Celebrating Christmas
Dr. Stan Coffey
Matthew 1:18-24
Someone has said, "The ideal husband remembers every one of his wife's birthdays but forgets how many." It seems the older we get the less enthusiasm we have for these yearly anniversaries. The young eagerly look forward to their birthday so they can celebrate. But whether we observe our birthdays with keen or curtailed anticipation, the celebration normally does not reach outside of our own family or immediate circle of friends.. A few birthdays attract national significance like Abraham Lincoln's on February 12 or George Washington's on February 22nd. But one birthday that receives international recognition, at least where civilization has gone is that of Jesus Christ.
The reason that we commemorate a famous person's birthday is not because there is anything so outstanding about his birth, but rather because his accomplishments in life were noteworthy. Nothing significant occurred at the birth of Lincoln or Washington. It was their achievements during their lifetime that makes us wish to signalize their birthdays.
But when we consider Jesus Christ, we see that not only was He unusual in life but also that he was unique in birth. The birthday of Christ is remembered on its own intrinsic worth. In the midst of booming business, carol singing, brightly lit decorations, tinsel and toys, travel and cheer, we do well to pause and review some basic Christian facts about the birth of Jesus Christ.
In what ways was His birth different from the birth of every other person, including yours?
I. HIS WAS A PURE BIRTH
First of all we note He was born without an earthly father. His was a virgin birth.
As Christendom expresses it in the historic apostles' creed, "I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary.
Two of the four gospels record the virgin birth. Matthew gi ...
Dr. Stan Coffey
Matthew 1:18-24
Someone has said, "The ideal husband remembers every one of his wife's birthdays but forgets how many." It seems the older we get the less enthusiasm we have for these yearly anniversaries. The young eagerly look forward to their birthday so they can celebrate. But whether we observe our birthdays with keen or curtailed anticipation, the celebration normally does not reach outside of our own family or immediate circle of friends.. A few birthdays attract national significance like Abraham Lincoln's on February 12 or George Washington's on February 22nd. But one birthday that receives international recognition, at least where civilization has gone is that of Jesus Christ.
The reason that we commemorate a famous person's birthday is not because there is anything so outstanding about his birth, but rather because his accomplishments in life were noteworthy. Nothing significant occurred at the birth of Lincoln or Washington. It was their achievements during their lifetime that makes us wish to signalize their birthdays.
But when we consider Jesus Christ, we see that not only was He unusual in life but also that he was unique in birth. The birthday of Christ is remembered on its own intrinsic worth. In the midst of booming business, carol singing, brightly lit decorations, tinsel and toys, travel and cheer, we do well to pause and review some basic Christian facts about the birth of Jesus Christ.
In what ways was His birth different from the birth of every other person, including yours?
I. HIS WAS A PURE BIRTH
First of all we note He was born without an earthly father. His was a virgin birth.
As Christendom expresses it in the historic apostles' creed, "I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary.
Two of the four gospels record the virgin birth. Matthew gi ...
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