Dear Friends in Christ,

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).”

With these words, we move now in just a few days to the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the very Son of God and our Savior from sin. The birth of the Savior, long foretold by God’s inspired prophets, came to pass. This truth, upon which our faith and hope of salvation depends, is a reality attested to by eyewitnesses: Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, Anna, the Shepherds, the Magi, and even the angels in the heavens! By faith given to us through the Word of God, we also believe and confess Jesus, born of Mary to be OUR Redeemer!

Perhaps you have wondered why December 25th has been so universally accepted as the date when we celebrate our Lord Jesus’ birth. December 25th originated in the Western or Roman Church, while in the Eastern Church January 6th was observed as Christ’s birthday. To this day, our church follows the tradition of the Western Church, while our Orthodox Christian friends and neighbors have followed the tradition of the Eastern Church, celebrating Jesus’ birth on January 6th, our Epiphany celebration.

How has the church determined what day should be observed? There have been volumes written on this subject, but very briefly, this explanation will help you give an answer to friends and family members who raise the question this Christmas.

The Church Father Hippolytus (A.D. 220) began by determining that the date of Jesus’ crucifixion was March 25th. On an unfounded calculation that Jesus’ life on earth must have included a specific number of years, Hippolytus named December 25th as the date of the Nativity. The 4th century Church Father Chrysostom believed that if Zacharias was serving in the temple on the Day of Atonement when the angel appeared to him, then the angel appeared to Mary 6 months later around March 25th, and 9 months later, he believed Jesus to be born on December 25th.

It has also been suggested that pagan festivals celebrated during the month of December may have influenced the Roman Church to superimpose the Christian Christmas on these pagan festivals, and thereby diminish the activity of the pagan festivals and give it Christian direction. For instance, the feast of Saturnalia began on the 17th of December and continued until the 23rd. Saturn was the Roman god of seed sowing. Saturnalia was a festival of recreation and fun, including dancing and singing and even special temporary freedoms given to slaves. This feast was also marked by gift giving. The Roman Church endeavored to do away with pagan indulgent activity by supplanting it with the celebration of Christ’s birthday on the 25th of December.

On the 25th of December, we also know that pagans in Rome celebrated the birthday of the sun god. Since on the 21st of December the sun reaches its lowest point and then begins to rise higher in the heavens, people in their simplicity marked the day on which this change in the sun took place as the new birth of the sun… the invincible sun god. What more natural way for the church to celebrate Christmas! After all, Jesus Christ as the Light of the World IS the True God! These are some of the factors which came together in history leading to us appointing December 25th as the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There have been scholars and believers over the ages who have posited that our Lord was born at the beginning of winter. The census which took place at the time of Jesus’ birth, attested to in Holy Scripture (Luke 2: 1-2), suggest to some that those who were to be enrolled in their own city would have had to do so at a time when their agrarian duties would have permitted them travel. And so many reason that December 25th was a logical date for the birth of Christ Jesus. Phillip Brooks who wrote “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” was in Palestine for Christmas when he wrote the words of this beloved Christmas hymn. About his experience in Palestine, he said: “we rode out to the fields where they say the shepherds saw the star. And as we passed, the shepherds were still in the fields, keeping watch over their
flocks just as they could have been doing on December 25th the year Jesus Christ was born.”

Obviously, there is no certainty in saying that Christ was born exactly on December 25th. But it is very appropriate for us to celebrate at this time, especially when we remember the carefully recorded details which St. Luke presents in the Advent narrative, be it the announcement to Zacharias, the announcement to Mary or mention of Caesar’s decree and the census. Regardless, the fact remains that at the appointed time on God’s eternal calendar, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those of us who are under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Gal. 4:4-5). Because Jesus took flesh and was born to be our Savior and kept the law for us, we can rejoice December 25th and EVERY DAY and have the eternal confidence that “God and sinners (like us) ARE reconciled!”

A Blessed Christmas to You and Your Family and Friends!
Celebrating the Birth of our Savior once again this year with you on December 25th,

Sincerely,
Pastor Randy

Thanksgiving at the Cross of Calvary

Dear Friends in Christ,

Our Lord Jesus was crucified between two thieves who had misspent their lives in sin and in shame as He suffered and died to bring us the forgiveness of our sins. In a sense, one of the greatest moments of thanksgiving was recorded in the Scriptures when in his dying moment, one of the thieves came to faith in the Redeemer. “Remember me when you come into Your Kingdom Jesus” the thief said. The Savior opened heaven’s doors wide when He replied: “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise!” The Scriptures do not record the penitent thief’s response, but we can only imagine his thankfulness at hearing a word of grace from his Savior! And in knowing that in heaven there is rejoicing over one sinner who repents, we can also imagine how thankful our Savior Jesus was in His moment of suffering to see the Holy Spirit’s work in this man’s life as he repents and believes!   What a thanksgiving!

While visiting recently at the home of one of our members, I saw one of the most poignant sayings that I’ve seen in a long, long time. It was displayed in beautiful needlepoint on a living room wall. The expression read: “We crucify ourselves between two thieves: regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.”

If we have looked at our lives recently and have found that we have been short on thanksgiving, could it be that we have been crucifying ourselves between the very real thieves of regret or fear or both? Both thieves are in one sense the same … they are both unbelief … and both can drain the baptismal life out of us. When this happens, we are living in denial that our Savior died to forgive us OUR very sins, and forgetting that He IS Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, and that all things … even OUR FUTURE rests securely in His hands!

That genuine thankfulness would abound in us again, Jesus calls us to look to the cross and remember what He did there for us. He calls us to confess that we have often forgotten the dying Lamb of God, and with hearts looking to Him anew, we remember His promise: “the blood of Jesus cleanses ME from ALL MY SIN.” This helps us shift our focus from the past to the present, and fills us with joy and freedom to live and serve Jesus and others again with thanksgiving. And that thankfulness may abound, we also admit on the other end, that we have often lived depending upon ourselves. Looking again to Alpha and Omega and the heavenly hope He gave the penitent thief, thankfulness is restored in us too.

May our thanksgiving be filled with the joy that Christ the Crucified brings us, so that we truly LIVE in Christ each day, not crucifying ourselves with regret for the past, or with the fear of tomorrow.

Living Alive in Christ with You,

Sincerely,
Pastor Randy