The Hard-to-Believe Truth About Christmas
Christmas means a lot of things for people. If anything, I think that what I hate may not be Christmas itself but the pagan nonsense people get involved with. True, they aren't celebrating Saturnalia or the birthday of Mithra (which may vary from culture to culture) but their actions speak like they're celebrating it. Saturnalia was time for drunkenness and orgies. Today, we've got Christmas parties that end up like they're celebrating the Saturnalia to a certain extent. Some people even attend the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day masses for Roman Catholics. The hypocrisy is also there with once-a-year charities and offering reconciliation only because it's Christmas. But do they know that there's that really hard to believe truth about Christmas?
You can consider the reality of the situation. Christmas is enjoyable for the world - only when they celebrate the worldly way. The "Christ" in Christmas means nothing to them. It's no wonder why XMas has become a popular shortcut for Christmas. Some Protestant scholars even dismiss the term "Christmas" to be a contradiction because it comes from the term "Christ's Mass". The mass is referred to as a Roman Catholic sacrament where they believe that the bread and wine end up becoming an extension of the body and blood of Jesus instead of just being symbolic. However, some can argue that "Christ's mass" can also mean a large body of persons or a group. If anything, can't the Church today be considered as Christ's mass of people called out to join Him in one Body? So, what's the message about Christmas that's so hard to believe? It would be better to go back to the Bible because that's where the hard-to-believe truth about Christmas is!
I was reading through John F. MacArthur's book "Hard to Believe" for the nth time and the truth about the Bible is unscriptural. Everything about the Gospel challenges your views. The truth about Christmas, Holy Week, and Easter Sunday all challenge the skeptics. What's harder to believe than Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are just fictitious characters? It's the fact every truth about Jesus is much harder to believe than that. You can see the real challenge that the Christmas message actually brings to the unsaved mind.
The concept of the virgin birth is hard to grasp. I couldn't imagine the reaction of the people when Isaiah mentioned in Isaiah 7:14 that a virgin will conceive a son. That would be very hard to believe now, would it? I would be challenged to believe it if I were living in those times! Yet, it was going to happen. Matthew 1 has the author Matthew recording the very account. Matthew the same publican who Jesus called out of a life of sin wrote Jesus' biography. Matthew 1:23 verifies the prophecy of Isaiah. Yet, you still have people today who believe that Mary truly committed adultery with a Roman soldier. Joseph who himself was a just man had to be visited by the angel Gabriel. Joseph just had a hard time believing that Mary was pregnant with the Son of the Highest. Mary herself was going to become the mother of God the Son in His humanity. In Luke 1:28-34 - Mary herself was even troubled. Mary herself couldn't believe that she would be the mother of God in His humanity. Mary herself would even be baffled at the idea that she would conceive a virgin-born Son. Mary herself only knew that one thing she had to - she simply accepted God's will. Mary was such a God-fearing woman that her answer in Luke 1:38 makes her a great sister in Christ.
The reason for the virgin birth is even harder to grasp. Remember the visitation of Gabriel to Joseph? Well, Matthew 1 rightly put Joseph there because Matthew talked about Jesus' legal lineage while Luke talked about Jesus' biological lineage. Joseph had to be convinced otherwise. Matthew 1:20-21 has Joseph being told not to fear to take Mary as his wife. Joseph who ended up thinking Mary must have been cheating on him. He as a just man wanted to put her away privately as possible. It took a visitation for Joseph to really realize that Mary was carrying the eternal Son of God in her womb. You can imagine how Joseph was soon told of his role as the Savior's stepfather. The meaning of Jesus (which is Joshua in Greek) is Jehovah is salvation. The whole purpose of the birth is that Jesus would save His people from their sins. The concept of a Savior from sin is hard to grasp especially with the ongoing heresy that man is basically good. If mankind is basically good then what on Earth did Jesus came for? If Jesus left His throne from above to become a child and die on the cross - all of that would mean nothing if mankind was basically good!
The virgin birth tends to get mocked at for so many reasons. Many times, there were already pagan myths that promoted the idea of a virgin birth. In the book "Why I Believe" by the late D. James Kennedy - he did mention pagan myths' version of the virgin birth. Some say that Siddharta Gautama was born by an elephant with six tusks. Others also claim Vishnu did reincarnate as a human being to deliver mankind. Greek mythology also teaches that Zeus came to the virgin Alcmene to produce Hercules. However, the quality of these stories differ. Zeus' purpose of impregnating mortal women was nothing more than his lust than the desire to save humanity. I even heard that some Roman politicians were fathered by snakes. Isn't Satan also represented by a snake? However, Jesus' virgin birth was pure in its quality. God the Father sent His only begotten Son to offer salvation to humanity. God the Father didn't sleep with Mary at all in bodily form. Rather, the Holy Spirit came unto her and conceived the child with no sexual intercourse whatsoever. The Mormon teaching that God the Father had sexual intercourse with Mary is just plain blasphemous. Mormonism even teaches that Jesus was supposedly the half-brother of Satan which is more mythology than fact. The virgin birth itself is God's marvelous work and the sinful mind can't understand God. It takes supernatural work to awaken the sinful mind and heart to savingly believe!
The truth that Jesus was born in His humanity to die in His humanity is difficult to grasp. We're all born to die but isn't that hard to accept? Jesus' birth was so He can live a perfect life and die in His humanity to pay for our sins. I still think about the wreath at Christmas. Doesn't it look like a crown of thorns because of the color red? Let it wither and it becomes a crown of thorns. Do you ever try to stop your bad habits on your own? You may be committing sins beyond your control because you probably have a learning disability or mental disorder? Some people can't help but lie even if they don't lie for malice's sake. Some people can't help but lie or even steal even if they aren't big time criminals. Yet, we tell people to try and save themselves. The idea of saving yourself is well-accepted by the world because man is no humble creature. Yet, we do realize that learning disabilities and the like happen because of the sin of Adam and Eve. If you can't save yourself from your bad habits then how can you save yourself from Hell? The only way people can pay for their sins is to be forever in Hell. Jesus' birth reflects on man's sinfulness and need of a Savior. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that Jesus who knew no sin became the sin sacrifice of humanity. He grew up sinless unlike the so-called virgin-born heroes of paganism. He fulfilled the Law in totality because you and I can't do it. Yet, people insist in using the Law for salvation when it can't save. Galatians 2:21 says that Christ is dead in vain if salvation came by your efforts. Hard to believe? I guess people think that Jesus only died for the righteous when in fact everyone's been ungodly in some way.
The truth about Christmas is very humbling. The world says you can make it on your own. However Romans 3:10-19 and James 2:10-11 shows that we're all guilty. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 shows that we're all unworthy to enter God's Kingdom. Think you are righteous enough? No one is righteous and no one can enter God's Kingdom? You may not be a fornicator but you may be a drunkard. If you stolen at least once then you're in the list in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. That's why we all need a Savior from sin. Salvation is not a reward for the righteous but for the guilty. It's very easy to scoff at the idea and call it a license for sin. However, salvation here is not merely entering Heaven when you die. Salvation starts the moment you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. The moment you're saved you get saved from sin (salvation), you're getting saved from your sin (justification and sanctification), and one day you will be completely saved by sin (Philippians 1:7-9).
What about you? Are you sure you're saved this Christmas?
See also:
You can consider the reality of the situation. Christmas is enjoyable for the world - only when they celebrate the worldly way. The "Christ" in Christmas means nothing to them. It's no wonder why XMas has become a popular shortcut for Christmas. Some Protestant scholars even dismiss the term "Christmas" to be a contradiction because it comes from the term "Christ's Mass". The mass is referred to as a Roman Catholic sacrament where they believe that the bread and wine end up becoming an extension of the body and blood of Jesus instead of just being symbolic. However, some can argue that "Christ's mass" can also mean a large body of persons or a group. If anything, can't the Church today be considered as Christ's mass of people called out to join Him in one Body? So, what's the message about Christmas that's so hard to believe? It would be better to go back to the Bible because that's where the hard-to-believe truth about Christmas is!
I was reading through John F. MacArthur's book "Hard to Believe" for the nth time and the truth about the Bible is unscriptural. Everything about the Gospel challenges your views. The truth about Christmas, Holy Week, and Easter Sunday all challenge the skeptics. What's harder to believe than Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are just fictitious characters? It's the fact every truth about Jesus is much harder to believe than that. You can see the real challenge that the Christmas message actually brings to the unsaved mind.
The concept of the virgin birth is hard to grasp. I couldn't imagine the reaction of the people when Isaiah mentioned in Isaiah 7:14 that a virgin will conceive a son. That would be very hard to believe now, would it? I would be challenged to believe it if I were living in those times! Yet, it was going to happen. Matthew 1 has the author Matthew recording the very account. Matthew the same publican who Jesus called out of a life of sin wrote Jesus' biography. Matthew 1:23 verifies the prophecy of Isaiah. Yet, you still have people today who believe that Mary truly committed adultery with a Roman soldier. Joseph who himself was a just man had to be visited by the angel Gabriel. Joseph just had a hard time believing that Mary was pregnant with the Son of the Highest. Mary herself was going to become the mother of God the Son in His humanity. In Luke 1:28-34 - Mary herself was even troubled. Mary herself couldn't believe that she would be the mother of God in His humanity. Mary herself would even be baffled at the idea that she would conceive a virgin-born Son. Mary herself only knew that one thing she had to - she simply accepted God's will. Mary was such a God-fearing woman that her answer in Luke 1:38 makes her a great sister in Christ.
The reason for the virgin birth is even harder to grasp. Remember the visitation of Gabriel to Joseph? Well, Matthew 1 rightly put Joseph there because Matthew talked about Jesus' legal lineage while Luke talked about Jesus' biological lineage. Joseph had to be convinced otherwise. Matthew 1:20-21 has Joseph being told not to fear to take Mary as his wife. Joseph who ended up thinking Mary must have been cheating on him. He as a just man wanted to put her away privately as possible. It took a visitation for Joseph to really realize that Mary was carrying the eternal Son of God in her womb. You can imagine how Joseph was soon told of his role as the Savior's stepfather. The meaning of Jesus (which is Joshua in Greek) is Jehovah is salvation. The whole purpose of the birth is that Jesus would save His people from their sins. The concept of a Savior from sin is hard to grasp especially with the ongoing heresy that man is basically good. If mankind is basically good then what on Earth did Jesus came for? If Jesus left His throne from above to become a child and die on the cross - all of that would mean nothing if mankind was basically good!
The virgin birth tends to get mocked at for so many reasons. Many times, there were already pagan myths that promoted the idea of a virgin birth. In the book "Why I Believe" by the late D. James Kennedy - he did mention pagan myths' version of the virgin birth. Some say that Siddharta Gautama was born by an elephant with six tusks. Others also claim Vishnu did reincarnate as a human being to deliver mankind. Greek mythology also teaches that Zeus came to the virgin Alcmene to produce Hercules. However, the quality of these stories differ. Zeus' purpose of impregnating mortal women was nothing more than his lust than the desire to save humanity. I even heard that some Roman politicians were fathered by snakes. Isn't Satan also represented by a snake? However, Jesus' virgin birth was pure in its quality. God the Father sent His only begotten Son to offer salvation to humanity. God the Father didn't sleep with Mary at all in bodily form. Rather, the Holy Spirit came unto her and conceived the child with no sexual intercourse whatsoever. The Mormon teaching that God the Father had sexual intercourse with Mary is just plain blasphemous. Mormonism even teaches that Jesus was supposedly the half-brother of Satan which is more mythology than fact. The virgin birth itself is God's marvelous work and the sinful mind can't understand God. It takes supernatural work to awaken the sinful mind and heart to savingly believe!
The truth that Jesus was born in His humanity to die in His humanity is difficult to grasp. We're all born to die but isn't that hard to accept? Jesus' birth was so He can live a perfect life and die in His humanity to pay for our sins. I still think about the wreath at Christmas. Doesn't it look like a crown of thorns because of the color red? Let it wither and it becomes a crown of thorns. Do you ever try to stop your bad habits on your own? You may be committing sins beyond your control because you probably have a learning disability or mental disorder? Some people can't help but lie even if they don't lie for malice's sake. Some people can't help but lie or even steal even if they aren't big time criminals. Yet, we tell people to try and save themselves. The idea of saving yourself is well-accepted by the world because man is no humble creature. Yet, we do realize that learning disabilities and the like happen because of the sin of Adam and Eve. If you can't save yourself from your bad habits then how can you save yourself from Hell? The only way people can pay for their sins is to be forever in Hell. Jesus' birth reflects on man's sinfulness and need of a Savior. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that Jesus who knew no sin became the sin sacrifice of humanity. He grew up sinless unlike the so-called virgin-born heroes of paganism. He fulfilled the Law in totality because you and I can't do it. Yet, people insist in using the Law for salvation when it can't save. Galatians 2:21 says that Christ is dead in vain if salvation came by your efforts. Hard to believe? I guess people think that Jesus only died for the righteous when in fact everyone's been ungodly in some way.
The truth about Christmas is very humbling. The world says you can make it on your own. However Romans 3:10-19 and James 2:10-11 shows that we're all guilty. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 shows that we're all unworthy to enter God's Kingdom. Think you are righteous enough? No one is righteous and no one can enter God's Kingdom? You may not be a fornicator but you may be a drunkard. If you stolen at least once then you're in the list in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. That's why we all need a Savior from sin. Salvation is not a reward for the righteous but for the guilty. It's very easy to scoff at the idea and call it a license for sin. However, salvation here is not merely entering Heaven when you die. Salvation starts the moment you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. The moment you're saved you get saved from sin (salvation), you're getting saved from your sin (justification and sanctification), and one day you will be completely saved by sin (Philippians 1:7-9).
What about you? Are you sure you're saved this Christmas?
See also:
- A Worldly View of Christmas is FATAL POISON
- Charles H. Spurgeon Saw Christmas as a Massive Opportunity for Evangelism
- Christmas Eve Meditation: There Was No Room in the Inn, No Crib For a Bed
- Christmas is Another Opportunity to Ram the Sword of Truth Down Satan's Throat!
- Christmas Message: The Flowers of This World is No Match for the Lord Jesus Christ!
- For He (Jesus) Shall Save Them From Their Sins!
- How the Christmas Narrative of Jesus' Birth Contradicts the Worldly View of Christmas
- Is It Okay for Christians to Celebrate Christmas?
- Jesus Christ as the Son of David, Son of Mary, Lord of All
- Lost People Love Christmas Until They Realize the Bad News Behind Why Jesus Was Born in Human Flesh
- People's Behavior During the Christmas Season Proves Humanity Is Not Basically Good
- Reflections from the Canticle of Mary
- Remember Christ Became Man So Man Can Be Born Again!
- Some Christians are Hostile Towards Christmas
- The Claims of Jesus to the Throne of David Both Legal and Bloodline
- The Perfect Messiah's Imperfect Lineage
- This Christmas Season, Remember Christ Was Born to Die For Your Sins!
- This Christmas Season, Remember That Things May Go Worse than Before!
- The Incredible Irony That Many Lost People Love Christmas But Not Christ!
- Why a Virgin Birth?