SHOULD CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?

Tonight is when we celebrate Christmas Eve.

& as we gather to celebrate the BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST together as a church …

I’d like to discuss what that means to us.

But before I do …

… the question comes up every year whether Christians should celebrate Christmas.

THERE IS A WAR ON CHRISTMAS.

& Christmas is attacked today not only by the LIBERAL MEDIA & the LIBERAL GOVERNMENT & ATHEISTS …

… but the WAR ON CHRISTMAS has elevated to a new level …

… as even some professing CHRISTIANS now attack Christmas.

You see it on social media every year around this time.

There’s an ANTI-CHRISTMAS CROWD that goes around posting on SOCIAL MEDIA & everywhere …

… claiming that Christmas has so-called PAGAN ORIGINS …

Now, none of us believe that Jesus was necessarily born on December 25th.

The fact is no one knows when Jesus was born, because the Bible doesn’t tell us.

& I don’t think God really cares when we celebrate the birth of His Son …

… otherwise He would have specified Jesus’ birthdate in the Scriptures.

BUT some claim that Dec. 25th was originally the WINTER SOLTICE PAGAN FESTIVAL …

… centering around the FALSE ROMAN GOD, SATURNALIA.

& around this time, the birthday of the FALSE SUN GOD MITHRA was also celebrated.

& so the claim is that Christians of that time INTEGRATED those pagan beliefs into CHRISTMAS.

But I don’t believe that’s true.

I believe the Christians were actually taking the focus OFF of the PAGAN RELIGIONS …

& promoting the birth of Christ in its place.

& so Christianity overshadowed these PAGAN FESTIVALS …

… & dominated the POPULAR CULTURE with the Gospel instead.

I see that as a good thing.

Christianity replaced the wicked pagan practices & holidays of that time …

… & instilled NEW MEANING into them.

Christianity went out to CONQUER & DOMINATE in this way …

… and so many of the stories of those false gods WERE LOST within the personae of the mainstream culture …

& replaced instead with the birth of Christ.

But whether Jesus was born on December 25th or another day …

… as Christians, many of us have collectively chosen to celebrate the BIRTH OF CHRIST on this day.

& whether you celebrate Christmas or WHEN & HOW you celebrate it …

… is really a matter of PERSONAL CONVICTION.

Christmas isn’t something we celebrate out of compulsion …

… since it’s nowhere commanded in Scripture …

… but something we have freely chosen to commemorate from within a LIBERTY PERSPECTIVE.

• & Romans 14 is the GO-TO-CHAPTER for many not-so-black-and-white AREAS of DEBATE …

We should be able to read ROMANS 14 & then close our Bibles & end tonight’s sermon …

But of course, it’s never that simple …

… especially now with some Christians calling Christmas pagan …

Look @ Romans 14:4-6, 10, 13:
4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it …
…
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
…
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

ROMANS 14 has become our GO-TO-CHAPTER on numerous controversial issues …

… from the FOODS that we eat to controversial topics like ALCHOLOL …

… from SABBATH-KEEPING & even HOLIDAYS like Christmas & Easter.

Romans 14 teaches that on all these matters, the Christian Soul is @ LIBERTY …

… & that we ought to tolerate one another’s personal convictions …

The only restriction in ROMANS 14 is not to put a stumbling block before the WEAKER brother …

… the WEAKER BROTHER who is NOT FREE IN HIS OWN MIND to do those things which the Bible does not condemn.

• I recently took part in a live, online VIDEO debate where my Christmas tree was in the background …

… & someone commented that I’ve erected NIMROD’S PHALLUS in my LIVING ROOM …

… that I worship NIMROD.

That’s the kind of ludicrous rhetoric that you sometimes hear from the ANTI-CHRISTMAS CROWD.

& not surprisingly, this “EVERYTHING IS PAGAN” narrative …

… is also being pushed by groups like the HEBREW ROOTS CULT that I mentioned earlier …

… it’s one of their main contentions …

… to get people back to the OLD COVENANT & to being “TORAH-OBSERVANT” …

… instead being @ LIBERTY IN CHRIST under the NEW COVENANT …

• The JEHOVAH’S FALSE WITNESSES are another group who don’t believe in celebrating CHRISTMAS …

… because of its so-called PAGAN ORIGINS.

THE 7TH DAY ADVENTISTS also don’t celebrate CHRISTMAS or any religious holiday …

… & instead focus on their legalistic version of the Saturday Sabbath.

All of these are Pharisaical man-made rules intended to place Christians under subjection to the LAW OF MOSES …

… instead of the GRACE OF CHRIST …

It has to make you wonder when the ANTI-CHRISTMAS CROWD is on THE SAME PAGE with so many FALSE RELIGIOUS GROUPS & CULTS.

& So, because the ANTI-CHRISTMAS NARRATIVE is getting louder & louder year by year …

… I’d like to address the question of Christmas celebrations from a Biblical perspective …

… & God-willing, settle it once & for all …

Increasingly, THE ANTI-CHRISTMAS CROWD is behaving like a BUNCH OF GRINCHES who stole Christmas.

But the hard fact is that THEY CANNOT PROVE their views from the position of Scripture.

… It’s impossible to do from a Biblical perspective …

… & so they turn instead to PAGAN MYTHS & HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS of pagan festivals as their proof.

BUT ONE OF THE MAIN PASSAGES that the ANTI-CHRISTMAS CROWD likes to use OUT OF CONTEXT is …

JEREMIAH 10.

This is their main passage & it’s so easy to refute …

Jeremiah 10:2-4:
2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

At first glance, it sounds like the Bible’s talking about CHRISTMAS TREES!

But when you read JEREMIAH 10 in context …

… it becomes obvious that this passage has nothing to do with Christmas …

… but is about CUTTING TREES DOWN for the purpose of MAKING IDOLS.

• READ IT AGAIN IN CONTEXT.

Jeremiah 10:2-5:
2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the >>> way of the heathen<<< [what did the heathen do? They set up & worshipped idols instead of God], and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, >>> the work of the hands of the workman<<<, with the axe. [A Tree is not the work of the hands of a workman. Trees are created by God. So this passage is obviously not talking about the tree itself, but what was being crafted out of the tree. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. [Obviously, IDOLD were being carved out of the tree, before they were decorated with silver and gold. The heathen used to decorate their wooden idols & overlay them with gold and silver.] 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. [This passage is about not being afraid of idols or ascribing them power because they are nothing but decorated wood. The rest of the context of Jeremiah 10 makes it even more clear that it’s speaking of idols, and not Christmas trees.] Jeremiah 10:9-11: 9 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men. 10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. 11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. This is paralleled in other Biblical passages, like Psalm 115:4: “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.” • What the ANTI-CHRISTMAS CROWD is doing is EISEGESIS, not EXEGESIS. EISE is from the Greek supposition “INTO”, meaning to import your own ideas INTO a Bible passage. … whereas EXEGESIS, EXE from the Greek, “OUT OF” or “TO LEAD OUT OF” … is EXTRACTING meaning from the Bible. In other words, we are supposed to let THE BIBLE SHAPE our opinions … … and not let our ideas SHAPE the Bible’s. • If the ANTI-CHRISTMAS CROWD wants to use JEREMIAH 10 to claim that it’s about CHRISTMAS TREES … Then we can use passages like Isaiah 60:13 to say that God used FIR TREES and PINE TREES to beautify His holy temple. Speaking of God’s sanctuary, Isaiah 60:13 says: “The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.” But we’re not going to EISEGETE the Bible, because that would be reading into the text. ISAIAH 60:13 isn’t saying that they were bringing FIR & PINE TREES into the sanctuary … … but that the THE WOOD from these trees were going to be used in the building of God’s temple … But that’s the type of methodology they’re interpreting JEREMIAH 10. Lebanon was known for having the best fir, cedar, & pine trees in the entire region … These TREES were valuable as a commodity. They were the prized cedars of Lebanon. Psalm 92:2 says: “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” … and so the WOOD from those trees would be used in the building of the temple of God. & The SAME NATIONS who were once Israel’s enemies … like Lebanon … … would now bring their finest commodities to help build the temple of the God of Israel. Another passage that the “ANTI-CHRISTMAS CROWD” crowd EISEGETES is Isaiah 44:14-15, 17: 14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. 15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. … 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. They say that every time we kneel before the Christmas tree to put a present under it … … we are bowing IN WORSHIP OF THE TREE. • But this is faulty logic. When you kneel down to fix the plumbing under your sink, are you worshiping your sink? When you kneel down to change a flat tire, are you worshiping your car? That’s the stupidity of the Anti-Christmas Crowd … … & how badly they are twisting God’s Word. IF I WERE TO APPLY the same standard to our CALENDAR that the CHRISTMAS IS PAGAN CROWD applies to Christmas … … we’d have to ban EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE WEEK … & also several cars that we drive … … like the MAZDA (from the Persian false goddess Ahura Mazda, the false god of ZOROASTRIANISM) … to the SATURN, because it’s named after the ROMAN GODDESS, SATURNALIA. Did you know that wedding rings were ADOPTED FROM PAGANISM? I bet the same people calling Christmas pagan wear wedding rings. THE DAYS OF THE WEEK ARE ALL PAGAN. The day SUNDAY comes from the “SUN’S DAY” as in the SUN … MONDAY comes from “MOON DAY”, when ancient peoples worshiped THE MOON GODDESS. TUESDAY comes from the NORSE GOD, TYR. WEDNESDAY comes from “WODEN’S DAY” or in NORSE, “ODIN”. THURSDAY comes from THOR’S DAY, the NORSE god of THUNDER. FRIDAY comes from the NORSE GODDESS OF LOVE, who also happens to be ODIN’S WIFE. & SATURDAY comes from SATURN’S DAY the ROMAN GOD OF WEALTH, PLENTY, & TIME. • What the ANTI-CHRISTMAS CROWD is actually doing is bringing back a lot of AWARENESS to once-dead pagan beliefs. They’re the ones promoting it. SO WHERE DID THE TRADITION OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE COME FROM? The truth is, we don’t know for sure, but we have some historical indications. & there’s a lot of theories out there … …. But the historical account that I find the most interesting is that of ST. BONIFICE & the CHRISTMAS TREE. Now, I don’t like calling him St. Bonifice, unless I start calling all of you Saints … … because we’re all Saints by the unmerited favor of Jesus Christ. But history shows that BONIFICE was a missionary to Germany, in the early 8th century. & THE STORY GOES LIKE THIS: Based on his missionary travels, BONIFICE, knew that in the Winter the inhabitants of a German village, called Geismar … … gathered around a huge old oak tree (known as the “Thunder Oak”). THE THUNDER OAK was dedicated to the FALSE GOD THOR. & the annual worship of THOR involved a human sacrifice, usually that of a small child. But BONIFICE determined to evangelize the village. THE PAGANS had previously boasted that “the God of Boniface could not destroy” THE THUNDER OAK … So Bonifice gathered a few friends & journeyed to the village. Scared that the Germans might kill them … … his fellow missionaries objected when they reached the outskirts of the village on Christmas Eve. But Boniface steadied their nerves & as they approached the pagan gathering he said: “Here is the Thunder Oak; and here the cross of Christ shall break the hammer of the false god Thor.” These are his words recorded in historical documents. BONIFACE arrived at the annual sacrifice & in a great show of force … … he grabbed AN AXE & chopped down the THUNDER OAK of Thor. BONIFICE then preached the Gospel to the German village. … & he used a little fir tree that was behind the now felled oak as a tool of evangelization. Pointing to the FIT TREE, he said: “This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall be your holy tree tonight. It is the wood of peace… It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are ever green. See how it points upward to heaven. Let this be called the tree of the Christ-child; gather about it, not in the wild wood, but in your own homes; there it will shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts and rites of kindness.” I believe this German Christian tradition took root … … and such traditions have evolved over the centuries and taken on their own meaning … Now does the Bible teach that we should get a Christmas tree & exchange gifts? No, of course not, that’s purely a German, English, or American tradition. But it’s a harmless tradition. I’ve preached plenty about the traditions of the church … But the Bible nowhere commands us to celebrate Christmas … … but such celebrations & traditions comes down to our LIBERTY in Christ. Our LIBERTY IN CHRIST is what we are defending … A friend of mine, Daniel Stone, said recently, quoting his pastor: “That he is so free in Christ that he can be sitting under a Christmas tree, in a halloween costume, eating an Easter egg and that would be Okay.” Galatians 5:13-14 says: 13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. In other words, we are free to do what we want … … only we shouldn’t use our freedom in Christ as an opportunity to sin. We are to be ruled by the law of loving God & our neighbor as ourselves. Galatians 5:1 says: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” 2 Corinthians 3:17: “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” John 8:36 says: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” We are only restricted from using our liberty as a cloak for sin. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24: 23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s … & Those who are trying to shut down Christmas are doing more harm than good to the cause of Christ. Can the commercialism of Christmas spiral out of control? Yes. But think about it: this is one time of the year where for an entire month … … the a large portion of the unbelieving world tolerates & even likes … …. The proclamation of Christ’s birth … … through music & media in their stores & on TV. That’s why atheists are trying to ban Christmas … … because it ultimately points to Christ. • WHAT’S WRONG w/ CHRISTMAS isn’t the holiday itself, but what we have done with it … SANTA CLAUSE has replaced the CHRIST in Christmas … & his elves have taken the focus off of Christ. & as Christians, we shouldn’t tell our children the LIE that SANTA CLAUSE is real. We’ve never told our children that Santa “is real” … In fact, there’s always that ONE KID who eventually tells all the other children at school that Santa is a fake … … Well that one kid was Alasdair … In 2nd grade, my son Alasdair broke it to all the children in his class that Santa is really their parents. He was that kid. THE BOTOM LINE? THE ANTI-CHRISTMAS CROWD is just being legalistic & attempting to place Christians under bondage. 1 Corinthians 10:29-31 says: 29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? 30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? 31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. • But when it comes to this topic, the ANTI-CHRISTMAS CROWD … … has more in common with false religions like the Jehovah’s Witnesses & The Hebrew Roots Cult … … than they do with Christians. So let’s take the last portion of this sermon in the PROCLAMATION OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. LUKE 2:1-4: 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. [Leave it to the government to tax “all the world”]. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) • Why is this important? Because the MESSIAH, the CHRIST, would come from the physical lineage of David. He would be born in Bethlehem, though He would be raise as a Nazarene in Nazareth. (btw: people mix up “Nazarene” with “Nazarite” as in the Nazarite vow - 2 completely separate things. There is no Scriptural evidence that Jesus ever took the Nazarite vow. In fact, the Bible shows Him drinking wine with sinners … … something that you cannot do under a Nazarite vow). Jeremiah 23:5-6 says: 5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this [is] his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. God told David in 2 Samuel 7:16: “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” In Psalm 132:11 God says to David: “The LORD hath sworn [in] truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.” In the immediate context, God was talking about Solomon. In the prophetic context, God was talking about Jesus … John 7:42 says: “Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” Paul says of Jesus in Romans 1:3: “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;” In Revelation 22:16 Jesus says of Himself: “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” This hearkens back to Isaiah 11:1 which says: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:” & of Jesus, Micah 5:2 prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” & Matthew 2:23 says: “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” Now, nowhere in the Scriptures is it written that Jesus would be called a Nazarene. & some claim that that’s an error in Scripture. But notice that it says that it was “spoken by the prophets”, not written. This was a verbally given prophecy which was passed down orally through the generations. Nazareth had a terrible reputation among the Israelites. In John 1:46, Nathanael says of Jesus: “… Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.” This parallels the fact that Jesus was rejected of men, a man of sorrows. Isaiah 53:3: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” TURN 1 PAGE BACK to LUKE 1, & let’s backtrack the story a bit. READ LUKE 1:26-27: 26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. There was the start of the Christmas miracle. MARY was a VIRGIN. And the VIRGIN BIRTH has historically been under attack. Its’ very important to continue to defend the miracle of the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION … not of Mary as Roman Catholics claim … … but of Jesus. Mary was not born immaculate. Only the Son of God conceived by the Holy Spirit inside of Mary was born WITHOUT THE SIN NATURE. This is a prophecy which goes back to Isaiah 7:14, which says: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Some people try to change the Bible there … & say that “VIRGIN” really means a young maiden or a young woman … … But if there was no LITERAL VIRGIN … … if there is no IMMACULATE CONCEPTION … … then there is no miracle … ... and there is no Savior … … because the sin nature would have passed from Joseph & Mary to Jesus … … Jesus would NOT HAVE BEEN QUALIFIED to die on the Cross for our sins. But Jesus was born without sin, the incarnation of God, God Himself in the flesh … … fully God & fully man, the Second Divine Person of the Holy Trinity. LUKE 1:28: “And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” * Notice she is blessed among women, but she is no god … … she is not the CO-MEDIATRIX with Christ … … she is God’s chosen & blessed vessel to bear the Son of God … … & to be a mother to him on the earth. Mary says herself that she herself is in need of a Savior. In Luke 1:46-47, Mary says of herself: 46 … My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. If she needs a Savior, she is a sinner. Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” LUKE 1:29-33: 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Jesus is the INCARNATION OF GOD, GOD BEGOTTEN AS MAN … … YET existing ETERNALLY in the HEAVENS. John 1:14 says: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Some people deny the deity of Christ; they deny His place within the Godhead. But Isaiah 9:6 says that He is the Mighty God: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, >>> The mighty God, The everlasting Father <<<, The Prince of Peace.” It was God manifest in the flesh. That is the proclamation of Christmas, the good news, the tidings of great joy. Colossians 1:15 says of Him: “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:” Continuing in LUKE 2:5-7: 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. People don’t have room of Jesus in their lives. It’s been that way since the moment of his birth. LUKE 2:8-10: 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. The Gospel would be preached to all nations … The story of Christmas is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The Israelites would reject their own Messiah … … and the Gospel would now be preached to every nation, to Jews & Gentiles alike. Matthew 24:14 says: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Christmas, the birth of Jesus, meant the preaching of the Gospel. It meant salvation for all who believe. The BIRTH OF CHRIST means the GREAT COMMISSION: Mark 16:15: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Luke 2:11-14: 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST meant PEACE ON EARTH. This was not talking about now, but the Second Coming of Christ … … when Christ shall reign in peace during the millennial kingdom. But the MESSAGE OF PEACE that the ANGELS ultimately brought was of PEACE between God & men … … it was a MESSAGE OF PEACE for those who would believe … … because of sin, GOD’S WRATH abides on us ... But Jesus was born and died to reconcile us to God. Romans 5:10 says: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” 2 Corinthians 5:18: “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS is ultimately the story of redemption. Without the virgin birth & the miracle of Christmas … … there would be no peace with God … … no reconciliation, no salvation … LUKE 2:15-20: 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. The shepherds were the FIRST EVANGELISTS. They preached the BIRTH OF CHRIST. They celebrated the birth of Christ. No wonder the WORLD hates Christmas, because it’s about the BIRTH OF CHRIST .. … the INCARNATION OF GOD into the WORLD … … it speaks of the SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT … … THE BLOOD SACRIFICE … … that’s why they want us to stop saying, “MERRY CHRISTMAS” … … that’s why Satan wants to attack Christmas & make it about material gifts … … instead of spiritual ones. The real ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS is not PAGAN, but Christian. Let’s close with a portion of the Gospel, the most important part … …. which encapsulates the incarnation of God, God becoming flesh … … and offering SALVATION TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIS NAME. John 1:9-14: 9 [That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.