The Meaning of Christmas 1
What does Christmas mean to you? What are you expecting this Christmas to be like for you and your family? What are your expectations? Do you have any expectations? And if you do have expectations, are they good or bad expectations?
I am sure that as I ask these questions, there are various answers that arise in your thinking. If this is the first Christmas after the loss of a loved one, you are thinking about Christmases in the past with them and of how there will be a lonely spot in your home this Christmas. You may be thinking about the situations in the world and what kind of a world we are living in. You may be thinking about your loved ones and what you are going to give them. You may be thinking about Christmas dinner. You may be dreading the shopping that you still have to do and the crowds in the mall that you have to face. Or you may be planning your Christmas dinner and all that entails.
Actually, we all know that is not what we should be thinking about when we think about Christmas, but if we are honest, that is what comes to our minds once in a while. My purpose for writing these Christmas Pearls of Wisdom early is to get us turned around in our concept of Christmas from an “Americanized” Christmas to a Christ-centered Christmas.
The reason for the season, as we see on so many Christian cards is Christ, the Anointed One and His anointing. This date is the celebration of His birth into this earth to redeem us from the bondage of sin and all of its consequences. It is the celebration of His birthday, even though this is probably not the date He was born. We must realize that Christmas as it looks today has been taken from the world’s concept of Christmas. What we have to do is deliberately turn that around in our home. I know a couple who are not giving anything to one another but what they would normally spend on one another they are giving to those who are needy. There are so many ways to celebrate Christmas that we have not thought about.
In Isaiah 9:6,7 we read that unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given and the government (leadership, authority and power) shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.
Look at this verse: The leadership, authority and power of God is now in this earth because Jesus came and released us from the power of satan. And the increase of God’s government (authority) and peace (wholeness in every area of our lives with nothing missing and nothing broken) shall have no end.
His name shall be called---your name places you in a certain position and marks you in your actions and behavior. Your name will indicate who you are and how you act. It is interesting that in some societies they do not name the baby before he/she is born but wait to name the child after it is born and has demonstrated its personality. Name is very important. The Father gave Jesus a name that is above every name. At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. You will notice that I said the Father gave Jesus His name. Contained in Jesus’ name of Jesus Christ is also His Father’s name, Yhwh (we say yahweh or Jehovah—the Father’s name is so sacred and holy that the Jewish people will not even pronounce it out of reverence and respect and honor for His name). When we have the understanding of His name, the revelation of His name, we will not say His name so casually. “In the name of Jesus” has almost become a catch phrase, a by-word for our prayers, and produces little, if any, results in our prayer life.
What is the meaning of Christmas? We will explore it more over the next few days. Christmas is about the celebration of Christ, not the celebration of Santa Claus. Santa Claus is a wonderful idea with giving being the theme, but it has gotten so out of hand that the receiving part is what is emphasized to children as they sit on Santa’s lap in the malls and tell him what “they want,” and moms and dads are madly scrambling to get all this “stuff” for their children, even fighting others and waiting at department doors in the wee hours of the morning. Let’s turn that around and put Christmas back into the place in our homes and lives that Christ deserves.
I am sure that as I ask these questions, there are various answers that arise in your thinking. If this is the first Christmas after the loss of a loved one, you are thinking about Christmases in the past with them and of how there will be a lonely spot in your home this Christmas. You may be thinking about the situations in the world and what kind of a world we are living in. You may be thinking about your loved ones and what you are going to give them. You may be thinking about Christmas dinner. You may be dreading the shopping that you still have to do and the crowds in the mall that you have to face. Or you may be planning your Christmas dinner and all that entails.
Actually, we all know that is not what we should be thinking about when we think about Christmas, but if we are honest, that is what comes to our minds once in a while. My purpose for writing these Christmas Pearls of Wisdom early is to get us turned around in our concept of Christmas from an “Americanized” Christmas to a Christ-centered Christmas.
The reason for the season, as we see on so many Christian cards is Christ, the Anointed One and His anointing. This date is the celebration of His birth into this earth to redeem us from the bondage of sin and all of its consequences. It is the celebration of His birthday, even though this is probably not the date He was born. We must realize that Christmas as it looks today has been taken from the world’s concept of Christmas. What we have to do is deliberately turn that around in our home. I know a couple who are not giving anything to one another but what they would normally spend on one another they are giving to those who are needy. There are so many ways to celebrate Christmas that we have not thought about.
In Isaiah 9:6,7 we read that unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given and the government (leadership, authority and power) shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.
Look at this verse: The leadership, authority and power of God is now in this earth because Jesus came and released us from the power of satan. And the increase of God’s government (authority) and peace (wholeness in every area of our lives with nothing missing and nothing broken) shall have no end.
His name shall be called---your name places you in a certain position and marks you in your actions and behavior. Your name will indicate who you are and how you act. It is interesting that in some societies they do not name the baby before he/she is born but wait to name the child after it is born and has demonstrated its personality. Name is very important. The Father gave Jesus a name that is above every name. At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. You will notice that I said the Father gave Jesus His name. Contained in Jesus’ name of Jesus Christ is also His Father’s name, Yhwh (we say yahweh or Jehovah—the Father’s name is so sacred and holy that the Jewish people will not even pronounce it out of reverence and respect and honor for His name). When we have the understanding of His name, the revelation of His name, we will not say His name so casually. “In the name of Jesus” has almost become a catch phrase, a by-word for our prayers, and produces little, if any, results in our prayer life.
What is the meaning of Christmas? We will explore it more over the next few days. Christmas is about the celebration of Christ, not the celebration of Santa Claus. Santa Claus is a wonderful idea with giving being the theme, but it has gotten so out of hand that the receiving part is what is emphasized to children as they sit on Santa’s lap in the malls and tell him what “they want,” and moms and dads are madly scrambling to get all this “stuff” for their children, even fighting others and waiting at department doors in the wee hours of the morning. Let’s turn that around and put Christmas back into the place in our homes and lives that Christ deserves.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 6:57 AM
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