The Truth
in Print Vol. 29 Issue 11, Dec. 2023
A
Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W.
8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Replacing the Truth with Christmas
Tradition
We'll hear soon that Christ has been left
out of Christmas. Some will say we need to put Christ back into Christmas. Have
you ever asked one just what it is that they desire to put in? After all there
is nothing said about the practice or tradition of observing Christmas as
worship for the church in the New Testament as the will of Christ.
JOSEPH RECEIVED HELP IN UNDERSTANDING
JESUS' BIRTH
Matthew 1:18-25 gives a wealth of
information about Jesus' birth. Here we find that God helped Joseph to
understand the significance of His birth. Matthew records Joseph's
"dream" which was one way God communicated with man during the Mosaic
dispensation (Heb. 1:1-2). Joseph, being a just man, had determined to put Mary
away privately as he'd come to have knowledge of her pregnancy. The dream
revealed that Mary had done no wrong for this was "of the Holy
Spirit." This was far beyond man's procreative powers and what was taking
place was according to God's appointed time (Galatians 4:4; Ephesians 1:10;
Daniel 2:44; Isaiah 7:14). Joseph accepted the fact that this was a miraculous
birth and, "she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus,
for He will save His people from their sins." Jesus literally means
Savior. This was in fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. This remarkable
prophecy came from a prophet of God who lived and wrote events which took place
from about 745 to 695 BC. Matthew 1:23-25 says they shall call his name
Immanuel "which being interpreted is, God with us." This is
important. The connection is always that Jesus was God in the flesh (see John
1:1-3,14). Thus we have recorded "the birth of Jesus Christ" (Matthew
1:18). This means that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah the Jews were looking
for! It also means that He is the Savior of all men, both Jews and Gentiles
(Romans 1:16-17). The point that needs to be made here is that there are not
two Saviors. There is not one for the Gentiles and another Messiah for the Jews
who has not yet come. Our text above tells us that Mary remained a virgin until
or after the birth of the Savior. The doctrine that she remained a
"perpetual" virgin is unfounded by the scriptures. Matthew 13:55-56
and Marks 6:3 names his brothers and states that he had sisters as well!
Realize what this does to major Catholic dogma.
THE ACTUAL PLACE WHERE JESUS WAS BORN
Luke chapter 2:1-5 tells us why Joseph and
Mary were in Bethlehem (the city of David) at the time the Christ child is
born. Caesar Augustus had decreed that all should be registered and they had
gone there to Joseph's own city. From Nazareth to Bethlehem would have been a
trip of about seventy miles. Here, in Bethlehem, we see further fulfillment of
prophecy for Micah had said, Micah 5:2, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he
come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been
from of old, from everlasting."
THE ACTUAL BIRTH
The actual birth is recorded in just two
verses in Luke 2:6-7. All the text says about the day is "this day"
(Luke 2:11). God did not tell us the day or the year. It is simply impossible
to know the exact date of Jesus' birth. Do you think that God wanted us to
observe the "day" when He did not want us to know the day? Had God
wanted us to incorporate the day into the worship of the church He would have
specified the day and authorized such. The unauthorized practice of putting
Christ in "Christmas" is obvious when churches plan a program of
entertainment "for" the Christmas Season.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE SHEPHERDS IN
THE FIELD
In Luke 2:8-20 we have the account of the
angel appearing the shepherds who were out in the fields by night tending their
sheep. Obviously the angel's appearance was God's way of spreading the news of
Christ's birth. But the lesson goes beyond that. Since they were still in the
fields by night it is believed by some this would have been sometime during the
months of October and November. No one is exactly certain on this. It is not
likely that the taxation would have been in the dead of winter either! But we
must remember that Israel's winter is not our winter. Notice who the angel said
the child born is: Luke 2:11, "For unto you is born this day in the city
of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
There can be no mistake that this is the Messiah! John tells us in John 1:41
that Messiah is translated the Christ. The place is the place the prophet said
it would be. The words Savior, Christ and Lord and Messiah give the absolute
title of Deity!
One important aspect of this is the
"saying" of the heavenly host recorded here. Luke tells us that
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God
and saying: NASV [14] "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace
among men with whom He is pleased."
There are two fundamental parts to this
saying: 1. Glory to God in the highest; 2. On earth peace (good will) among men
with whom He (God) is pleased.
Notice that the men are those in whom God is
pleased! Such men would be the Shepherds who obeyed God that night, or Joseph
with his wife Mary, or Simeon (Luke 2:34) who is (a prophet) one who understood
the Old Testament prophesies and was not prejudiced as so many Jews were to the
Old Mosaic Covenant. He was waiting for the Christ who would be the fulfillment
of the Law and whose blood would be the blood of the new testament shed for the
remission of sins (Matthew 26:28). He knew that Christ was for both the
Gentiles and the Jews and said so! In contrast to such men, however, God was
not pleased with men such as Herod who hated the child when he learned of his
birth. To associate Christ with just "good will" among men regardless
of their obedience to God's will is a perversion of the meaning of this
passage. God is not pleased with men (people) who revel at drinking parties,
despise the truth, are covetous, or who exploit others "in the name of
Christ" through their organizations this time of the year! Nor was He
pleased with the "likes" on the night Jesus was born! People get
kissy-huggy at Xmas time don't they? But somehow
people have been overtaken by the mistaken idea that God's pleasure rests at
this "season" (secular) upon everybody regardless of their deeds, and
even upon those who are worldly and know they are and have no determination to
be otherwise. This is wrong! This shows they are not studying about the birth
of Christ as they should be.
THE WISE MEN AND THE STAR
Let's look quickly at Matthew 2:1-15. The
wise men followed the star until it stood over "the house" where the
young Child was! One fact we can pin down here is that Jesus is not a newborn
babe in the manger when the wise men come. That scraps many a manger scene put
up for display! Furthermore, it says "the young child." By now Jesus
is referred to as "the young child" and the wise men finally find him
in a house. It does not say there were three wise men nor does it name them.
And it does not say that they presented exactly three gifts to Him. The
important thing is they "worshipped Him." Only God is worthy of
worship! Where they were living when they fled to Egypt I don't know for sure,
but from Luke 2 it does appear that they went to Jerusalem from Bethlehem
(2:22) and then returned to Nazareth from Jerusalem (2:39).
CONCLUSION
What the inspired text has to say about the
birth of Christ is very important. It is the truth. Each Christian has the
responsibility to uphold the truth of God's word to the best of his ability. If
we don't then it will be replaced by human tradition. The love for and practice
of human tradition is what Jesus says constitutes vain or empty worship. So it
is this very season, dear reader, wherein so many vainly worship Him. Many will
attend a church service that has incorporated Christmas into the work of the
church. The vast majority of people think that their mere human tradition is
the truth today. They errantly seek to put Christmas into Christ but it does
not fit! Take time to reflect upon the truth of God's word and see the church
plays (entertainment), singing performances (the kids are sure cute and grandpa
and ma are sure to be there), etc., and various displays in the foyers,
parties, etc., for what they really are. This is nothing more than man's empty
tradition! It is practiced by a people who have forgotten how to worship God in
spirit and in truth (John 4:24). And those who know it has no place do not have
the courage to speak up against it lest they should be cast out of the
synagogue! We find no such thing in the worship of disciples in the first
century church in the New Testament. You do not have to remain among them and
be lost with them!
By Bob W.
Lovelace
NOTE: Concerned
reader, to learn more about New Testament worship go to "Fundamental
Lessons on the Church," Lesson Five, "The Worship of The Church"
at our website listed below, or use —
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/churchfive.htm .
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 782-5058 ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00; Assembly 10:50 am; Evening: 6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
To learn
more call, visit or visit our website at:
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com