December 2009 Archives

New Year's Day--it is supposed to be a time of new beginnings. It is marked by celebrations, parties, football, and resolutions--and for some, hangovers. Culturally, compared to Christmas, New Year's Day is also less stressful. One does not hear declarations of "Keep Christ in the New Year" bandied about on talk shows. No one speaks of New Year's Day as a religious holiday. However, for most people New Year's Day is a deeply religious holiday. It is the holiday of self-worship. It is a day when people believe that if they make specific resolutions and determine to turn over a new leaf, they can change the things about themselves that they don't like.  It is a day on which people believe (or perhaps just hope) that they can change by simply wanting to. But like all other false religions, the worship of self and self-will results in disappointment. In reality, New Year's Day is a day like any other--it is a day to serve God or to serve self.

Dr. Al Mohler made this statement in his post "Where does the Story of Christmas Begin?": "A closer look at the narratives in both Matthew and Luke reveals a richness that familiarity may hide from us. Matthew begins with the genealogy of Christ...." Dr. Mohler makes an excellent point. We tend to put aside verses in the biblical text that don't appear to be of particular interest--like genealogies. However, skipping over such pasages is not wise. The Holy Spirit included these names for a reason. His version of the Christmas story includes more detail than we have become accustomed to thinking about. Each of the names in the genealogy represents a story within the larger story of Christmas. In the initial post in this two-part series we looked at the inclusion of Rahab in Matthew's genealogy of Christ. Ruth is also part of this story. Her inclusion in this listing of names is just as stunning as Rahab's. You see, Ruth was from Moab.

Isaac Watts wrote "Joy to the World" based upon Psalm 98. The psalm speaks of God's power in winning a great victory. And, of course, the advent of Jesus Christ marks the beginning of this victory that culminated in the triumph of this same Christ on the cross. God fulfilled the promise he offered to Eve and all of mankind in the Garden. Jesus is the One who would crush the serpent's head and give joy to a broken world.

I enjoyed reading Al Mohler's post "Where does the Story of Christmas Begin?" This thought in particular caught my attention: "A closer look at the narratives in both Matthew and Luke reveals a richness that familiarity may hide from us. Matthew begins with the genealogy of Christ...." Dr. Mohler, as usual, is on target. We tend to put aside verses in the biblical text that don't appear to be of particular interest-- like genealogies. However, this is not wise. The Holy Spirit included these names for a reason. His version of the Christmas Story includes more detail than we have become accustomed to thinking about. Each of the names in the genealogy represents a story within the larger story of Christmas. In some cases, we know very little about the stories of the persons named. But each one played a role in God's plan of redemption. There is drama and wonder connected with each name. For example, let's look at Rahab. Failing to understand her role in the Christmas story robs us of some of the richness that Dr. Mohler writes about.

Matthew quotes the Prophet Isaiah and in so doing he brings to us perhaps the most amazing reality of the Advent.  This wonderful  truth is that in person of Jesus Christ, God is continually with his people.  People often say they wish Christmas could last all year long. Well, for those whom God has called, the reason for Christmas will be with us for eternity.  Once the presents are opened and the tree is taken down the world's thoughts of Christmas fade into the New Year celebrations. But for you, God's child, the person of Immanuel lives on.  He is with you. Praise God, he is with you! 

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:22-23

This is a busy time of year.  Yet we should never be so busy that the wonder of Jesus becomes ordinary to us.  Read these two passages of scripture slowly. Think deliberately about them. Then read them to your children.  Ask God to overwhelm you with the glorious deeds of Jesus Christ.

It takes faith to believe in darkness.

I know these words may seem foolish. Many would say that the darkness of the world is the one thing that we don't need faith to believe in. It is all too obvious that we live in a dark world! True enough--but without biblical faith it is impossible to grasp just how dark this world is. While many may agree that the world is dominated by darkness, they also believe that somewhere is a glimmer of light that man can find by himself. They have an ongoing belief that as our eyes adjust to the darkness we will be able to see a tiny crack of light spilling out from under a doorway, and that will lead to a better life. Yes, things are dark, but there is light and hope, if only we will have faith in the human spirit. Christmas is one of those times people in the world think they see light spilling out from hidden doorways. This is evidenced by comments like why can't the Christmas spirit last all year long? It takes faith to believe that the darkness is total, that there is no hope apart from the grace of God. Sadly, many come to ultimate despair when their search for light ends in futility. They give up because they believe they have failed to find light in darkness--they just didn't look in the right places. The reality is that there is no light in a world without Christ.

News headlines are the most immediate indicators of cultural drift. While they are inconclusive in themselves, they provide insight as to what issues make an impact on people's thinking. Headlines become the topic of water cooler and even playground discussions. That is why it is important for Christian parents to pay attention to headlines. Media headlines are written to attract attention, and they do. Your children will be exposed to headlines and sound bites because these are what people catch on the run as they rush through their day. Children will hear people asking what do you think you think about Tiger? And, of course, they will begin to find out about what people think from their friends at church, at school, or in the neighborhood. They will hear offhand comments by parents and other adults. Based upon these seemingly random series of connections, opinions will be formed and embraced, often without parents even being aware of the process. That is why headlines are important for parents.

Little children are dependent upon their parents for everything. This includes more than food, clothing and shelter. Children are dependent upon you, parent, for how they view the world around them. The way you live in front of them is the most powerful teaching tool that God gives you. This is teaching in the milieu. God designed families to demonstrate what it means to have a relationship with Him. If you love God, if you sincerely attempt to live your life by His Word, if you recognize that every moment is given to you so that you will glorify and honor God, then you will teach your children these same truths without even thinking about it. Your children observe you, everything about you. They see when you are sleeping, they know when you have been good or bad, they know when you pout and when you shout. In the midst of the turmoil of life your children know whom you delight in. Your kids know this without your ever having to say a word. When you stumble and ask God for help -- they learn. When you stumble and snap or make excuses -- they learn from that, too. If you value your relationship with God above all else, your children will know this, even when you fall short of your calling as a Christian parent.

As I listen to the radio, read various opinion articles, and view cable news programs, I have found that  the seasonal greeting of Happy Holidays is a hot topic this year. Particularly, some say that Happy Holidays is a concession to political correctness.  And, of course, this is true.  Happy Holidays has come to replace the more antiquated Season's Greetings in the marketplace as the accepted seasonal salutation. The primary reason for this choice is the motivation to avoid offending anyone who has a  different religious preference.  Happy Holidays, then, is supposed to accommodate Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and other groups, even the non-believers.  In reality, Happy Holidays is a denial of the reason for the Christmas celebration.   However, this phrase is not the real problem but only a symptom. Let me explain.

What does Merry Christmas mean? The first widespread usage of the greeting Merry Christmas apparently began in 1843 with the publishing of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  Not surprisingly, the greeting first appeared on Christmas cards that same year.  The idea behind this phrase is that Christmas should be a happy, joyous  time.  So when you wish someone a Merry Christmas, you are, in fact, offering a blessing to them for a merry or happy occasion. For Christians, this is where it gets interesting. The annual celebration of Christ's birth is not directly commanded in Scripture. However, we do have a good example to follow in the proclamation of the angels announcing Christ's birth. We looked briefly at this announcement, recorded in Luke 2:14, in the last post. The glorious pronouncement by the angels is also anticipated in Psalm 98:4-9: