“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows”

Christmas Season - celebrates

December 25th birthday of Christ

Happy time of year

Gifts exchanged

Can we celebrate?

I. Observations

No proof of December 25th

Exact year, month, day is not revealed

Adopted in 3rd century

Luke 2:1-14

Christians can enjoy as Christians can enjoy as National HolidayNational Holiday

Phil. 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always”

We may give and receive gifts

July4th

Memorial Day

Labor Day

Valentine’sDay

“But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.”

Rom. 14:23

Christian Liberty

II. Not a Holy Day

“Christmas” not in Bible

Catholic “Christ Mass”

Not observed in early church

No command in Bible

Rev. 22:18-19

“You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.”

Gal. 4:10-11

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

Col. 2:16-17

“observe all things that I have commanded.”

Matt.28:20

“speak as the oracles of God” 1 Peter 4:11

We must not “go beyond what is written” 1 Cor.4:6

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread” Acts 20:7

Dates Suggested For The Birthday of Christ

January

6 March

25

January

10

May

20December

25

III. What We Know Matt.Luke

Caesar Augustus

Virgin Mary

Bethlehem of Judea

Wise men from East

Fullness of time - Gal. 4:4-7

Birth was not His beginning

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” Jn. 1:1-2

His Spirit pre-existed His body

“This is he of whom I said, After me comes a man which is preferred before me: for He was before me.” Jn. 1:30

Jesus pre-existed John

“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

Jn. 8:58

Jesus pre-existed Abraham

“without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.”

Heb. 7:3

His physical birth did not bring Him into existence

Likeness of a man - Phil. 2:6-8

“word was made flesh” Jn.1:14

“Immanuel” = God with UsMatt. 1:18-23

Incarnation

Birthdays celebrate one’s beginning.

Christ had no beginning !

To celebrate His birthday would detract from His deity.

In all of this, we do not want to In all of this, we do not want to take away the importance of Jesus’ take away the importance of Jesus’ birth, and the appreciation we have birth, and the appreciation we have to God for sending Himto God for sending Him

ApplicationApplication

It is because of His birth that He It is because of His birth that He could die for the sins of the world. could die for the sins of the world. We remember Him every first day We remember Him every first day of the week (I Cor. 11:23-26)of the week (I Cor. 11:23-26)

In Christ

= SAVED

Baptized (Gal.3:27)

Confess (Rom.10:10)

Hear (Rom.10:17)

Believe (Jn.8:24)

Repent (Lk.13:3)