his Death and Resurrection as well. The Incarnation is central to our core beliefs; otherwise his sacrifice would be meaningless. Probably this is why the secularists want to take Christ out of Christmas.

Last year a number of large retail chains backed off in not allowing their salespersons from greeting their customers with “Merry Christmas.” It again was given to personal choice as it should be. This December the American Humanist Association is running ads on Washington, D. C. buses with the theme: Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake." The subliminal message is of course, “there is no God and celebrating his Son’s birth is merely fostering superstition.” There is also a sort of “evangelical” spirit to their message of disbelief, which they have a right too as much as we with the Christian Gospel. But let us not be willing to back off in the public square with our message either. God in Christ sent his beloved Son Jesus to be born of a virgin, laid in a manger, glorified by angels appearing from heaven and worshipped by shepherds and by Wisemen from the East. For we have substantial and verifiable evidence in recorded history that these things happened. One may refuse to accept them, but no one can disprove them.

Did Christmas happen? Did God look down upon fallen man and see that the time was now ripe for the Savior He had promised to Adam and Eve, Moses and Abraham, prophets and kings to come into our human flesh, live and die but without sin. We say a resounding YES!!! He did! Alleluia! You want proof? You want evidence? Then be willing to accept it. Confess that we are sinners in need of grace, then accept and rejoice in the new life given to you as a gift from God in Jesus’ birth. Then truly you will be good for Goodness sake!