Sunday was an unusual day.
We celebrated the Lord’s Supper at church and by doing so we celebrated the death of our Savior.
On the other hand, this is the beginning of December and we begin preparing for our celebration of Jesus’ birth.
So we are caught in between two important events, the death of our Savior and the birth of our Savior.
When the disciples gathered with Jesus for the Last Supper in the upper room, they ate the bread and drank from the cup. At this time Jesus instructed them to “do this in remembrance of me.”
But is there anywhere in Scripture where Jesus told people, “Remember my birth?” We celebrate Christmas each year but we don’t have specific instructions about this in the Bible.
So is it necessary that we observe the birth of Jesus each, celebrating His birth?
I say absolutely yes. We must remember His birth as much as we remember His death.
And I believe the Bible supports this.
Let’s look at some reasons from Scripture why it is important to remember Jesus’ birth this time of year.
1. First, we should not forget that when Jesus was born God became flesh and dwelt among men. Jesus was God incarnate; He came in the flesh and became one of humanity.
We tell the Christmas story often, we love hearing about the manger, the shepherds, the angels, the star, the little town of Bethlehem.
But all of these parts of the story are not the most important part.
The most important part of the story, and the most amazing, is that when Jesus was born God became man.
This was foretold more than 600 years before His birth but the prophet Isaiah.
Read Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6.
This one fact, that God became man, is what makes Christianity unique compared to the other religions of the world.
Since Jesus Christ was God, does that mean he existed before He was born at Bethlehem?
The answer is yes.
John said it this way, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
Paul explained this further to the Colossian church. Read Col. 1:15-20
Jesus made the claim that He existed before coming to earth in the flesh. He said this to the Pharisees, “Before Abraham came to be, I am.” (John 8:58). This was a claim to his existence before Abraham and also a reference to His claim to be God in the flesh.
If you look throughout history, many have denied the deity of Christ. Even today several groups deny that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh.
Many people today say that Jesus
Was a great teacher
That He was a great man
That He was a good man
That He was a wise man.
But they will not say that He was God the Son. They deny the authority of Scripture and say that Jesus never claimed to be God.
This Christmas let’s remember first and foremost that the birth of Jesus meant that God came to earth, and Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost.
2. So let’s go back to our original question—why celebrate the birth of Jesus?
Here is another reason; the Christian life is not just about death, it is also about birth, about new life.
We often talk about the Christian life as “dying to ourselves.” We quote Gal. 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”
But becoming a follower of Christ involves a birth also.
2 Cor 5:17 says it this way, “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come.”
We have “new life” in Christ, we have a new likeness.
In fact, we have been born again into a new family.
Jesus told us that we must be “born again” to be a part of this family.
Read John 3:1-8 where Jesus explained the new birth.
It is especially important during this Christmas season to remember that Jesus was born so that we could be born again.
3. One other reason why we should celebrate Christmas, remembering the birth of our Savior, is that it gives us the opportunity to share the Gospel, to share the Good News.
Because of Jesus’ birth and his death, and what this has accomplished for us, we are to bear witness.
What better time to bear witness than at Christmas time when we focus on the birth of our Savior.
The Bible tells us that we should bear witness of our Savior. Jesus gave these instructions to His disciples in Matt. 28:18-20.
The facts of His birth strengthens our witness for Him.
The Bible says that salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
In fact, the name given to the baby born in the manger tells us why He came. Matt. 1:21 “She will give birth to a Son and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save people from their sins.”
This Christmas, let’s remember these things.
Remember that God became flesh.
Remember that because Jesus came, we also may be born again.
Remember that others need to hear our witness about who Jesus is and why He came.
Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again. He also told him that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.
Do you have that life today? You can by placing your trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Why not make this Christmas season the most special of all by remembering why He came and trusting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?
Related Articles
- The Coming Of Bethlehem In Your Heart (samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com)
- God Has Come Into The World (samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com)
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