Was Jesus really born on December 25th?
Where does Santa even come from?
And, what is Yancey’s favorite Christmas meal?
On this episode, Rachel Chester asks Yancey some of the most common questions about Christmas.
OPENING PRAYER
God of Wonder and Unexpected Grace,
We have come to bear witness to a miracle;
to prepare our hearts for the dawn of the True Light;
We have come once again to open our hearts to the divine birth of the One who became flesh and dwelt among us.
In this sacred moment we ask for your glorious presence to captivate us.
For Jesus’ sake. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
John 1:1-17
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
CHILDREN’S BIBLE READING (OPTIONAL)
Jesus Storybook Bible, “Heaven Breaks Through” (pages 200-207)
RESPONSE
Leader: Today we join with the angels in heaven, the shepherds in the fields, the wise men from the east, and the millions of faithful followers across the globe to come and adore him — Christ the Lord — the True Light which came into the world.
With gladness we bow our hearts to the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
People: We rejoice exceedingly with great joy.
In the advent of Christ we find hope, love, joy, and peace.
From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
Christ was born,
so we might have life;
Christ died,
so we might have forgiveness;
Christ was raised,
so we might have resurrection;
Christ will come again,
so we might have eternal life with him.
PRAYER
CHILDREN’S PRAYER
Jesus, thank you for forgiving us and for coming to save us. Help me to tell my friends how much you love us.
ADULT’S PRAYER
Father, we know we do not deserve the gift of your love and forgiveness,
but you give freely.
May we receive it with thankfulness and affection for you.
Thank you for your mercy and the glorious gift of your grace.
Help us live in a way that celebrates your goodness and shines your light to the world.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with us all now and forever. Amen.
The Christmas season is the best of times, but sometimes the worst of times, too — or at least it can feel that way.
The lights are beautiful, the parties are fun, the presents are exciting, and the pictures are cute.
But, it’s also exhausting and stressful.
For some, it is a reminder of how little they have, as they try to buy presents for kids, teachers, and parties, and still pay the bills. For others it is grief mixed with joy because there is an empty chair that should be filled with a loved one’s presence. And for still others, time shared between families must be negotiated and navigated and no one seems satisfied.
Even when we all manage to focus on the “reason for the season”— Jesus, eternal Son of God, who came to live among us — the season can still be overwhelming.
It is in these moments, the exhaustion between activity, the sadness between parties, the despair in the joy, that we need the truth of the incarnation — the fact that the God of the universe left his place in heaven to not only be among us, but to be one of us. He emptied himself, humbled himself, and experienced everything that it means to be a human. The exhaustion, the grief, the relationship struggles, and the pain.
In one of the most well-known messianic prophecies, the prophet Isaiah foretells of a coming Messiah. But who he describes is not the conquering King the people were hoping and longing for. Instead, he describes a suffering servant.
Here are just a few of the descriptions Isaiah gave:
“…he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:2b-3)
“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth…by oppression and judgment he was taken away…” (Isaiah 53: 7a, 8a)
“Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous.” (Isaiah 53: 11)
I don’t know what this Christmas season has been, or will be, for you.
I hope it’s been, and continues to be, really fun and beautiful. I hope it’s been full of joy, peace, hope, and love, found in the reality of Immanuel, God with us.
But if that feels distant sometimes, know that Jesus came to be with us and become one of us —even the hard parts — because he loves us.
The incarnation is beautiful and mysterious, absolutely necessary for our salvation, and a comforting gift. It’s comforting to know we worship a God who sympathizes with us and saves us; who understands the mess and pain of this world because he lived with us in it; and who promises to one day completely eradicate the mess and pain of this world.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
During Christmas we celebrate the majesty and beauty of who Christ is: the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Eternal Son of God, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords!
But, don’t forget the beauty of his humility in becoming a vulnerable baby born in the manger. Don’t forget the reality of his tears when he lost his friend in death. Don’t forget the pain he experienced when one of his closest friends betrayed him completely. Don’t forget the real physical suffering he experienced at Calvary on your behalf.
That first Christmas, the Son of God came to earth to return us to God.
And some two thousand years later, in this Christmas, whatever it looks like for you, whatever you are facing, however you are feeling, you can still draw near to God.
Christmas is a beautiful time to celebrate that Jesus our Messiah came to earth to rescue us. But let us also remember and rest in the truth that our Savior is also a Suffering Servant; one who knows and understands the depth of our exhaustion, suffering, and grief.
This Christmas, rejoice for Jesus, the Son of God. But take time to rest, knowing that he knows exactly what you’re going through, as Jesus, the Son of Man.
Our lives can be messy at times, and that means relationships between people can be messy.
What does it look like to walk with others with grace?
On this episode, Ryan Lehtinen talks with Greg Poore and Susan Wesley about stepping into someone’s life, even when it’s messy.
As we end 2022, what are you celebrating?
How have you seen God move in your life, your family, and as a church?
On this special “Year In Review” episode, Aaron Lutz sat down with Ryan Lehtinen and Kyle Mikulan to look back on the year that was and look forward to a new year personally and as a church family.
You don’t have to look far to find people who embrace the commercial aspects of Christmas but also question the truth of Christianity’s claims about Jesus.
One of those questions is simple, but can also be confusing to Christians and non-Christians alike: is December 25 really when Jesus was born?
Well, the short answer is we don’t know. While there are a couple of theories, the Bible doesn’t speak to the specific time when Jesus was born, and historical accounts are silent on the exact day as well.
There is speculation that the birth of Christ was celebrated on December 25 to coincide with pagan holidays, but most scholars agree there is little evidence supporting this theory. It wasn’t until the twelfth century that Jesus’s birth and pagan feasts were first connected, and the tradition for December 25 is actually quite ancient. The first historical mentions of this date for Christmas were made as early as the second century, while most Christians settled on this date by the fourth century.
None of the gospel writers mention the specific date of Christ’s birth. But both Matthew and Luke provide significant details about the birth of Christ, and their presence indicates their importance to the narrative as a whole.
For instance, Luke lets us know that Jesus slept in a manger (Luke 2:7), reflecting his gentle and lowly nature. If God felt it was essential for us to know the exact date of the Savior’s birth, he certainly would have told us in his Word. Sometimes, it’s really okay to say that we don’t know.
So if we don’t know that December 25 was really the birthday of Jesus, can we know if he really was born at all? Was Jesus a real, historical person?
While increasing numbers of people do not believe Jesus was a real person, both secular scholars and those who study the New Testament are in overwhelming agreement that he actually lived.
This was true in ancient times as well.
Within a few decades of Jesus’ lifetime, Jesus was mentioned by both Jewish and Roman historians in writings that corroborate the Gospels’ descriptions of his life and death.
So, even though we don’t know the exact day of Jesus’ birth, we have ample evidence that he existed, throughout, not only Christian tradition, but secular history as well.
Regardless of any question on when Jesus was born, only the Bible can explain to us why he was born:
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
— Luke 1:30-33
The Son of God, who left his rightful place in heaven, humbled himself and was born in a manger. He came into this world to atone for our sins and was resurrected to eternal life. He revealed God to us, he gifted us his Spirit, he reigns in heaven, and he is coming again to redeem all of creation.
While we do not know everything, we can be certain of the essentials. God himself, through whom all things were created, came to the world as one of us. To live and die and live again for us.
Because he loves us.
Because he loves you.
This I know is true.
He is Immanuel, God with us, to be both experienced now and treasured as a promise of what is to come.
And so, December 25 is the day we officially celebrate the birth of Christ, and a day that we stop and recognize the greatest gift anyone has ever been given. But it’s too big for one day, or one month, or even a season.
December 25 is the day we mark on our calendars, but there is reason to celebrate this story every other day as well!
During Christmas of 1914, soldiers huddled together in trenches to keep from freezing all along the western front of World War I.
On one side the Allied troops (the British, Belgians, and French) with the Germans on the other.
Since the war began the summer before, men and women from both sides had witnessed and participated in the bloodiest conflict the world had ever seen. Many soldiers who had survived the horrific living conditions and brutal fighting were left shellshocked, distraught, longing for home, and wishing the war would come to an end.
But on the night of Christmas Eve something miraculous happened.
Albert Moren , a British private, described hearing songs coming from the enemy trenches:
“First the Germans would sing one of their carols and then we would sing one of ours, until when we started up ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ the Germans immediately joined in singing the same hymn to the Latin words Adeste Fideles. And I thought, well, this is really a most extraordinary thing — two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war.”
By the morning, the Allied and German troops emerged from their respective trenches and, after having agreed to a ceasefire, spent much of Christmas day together.
It’s said that they exchanged gifts, played soccer, ate food together, and commiserated with one another as if they were no longer sworn enemies.
This event has become known as the Christmas Truce of 1914 and to this day there is no other recorded truce in history like it.
Of course, the truce didn’t last forever. The soldiers eventually climbed back into their trenches and the fighting continued.
But this event left a lasting mark on history.
On that bitter cold night in 1914, it was the songs about the birth of Jesus, sung by supposed “enemies,” that reminded those men of that truth and allowed them to lay their weapons down.
Beyond being a story that offers a glimmer of kindness and peace amidst a world that often feels at war with itself, this event reminds us that, more than which side we’ve fought for, we are united by the unshakeable hope that is only found in the advent of Jesus Christ.
The reality for us today is that as followers of Jesus, we know our hope and our identity will always and forever be found in Christ and what he has done for us.
And so, when we gather and sing, we are reminding one another and proclaiming with one voice that death, war, and sin will never divide us into enemy camps; we are leaving our “trenches” and reclaiming our title as the united body of Christ.
So, church family, let’s lay our weapons down at the feet of Jesus our King and worship him well this Christmas season!
I grew up thinking everything I heard in Christmas songs was literal. There really were nine reindeer and they pulled Santa’s sleigh in the exact order of the song we all sang together! And I really did need to watch out and not cry because Santa Claus had some level of magical surveillance and was coming to town.
So, in the same way, when it came to the Christmas hymns we sang at church, I latched on to those lyrics, not as artistic interpretation, but as facts about the birth of Jesus.
When I grew up I learned that the reindeer often ride in a different order, Santa uses our parents as informants, and the beauty of the words of many of our carols tell more than the facts of the story of the first Christmas. They speak to the heart of the night Jesus was born.
One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Silent Night,” but the three verses of the song describe a night that should have been anything but silent.
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born
Silent night, holy night
Son of God love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord at thy birth
Jesus, Lord at thy birth
The night Jesus was born must have been a whirlwind of activity. First, Joseph and Mary couldn’t find a hotel room. Then Mary went into labor in a barn and gave birth as a young teenage girl. And none of that is to mention angels appearing out of a dark night sky scaring the shepherds to death!
And all of that was just the beginning. The next day began the 33 years of Jesus’ life; years that can be described as anything but peaceful and silent.
I don’t know if you have ever had the experience of being in the eye of a hurricane. It is a unique moment that is hard to adequately explain. I have had the experience twice. Once in Hurricane Alicia when I was really little, and a second time in Hurricane Ike. I remember being inside the house as the winds pounded for hours shaking the house and the windows. I could hear debris slapping against the roof and the walls. Then in the middle, suddenly there was this calm stillness. And silence. It’s this moment of peace with storms having passed and more on the way.
Many of us have held a newborn child at some and understand the joy and hope that new life brings. If you’re a parent, you probably remember that moment of holding your child for the first time, having come through the journey of labor, and knowing that everything would be different from that point on.
But on Christmas, the baby was not just any baby. He was the incarnation of God himself. The night probably wasn’t perfectly silent, but it was full of promise that everything would be different from that point on, not just for Mary and Joseph, but for the entire world.
It was the promise of salvation to a world desperately needing peace and rest.
Our own lives are rarely silent either. But, no matter the noise, chaos, or storm we are facing, we can experience this joy, hope, peace, and love in the presence of Christ our King.
Christmas is full of celebration and anticipation; hope, love, joy, and peace. It’s a time when we love exchange gifts and celebrate with our family and friends. But, it is also a time of profound grief for many people. The season is hopeful, but what if we are sad? Families gather together, but what if we have lost someone? How can someone navigate the holidays in the midst of this type of grief? And how can others walk beside them and love them well? On this episode, Susan Wesley talks with Amy Ward and Meredith Harris about how they find joy in Christ during the hardest seasons of life.
The Christmas story opens in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. Joseph and a very pregnant Mary had traveled a long way to the hometown of their family to participate in a census decreed by Caesar Augustus. The local inns were over-crowded and so Mary and Joseph found themselves settled down for the night among livestock and cattle as Mary delivered the Savior of the world.
Meanwhile, not too far away, a group of shepherds were keeping watch over their flock, undoubtedly unsuspecting of the wonders they would behold a few hours later.
In that day, being a shepherd meant taking constant care of your flock. It wasn’t a lucrative business, and these men were often viewed more as nomads than actual community members. This is probably why the shepherds had not dispersed to be counted in their home-lands like the rest of the country. They simply weren’t considered significant enough to count.
And so it was that this particular group of shepherds were resting with their flock in the fields outside Bethlehem on the night of Jesus’ birth. We read their story in Luke chapter 2.
| And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
– Luke 2:9-12 |
O come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem! Come and behold him, born the King of angels.
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
|
It’s noteworthy God didn’t choose any of the political or religious leaders of that day or really anyone of “importance” to be the first to hear and spread this news.
The angels could have appeared anywhere and to anyone. Yet God chose this lowly group of unsuspecting men to be the first to hear about the birth of the Messiah — Jesus Christ, God in flesh, born in the middle of the night to young parents and in a stable.
| And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God
and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, – Luke 2:13-14 |
Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation! Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above! Glory to God, all glory in the highest
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord! |
The shepherds heard the most important news in the history of the world from the mouths of angels of heaven! The long-awaited Messiah had come.
Can you imagine what an utterly overwhelming experience that must have been?
| When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger…
– Luke 2:15-16
|
Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning; Jesus, to thee be all glory giv’n! Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
|
Shell-shocked and probably filled with wonder, the shepherds dropped everything to seek out the newborn Jesus. They went to find the Messiah; not to ask anything of him; not even to bring him gifts as the Magi would later do. For what did they possibly have to offer?
They simply went to see if it could possibly be true, and to worship him if it was.
They went to adore him.
And after they’d seen him, they went and told as many people as they could what had happened, who had come, and what the angels said about him.
And this is exactly what we do when we gather together and celebrate this same incredible news over 2,000 years later.
When we think about the words of “O Come All Ye Faithful,” singing together with our families and our neighbors and church-family on Christmas Eve, we are reminded of the great lengths to which God went through in order to reconcile us to him. We celebrate Christ’s birth knowing something the shepherds didn’t — what he accomplished in his death and resurrection.
But, on this side of the Gospel, we can still respond in similar fashion to those few humble men: worship.
Our status, wealth, and pasts don’t disqualify us.
We can simply come and adore him, revelling in the splendor and majesty of God’s grace gifted to us through Christ the Lord.