you choose Q: is Jesus' birth or death most important?
Q: Which is most important to believers in Jesus, the birth of Christ or the death of Christ? —Nkeh
A: That Christians all over the world celebrate Christmas and commemorate Good Friday tells us that both the birth and death of Christ are important events of our Christian faith, neither of which is more important than the other. For both are…
you choose Q: "why were the first people to know of Jesus' birth not Jews?"
Q: Who were the first people to know about Jesus birth and how did they know? How come those people were not Jews? —Simon
I’m a bit puzzled by your question, as Mary (Luke 1:28), Joseph (Matthew 1:20), and Elizabeth (Luke 1:41-45) knew about Jesus’ birth before it happened. They were therefore the first to know about it, and they were…
go tell
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7).
Those shepherds were really something! Can't you just see these low-profile men (probably including young boys & maybe girls), quietly out watching their flocks…
light of the world
Imagine the scene in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. It was the night of nights, and yet it had begun as every other night had before it. But it was to become the greatest, most significant night of history. This was the night that would conquer darkness and bring in the day when there would be no more night. There…
you choose Q: "is December 25 really Jesus' birthday?"
Q: Is December 25 the actual birthday of Jesus Christ? —Moe
A. The early church believed that Jesus’ birth and His baptism by John the Baptist took place on the same calendar date. Traditionally, therefore, the church celebrated a special day that commemorated both His birth and His baptism. A number of days were proposed for the celebration by the early…
don't turn off the Christmas light
Christmas packages all unwrapped . . . cookies and pie all gone. The drifts of clean white snow are just a bit dirty now and the neighbors have turned off their outside Christmas lights. We’ve sung old friends and new ones. We’ve made resolutions we most likely won't keep. But what will we do with the Christ Child? 
As we…
near
A musician friend of mine has a cousin named Emmanuel. My friend wrote a song alluding to Emmanuel’s fairytale-like wedding. The ceremony was outdoors in a picturesque setting with fine weather and wooded surroundings.
As the time to commence neared, however, many grew nervous because no one had seen the groom all day. Soon, however, a distant figure came through…
cradle, cross, and crown
What do you consider to be a good representation of Christmas? The potbellied Santa Claus? The nativity scene complete with baby, hay-filled manger, and donkeys? The iconic Christmas tree? For Luke, Christmas was best represented by a cradle, a cross, and a crown.
A cradle. The angel Gabriel told a confused young virgin that she “[would] conceive and give birth to…
Christmas quiet
Having read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in her class, my daughter decided to re-enact Jesus’ birth. Casting herself as an angel—complete with wings, dress, and sparkling shoes—she made her brother, her lone recruit, a shepherd. Firstborn to the core, she gave Micah his directions and began reciting her lines with passion. Micah, however, was a little distracted. More sheep than…
in the first light
As Christmas draws near, it's worth remembering that we celebrate not just the coming to mankind of Immanuel, the Light of the world, but the complete story of His birth must take us ultimately to His Cross—His sacrificial death that paid the price demanded because of our sin. It is in the light of this sacrifice that His birth truly…
we many dignitaries?
One of the many traditional Christmas carols we often hear and sing this time of year is We Three Kings. It was written by John Henry Hopkins in 1857. Go ahead—sing a few lines!
Now, I hate to topple a much-loved tradition, but there were likely more than three kings who traveled afar to visit Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12). The Bible doesn’t…
the promise
Expectations . . . a Promise . . . a Light shining in the darkness. If ever there were a recurring theme during December, it's that of looking forward. Kids anticipating holiday vacation . . . and presents under the tree . . . times of celebration . . . the family gathering . . . special treats, just to name a…
December 5, 2011
How do you plan to reflect on the true majesty of Jesus’ birth and renew your appreciation for the “Son of Man who came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10) this festive season?
Christmas accusation
Few things seem more out of place than the appalling account of Herod’s slaughter of the innocents (Matthew 2:16). Why would a loving God permit a tyrant’s massacre of children to stain the beauty and poignancy of the Christmas story?
Matthew recounts in stark simplicity: “[Herod] sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two…
a different Christmas
With gifts wrapped and under the tree, Christmas Eve came to a close. God’s goodness had been evident, but this year was different. Unfolding blankets and sheets, my husband and I created beds of the two couches in our family room. My husband’s parents, who live in town, were using our bedroom upstairs. Three months earlier, their oldest son—and only…
