Cedric Moss
12-17-03, - 11:34 PM
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Ultimate Reality of Christmas
By Apostle Cedric Moss
Suppose someone from a different planet came to earth and was asked to describe what Christmas was about based on observation. I think we would get a most revealing description. We would hear about Santa Claus, Christmas trees, gifts, turkey and fruitcake. In the Bahamas, we would hear about Junkanoo, parties, new furniture, “Christmas debt” and many other “seasonal” activities we engage in around Christmas. As the alien observed many churches reliving “the Christmas story” in many different ways, we might also hear about Jesus being born in a manger in Bethlehem. Sadly, while all of this would be accurate in terms of activities generally engaged in by westerners, all of those descriptions, yes, even the manger scene, fall short of the reality of Christmas.
Historical Christmas
December 25th is not the celebration of the date of Jesus’ birth. Instead, it is a celebration of the FACT of His birth. Jesus was not born on December 25th. Without going into lot of detail, one of the accounts of Jesus’ birth tells us His birth was announced to shepherds watching their sheep in the fields (see Luke 2:8-20). Shepherds would not be watching their flocks in the fields of Bethlehem on December 25th. At night the temperature drops below freezing that time of the year. From what can be deduced from the account of Jesus’ birth, some Bible scholars put His birth around August/September. How then did we come to celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25th?
Christmas was first celebrated in the year A.D. 336, more than 300 years after the ascension of Jesus back to heaven. It was called Christ’s Mass or Festival. It was a celebration. There were 3 masses at this time to celebrate the 3 fold birth of Christ. The midnight mass on December 24th celebrated what they called Christ’s birth in the Father’s bosom. This was the eternal purpose of God to send His Son to earth. The dawn mass celebrated Christ’s conception in the womb of Mary, and the midday mass celebrated His birth in the hearts of believers. Over time it became Christmas and the focus was on the mid-day mass which would naturally attract more people.
December 25th was strategically chosen to offset the biggest festival on the Roman calendar: Natalis Solis Invicti (birth of the unconquered sun), the birthday of the Roman Emperor Aurelius. Over time many elements crept into the observance of Christmas – e.g. giving of presents, lighting of trees etc. Is something wrong with having a tree, giving presents, etc.? No!!! However, we should remember the purpose for which the day was initially celebrated. To celebrate the FACT of the three-fold birth of Christ and to offset Caesar’s celebration.
Biblical Christmas
The Birth of Jesus was not an isolated sentimental event about a virgin who miraculously conceived and had to give birth to her son in an animal’s stable. There was and today still is an ultimate reality. The Angels, Simeon and Anna the prophetess, did not refer to Jesus with cute little baby words, but with words pregnant with prophetic purpose and maturity. They called him Saviour and predicted that He would save and redeem His people. These words point us to the end of Jesus’ life and thereby encapsulated all He was and would do. They envisaged His suffering, death on the cross and resurrection. Therefore, Biblical Christmas sees the cross beyond the cradle. The manger was a necessary part of God’s process but not disconnected from the fullness of His purpose: the redemption of a fallen world.
Any understanding of Christmas that misses the climax of the cross is an inaccurate understanding. We must therefore resist the temptation to reduce Christmas to only the babe in the manger.
How to Celebrate Christmas
While there is nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of Jesus, we must remember that He never told us to. Also, remember that the Church never celebrated Christ’s birth for more than 300 years after He had been crucified. However, our Lord Jesus did tell us to celebrate or commemorate His death. This is quite the opposite of human tendency. All great men are remembered on the date of their birth because we tend to link their worth and value to that day. Not so with Christ. His is linked to His death. Therefore, as we celebrate Christ’s birth on the date set aside to acknowledge it, let us also celebrate the Cross, the place of His death.
The angels, Simeon and Anna, looked forward to the redemption that Christ would bring, and thus they saw the cross through the cradle. Unlike them, we look back on redemption and thus should see and celebrate the cradle through the cross. This is the ultimate reality of Christmas.
Apostle Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Comments and feedback may be directed to: apostle@kingdom-life.org (apostle@kingdom-life.org).
Ultimate Reality of Christmas
By Apostle Cedric Moss
Suppose someone from a different planet came to earth and was asked to describe what Christmas was about based on observation. I think we would get a most revealing description. We would hear about Santa Claus, Christmas trees, gifts, turkey and fruitcake. In the Bahamas, we would hear about Junkanoo, parties, new furniture, “Christmas debt” and many other “seasonal” activities we engage in around Christmas. As the alien observed many churches reliving “the Christmas story” in many different ways, we might also hear about Jesus being born in a manger in Bethlehem. Sadly, while all of this would be accurate in terms of activities generally engaged in by westerners, all of those descriptions, yes, even the manger scene, fall short of the reality of Christmas.
Historical Christmas
December 25th is not the celebration of the date of Jesus’ birth. Instead, it is a celebration of the FACT of His birth. Jesus was not born on December 25th. Without going into lot of detail, one of the accounts of Jesus’ birth tells us His birth was announced to shepherds watching their sheep in the fields (see Luke 2:8-20). Shepherds would not be watching their flocks in the fields of Bethlehem on December 25th. At night the temperature drops below freezing that time of the year. From what can be deduced from the account of Jesus’ birth, some Bible scholars put His birth around August/September. How then did we come to celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25th?
Christmas was first celebrated in the year A.D. 336, more than 300 years after the ascension of Jesus back to heaven. It was called Christ’s Mass or Festival. It was a celebration. There were 3 masses at this time to celebrate the 3 fold birth of Christ. The midnight mass on December 24th celebrated what they called Christ’s birth in the Father’s bosom. This was the eternal purpose of God to send His Son to earth. The dawn mass celebrated Christ’s conception in the womb of Mary, and the midday mass celebrated His birth in the hearts of believers. Over time it became Christmas and the focus was on the mid-day mass which would naturally attract more people.
December 25th was strategically chosen to offset the biggest festival on the Roman calendar: Natalis Solis Invicti (birth of the unconquered sun), the birthday of the Roman Emperor Aurelius. Over time many elements crept into the observance of Christmas – e.g. giving of presents, lighting of trees etc. Is something wrong with having a tree, giving presents, etc.? No!!! However, we should remember the purpose for which the day was initially celebrated. To celebrate the FACT of the three-fold birth of Christ and to offset Caesar’s celebration.
Biblical Christmas
The Birth of Jesus was not an isolated sentimental event about a virgin who miraculously conceived and had to give birth to her son in an animal’s stable. There was and today still is an ultimate reality. The Angels, Simeon and Anna the prophetess, did not refer to Jesus with cute little baby words, but with words pregnant with prophetic purpose and maturity. They called him Saviour and predicted that He would save and redeem His people. These words point us to the end of Jesus’ life and thereby encapsulated all He was and would do. They envisaged His suffering, death on the cross and resurrection. Therefore, Biblical Christmas sees the cross beyond the cradle. The manger was a necessary part of God’s process but not disconnected from the fullness of His purpose: the redemption of a fallen world.
Any understanding of Christmas that misses the climax of the cross is an inaccurate understanding. We must therefore resist the temptation to reduce Christmas to only the babe in the manger.
How to Celebrate Christmas
While there is nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of Jesus, we must remember that He never told us to. Also, remember that the Church never celebrated Christ’s birth for more than 300 years after He had been crucified. However, our Lord Jesus did tell us to celebrate or commemorate His death. This is quite the opposite of human tendency. All great men are remembered on the date of their birth because we tend to link their worth and value to that day. Not so with Christ. His is linked to His death. Therefore, as we celebrate Christ’s birth on the date set aside to acknowledge it, let us also celebrate the Cross, the place of His death.
The angels, Simeon and Anna, looked forward to the redemption that Christ would bring, and thus they saw the cross through the cradle. Unlike them, we look back on redemption and thus should see and celebrate the cradle through the cross. This is the ultimate reality of Christmas.
Apostle Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Comments and feedback may be directed to: apostle@kingdom-life.org (apostle@kingdom-life.org).