Keiper, Ralph L. op. There will always be wars and rumors of wars. Now I am an old man, and I haven't any reason to believe that there is any truth in that text at all. And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. The Latin word for peace is pax. Thus, the message to Joseph centers primarily on that great work which Jesus, the Messiah, was to do. God is faithful. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. Malachi, who lived in the fifth century before Christ, was the last of the prophets. We also can celebrate Christmas by being amazed at it "And all who heard it were amazed" (Luke 2:18). Moreover, you can do it in song. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it? And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Keiper then took his Bible from his briefcase and turned to Luke 2:14, to the verse that is our text, and then read with his professor, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (KJV). Trust Him! Allow it to stretch your mind, and learn that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in any human philosophy. "A Hymn to the Nativity." The trouble lies with men. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in his incarnation. Local: 704-401-2432 You can sharpen up your affections; indeed, you must, for it is a terrible thing to have your love for the One who is the Lord of love grow cold. Continue by pondering these things. It is a result of the Christian's first having entered into a relationship of peace with God. At best she might have guessed that the child that was born to her might possibly be the Messiah. We find peace by praying. It is celebrated on December 25th. Now when you acknowledge a person's true worth or express a proper opinion of him, you may be said to be glorifying him. He answered, "I have heard that message preached from the pulpit every Christmas since I was a little boy. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. The shepherds, wise men, and angels celebrated the birth of Jesus with gifts, songs, and prayer. Amen. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. We see His grace. But in the message itself, as well as in the context, the emphasis is upon the fulfillment of prophecy and upon the underlying truth that God is faithful. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Jehoshua, meaning "Jehovah is salvation." Each year when I read the Christmas story, I am impressed with the role that the angels play in it. "The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told" (v. 20). Most people think that the day of one's birth is special. O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold Him Ralph L. Keiper once said, "When we know Christ, not as a doctrine or a theory, but as Savior and Friend in our daily experience, we gain a confidence in Him which brings peace to our hearts. This is the first message that I would leave with you. Christ was born to save! Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? I know that Christmas is a busy time. The question is important because of the significance of the day and because so many obviously do not know how to celebrate it. This combination, when truly grasped, produces witnesses. There is peace with God. S Happiness is a wonderful thing at Christmas shopping, decorating, entertaining, mailing cards but it is the world's virtue, and like all the world's virtues, it quite easily passes away. The second concerns the salvation of men. V Further light is shed upon these verses by the meaning of the words for peace in the original Greek and Latin. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Here is a rest that is given and a rest that is found. 1. Thus says the Lord: "Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity.A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. - Sort By Book Order. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. There would have been no need for His life, His death on the cross, or His resurrection. James means that the lack of peace between men has its true source in men's emotions. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord., For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.. That is good. On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. I am not referring to activity, of course. The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! What is the source of the fighting and turmoil in the world today and, unfortunately at times, within the churches? And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's house. He was, however, making a very important point: We should never celebrate Jesus birth at Christmastimeand then forget Him the rest of the year. Psalms 118:24 - This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:1-3). The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, Amen. And the promise of the angel "for He will save His people from their sins" are the greatest words of the entire Christmas story. May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! By Billy Graham They aren't all thinking of God or Jesus as they stand spellbound at the presents and tree on Christmas morning. But over against this dying world was Jesus. At this point our Bible text comes in, for it is a report of how those who witnessed the first Christmas observed it. One day just before Christmas vacation, the professor said, "Well, Keiper, are you going to preach that old Christmas farce again?" Glorify and praise God for what was done that first Christmas. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. They had no thought about spiritual things at least we are not told that they did and they certainly didn't expect the miracle. To do so is to worship God both by words and in song. But the writer of this epistle had a deeper insight into humanity. H This is why carols are so much a rightful part of Christmas; for, when sung by those who understand them, they are a means of praise. B I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. E The appearance of Gabriel to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. Imitate the shepherds in spreading the word concerning what you know about the Christ child. He leads me beside still waters. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. Nothing destroys joy except sin. U No doubt, these examples of the reduction of the biblical view of salvation to human dimensions are not equally bad. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. They had heard the music of heaven. And we need to understand exactly what the biblical meaning of these words is if we are to understand this part of the angel's announcement. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. And you will enter, perhaps for the first time, into the Christmas story. Yet, Solomon was inspired to write, "A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth" . We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said to him, Will you take me down to this band? And he said, Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band. And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. Moreover, if you will permit me to apply it in this way, it seems to me that apart from the truths which the angels revealed to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds two thousand years ago concerning the birth of Christ apart from really understanding what they said and meant undoubtedly, this Christmas, the real meaning of the birth of Christ will pass us by also. You can tell if you do by attempting to rehearse God's attributes. He is able to deliver you from whatever your particular sin may be alcoholism, unlawful sex, a bad temper, gossiping, pride, selfishness whatever it is. Have you heard these messages and appropriated them for yourself? Jesus was born to be our Savior as the carol says: Christ was born to save! The third message is of the outcome, which is joy for man and glory for God. 3. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Had God forgotten His people? Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Music: In Dulci Jubilo, 14th Century German melody; harmony from Christmas Carols Old and New, 1871. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. So he told them this parable: What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? If these four means of celebrating Christmas are new to you and if you are now desiring to put them into practice, I suggest that you begin not with the first verse, verse 17 of Luke 2, but with verses 18, 19, and 20. After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. In chapter 2, verse 10, Paul writes of God's fairness in granting "glory, honor and peace, for everyone who does good.". He loves you so much that He gave His life for your salvation. It is before his own master that he stands or falls. 5. On the other hand, if man cannot save himself spiritually if he is headed for an eternity without God and is unable to reverse his condition then Jesus Christ had to come. Be amazed at the event itself. Answer: Your question is backward. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. You can remember the moment in which they became real for you personally. Music: Adeste Fideles, attributed variously to John Wade, John Reading or Simao Portogallo. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. I would like you to have the experience of entering into the kind of joy that Mary and Joseph and the shepherds had on that first Christmas morning. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. Christians are to be active in many efforts to achieve social justice, improve the life of the poor, minister to the needy. W May God give you grace to do that. But it does not mean that God has forgotten. You want something but don't get it. Perhaps you have prayed for something and have not received an answer, at least not the answer you were waiting for. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. To understand what God has to say about peace, we need to recognize that there are different types of peace spoken about in the Bible and that of all of these, the most important is the peace we have with God as the result of justification. Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. But the problem is that what God means by the phrase is not what men generally mean when they use it. Jeremiah 10:2-4 ESV / 302 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Jesus is coming! And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. His works were first collected in one volume in 1858, by William Barclay Turnbull. The messages of the angels do not reinforce our secular views of Christmas. You cannot tell that which you have not first felt and experienced. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. But shouldnt He be part of your life every day? He asked him to examine the last clause of the verse carefully: "good will toward men." This can be a very trying experience. Though Dec. 25 is considered the birthday of Jesus by a large segment of Christendom, there is no evidence that . For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate. But the circumstances were not good. Will you turn your focus toward Christevery day. And then this is what is so wonderful Joseph believed him. Both of these ideas are related to the idea of a mediator who brings irreconcilables together. And yet this is what we often do with Jesus. Well, they had been out in the fields of Bethlehem in the middle of the night, watching over their sheep as they had for many hundreds of nights previously and as their fathers undoubtedly had before them. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. Jesus Christ does not thus become some magical wand which causes all our troubles to disappear. There are two answers. For from him and through him and to him are all things. Christmas is always a special time for most everyone but especially followers of Jesus. I know, of course, that Jesus was probably not born on December 25 at least there is no real evidence that He was. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. God told us everything needed for life and godliness ( II Peter 1:2-4 ). In one sense all the acts of God are legitimate grounds for such amazement. "O Come, All Ye Faithful" Words: John F. Wade, circa 1743. The difficulty with this approach does not lie in the thought that the biblical view of salvation is unrelated to such themes. How do you celebrate Christmas? Why, to their sheep obviously. Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. One verse, which is often quoted by Christians who argue against celebrating Christmas, is Luke chapter 2, verse 34. They would readily tell you that the Bible commands us to celebrate Jesus' birth - that it is a time of rejoicing for the coming of the Savior of the world. For, since Wesley had filled his mind with Scripture and since he used references to it extensively in his verses, it is likely that he was thinking of a verse of the Bible that speaks of two kinds of peace, two kinds of rest, and was saying that he wished to enter into the second as he had once entered into the first. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. There had been revelations from God in the past. We are told of them that they "returned glorifying and praising God." Publisher: OpenBible.info. 6. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. In other words, peace will come when men are truly men of good will. But not once in the Bible does God tell us to celebrate Christmas" (1). But I imagine that the joy of this couple on this occasion was the greatest this world has ever seen. I covet that kind of joy for you. you are asking. Praise the Lord! For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. Had He forgotten His promises? The word "pact" also comes from it. A Psalm of David. And, of course, this is the sense in which we glorify God. OpenBible.info Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? TopicalBible But the significance of it would have passed her by. It comes from a verb which means "to reconcile" or "to bring back into harmony." In Luke 2:8-20, it says: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. These men, poor shepherds though they were, had seen God incarnate. If man could save himself, then there would have been no need for Jesus Christ to be born. Crashaw, Richard (1612?-1649). I can do all things through him who strengthens me. I have known people who have had deep and fervent prayers answered after the better part of a lifetime has gone by prayers for the salvation of a son or a daughter, prayers for success in some worthwhile endeavor, prayers for reconciliation with an erring wife or husband. It is in this emotional center of man, called by Scripture 'the heart,' that James says war begins, when the lusts within a man strive together." When the angels had departed, the shepherds decided to go to Bethlehem. Finally, when you have done these things and are truly qualified to speak, go back and tell others what you know. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Although there is no mention of Jesus specifically mentioning to celebrate Christmas, the Bible does say that he was born on December 25th. Keiper asked what he meant. J Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. The other kind of amazement is a holy wonder in response to those acts of God which are beyond human comprehension. Notice that this verse does not say, "In everything present your requests to God. King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago)" (Luke 1:68-70). Then, you can think about these things and allow God to teach you more about Himself. But of all these things, the incarnation of the Son of God is the most amazing. Since his day no one had been raised up to declare the sure word of the Lord. Christ the Lord. 8. But the angel appeared and explained to Joseph what was happening. It comes from a Latin verb which means "to make a bargain" or "to make an agreement between contracting parties." Finally, there is the appearance of first one angel, than a multitude of angels to the shepherds as they were in the fields around Bethlehem. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957), page 166. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. It involves an effort to enter into the heart and counsels of God. He became a man in His incarnation. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found . The reasons why they became witnesses are that there was an event, a great event, and that others very much needed to hear of it. Anybody who knows good news is authorized to tell it, particularly when it is news that will be the means of salvation of others. He would have simply thought her unfaithful. To the choirmaster. 7 This basic approach to salvation has been picked up in an avalanche of books on pastoral counseling, Christian psychiatry, and the cure of souls. Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. We can estimate when Jesus was born by counting backward from his death on Passover, Nisan 14 in the spring of the year 33 C.E. Salvus means "healthy" or "whole." O come, let us adore Him, So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Solicitation Disclosure Statement The first of these important appearances was to Mary. Born the King of angels; "Peace, Perfect Peace" Words: Edward H. Bickersteth, Jr., 1875. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. However, by the late fourth century it was generally celebrated in churches. After all, just because we celebrate our childrens birthdays doesnt mean we forget them or ignore them the rest of the year! But what does the Bible specifically say about your day of birth? They must learn to love Him and to serve Him more and more. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. First, it involved her memory; for we are told that she treasured up all these things. What are we to say to such theories? Rather, He enables us to face them with a quietness, a calmness and confidence, which makes it possible to find a solution" 10 This is the peace that Edward Bickersteth wrote about in the late nineteenth century, in a verse which has since become one of our great hymns: The first way in which we find this peace, then, is by learning of Jesus. Jesus is called God-man. The difficulty lies rather in the fact that today, if only because of the impressive achievements of medical science, this approach inevitably fails to distinguish between the salvation that God alone can bring and that salvation which men are apparently providing for themselves. Judging from the Christmas cards I get every year, I suspect that this is the phrase from the Christmas story that is most popular with people in our day. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Therefore encourage one another with these words. In other words, the only ultimate essential for proclaiming the gospel is a knowledge of it. There is a sense in which the world will never know even one of these three types of peace until the return of Jesus Christ. Now, just as the Bible speaks of peace with God so it also speaks about a peace of God, and this is quite different. In fact, the Bible would not even support the view that the world is capable of being redeemed socially apart from the supernatural intervention of God in history. A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Have you recognized yourself as a sinner? The professor replied that he thought he had. But that is not what the Bible is talking about when it talks about salvation. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? Here are five great appearances of angels. So everyone who knows of Christ and has become a Christian can tell others of Him. Romans 14:5-6 - One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Things seem to go as they have been going from the beginning, and you want something better. 52 Bible Verses about Celebration Verse Concepts They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. pages 24-25. Frank E. Gaebelein writes about this passage in The Practical Epistle of James, "A few years ago, former Chancellor Hutchins of the University of Chicago said war begins in the minds of men. But then, suddenly, an angel appeared with the message: After the angel spoke a host of angels appeared, all praising God and saying. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! There are a few Bible verses that seem to suggest that Jesus did not want people to celebrate his birth. When I return to these wonderful chapters of Matthew and Luke in order to prepare my Christmas messages, I always seem to find a detail that I had overlooked before and which therefore speaks to me in a new way. Why not join every year with the shepherds on that first Christmas, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen (Luke 2:20)? Unless our way of talking about salvation makes distinctions here, our interpretations inevitably fall short of the biblical conceptions. He was to save His people. But our time is poorly spent if we allow the bustle of Christmas to eclipse our times of Bible study and of pondering upon God's Word. Do you sometimes feel that God has forgotten you? In other words, what they had been told coincided with their own experience, and they could not resist speaking of such things. Blog, A There will be a little Christian sentiment, some happiness, and much activity. Then out of the darkness we hear God speaking to call forth life and order. Another example of modern tendencies to reduce biblical salvation to human dimensions is the increasing emphasis upon the social aspects of the Christian gospel conceived in opposition to evangelism as traditionally understood.