The Better Way To Honor Christ's Birth

The Better Way To Honor Christ’s Birth I. Consider the birth of Jesus Christ. A. “For unto us a child is born...” (ISA 9:6). 1. He was a child prior to birth. ISA 7:14 c/w MAT 1:23; LUK 2:5. 2. This shows personhood in the womb. Christ’s prenatal state defies abortion. B. God used an imperial tax to bring Joseph and Mary to the prophesied city of Bethlehem. LUK 2:1-5 c/w MIC 5:2. C. The birth process of Jesus Christ was natural, not a miracle. LUK 2:6-7. 1. The miracle was the conception without a man which preserved Mary’s virginity for Joseph. LUK 1:35; MAT 1:24-25. 2. Be cautious about calling every birth a miracle. D. The birth of Jesus Christ was a significant event deserving of honor. But how? II. The world has a celebrated tradition of the birth of Christ called Christmas. A. This tradition is kept by professing Christians and by unbelievers and ungodly world-wide. B. This tradition plays fast and loose with the facts of the birth of Christ. 1. Scripture does not specify the date of Christ’s birth. 2. Joseph and Mary did not follow a star to Bethlehem (as in Christmas cards). 3. Scripture does not specify three kings coming to the newborn Christ. MAT 2:1-16. 4. There was no little drummer boy present. C. A birthday celebration of Jesus Christ is according to man’s tradition, not apostolic tradition given by the Holy Spirit. 1. The apostles gave us traditions to keep but never mentioned Christmas. 2TH 2:15; 1CO 11:1-2; PHIL 3:17-19; PHIL 4:9. 2. God is unimpressed by things which sinners exalt. LUK 16:15. 3. Christ is not a Pharaoh or Herod whose birthdays were kept. GEN 40:20; MAT 14:6. 4. The Holy Spirit records mundane details of Joseph and Mary’s life after Christ’s birth like their flight to and return from Egypt (MAT 2:12-23), their appearance at Jerusalem for His circumcision (LUK 2:21-22), their appearances for Passover (LUK 2:41-42), Mary’s attending of the wedding feast in Cana (JOH 2:1), etc., yet the Holy Spirit never records a birthday celebration for Christ by anyone. 5. If the Holy Spirit ever did order a birthday celebration for Jesus Christ, natural man would refuse to do so. 1CO 2:14. D. The tradition of Christmas is supposed to be an adoration of God. 1. But it is manifestly an invention of sinners without the Holy Spirit’s authority. 2. The very first false worship in history was not idolatry but invented tradition without the Holy Spirit’s authority. GEN 4:3-5 c/w HEB 11:4. a. God deemed Cain’s efforts evil. 1JO 3:12. b. Christians need to avoid “...the way of Cain...” (JUDE 1:11), pretending to honor God by self-pleasing inventions the Holy Spirit rejects as “will- worship.” COL 2:20-23. c. will-worship: Worship according to one's own will or fancy, or imposed by human will, without divine authority. 3. One cannot love the Lord contrary to His commandments. JOH 14:21; LUK 6:46. E. We are not to be conformed to the world but be rather discerning, and if need be, a spectacle to the world. EXO 23:2; MAT 7:13-14; ROM 12:2; PSA 119:128; 1CO 4:9. F. God wants worship by truth, reverence and godly fear, not by lies, superstitions, fables or The Better Way To Honor Christ’s Birth 12-31-23 Page 1 of 2  even invented good intentions. JOH 4:23-24; HEB 12:28-29. III. “But angels worshipped at Christ’s birth!” LUK 2:9-15. A. Once. B. The Holy Spirit never by their act established an annual birthday festival for Christ, and the Spirit’s record takes precedence over angels. GAL 1:8. C. Angels do rejoice “...over one sinner that repenteth...” (LUK 15:10) and they no doubt rejoice over wayward men who abandon invented worship traditions to obey Christ. 1. One sinner can make angels rejoice. Family approval or participation not required. 2. This is as Abraham, the father of true believers. ISA 51:2 c/w ROM 4:11. IV. Consider a better, Biblical way of honoring the birth of Jesus Christ. This way avoids lies, fables, superstitions, will-worship, covetousness, pagan assimilations, etc. and involves genuine gifts. A. Jesus Christ was born to die for sinners to take away their sins. MAT 1:21; 1JO 3:5. 1. He proved His power to do so by His resurrection. ROM 4:25; 1CO 15:17. 2. His saving work required His conception and birth. HEB 10:5. 3. Honor Christ’s birth by forsaking all sin in gratitude for what He did by His death, burial and resurrection. Start with submissive burial in baptism. ROM 6:4-6. 4. Honor Christ’s birth to take away sin by keeping His simple supper as a member of His body, a local church. Every genuine communion service of the church of Jesus Christ to commemorate His sufferings and death is a recognition also of His incarnation. 1TI 1:15. B. Instead of an annual season of carnal gift-exchanging in pretended imitation of the wise men’s gifting at Christ’s birth: 1. Remember that material gifting requires no spirituality. LUK 11:13; REV 11:10. 2. Give God your heart, totally. PRO 23:26 c/w DEU 6:5. 3. Give yourself to the Lord and His apostles’ leading. 2CO 8:5. 4. Give others the truth of the gospel. 1PE 3:15. a. The gospel is good tidings of victory over Satan, sin, death, the grave, hell by Jesus Christ the Savior. LUK 2:10-11. b. Where this good news is believed and sinners’ warfare with God ends, peace on earth is possible. COL 1:20 c/w LUK 2:14. 5. Give materially whenever and wherever is appropriate without concern for reciprocity. GAL 6:10; LUK 14:12-14. 6. Love thy neighbor always (ROM 13:9-10), desiring not just good for him but what it is best for him: the truth of Jesus Christ which liberates its disciples. EPH 4:25 c/w JOH 8:31-32. C. Rejoice in the coming of the Lord every day, no matter the circumstances, because the sin issue has been settled and heaven awaits. ROM 5:10-11; 1PE 1:6-9. 1. There is good merriment. LUK 15:32; JAM 5:13. 2. A merry heart is beneficial. PRO 15:13; 17:22. 3. A merry heart has a continual feast, not an annual one. PRO 15:15. 4. A heart that rejoices in Christ and is on the same page as God gives one confidence in his prayers and pleasings of faith. 1JO 3:21-24. The Better Way To Honor Christ’s Birth 12-31-23 Page 2 of 2