I will return to radio today at 12pm ET for my annual Christmas show. You can listen here starting at 12pm ET and after 3pm ET listen here all weekend long. Two thousand years ago in Bethlehem, a baby was born in a manger. That baby would grow up to be the most consequential person in history. Wars would be started in his name. Civilizations would fall and rise in his name. Many would co-opt him for their own purposes and ignore what he actually said. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:5)
Great comments, and good history too. How often had I heard as a young lad that, you can't use the bible as history. How wrong those folks were. This is essential Christianity.
Thank you for boldly speaking to all via radio and podcast.
Merry Christmas to you and your family Erick! As I read thru this, I got chills as this story always makes my heart joyful! I also could hear the words of Linus in my head as he recites from the book of Luke about the true meaning of Christmas in the Charlie Brown Christmas. Those words always bring tears of joy to my eyes as I think of our savior, the creator of all, loving us so much as to come be one of us to save us all! No gift ever will compare to HIM! Peace and goodwill to all of us!
Merry Christmas Erik. This is beautiful and timely. I dream of a day when "woke" represents the awakening of faith in God, and Jesus as our savior. I think telling of Biblical history is a pathway through secularism to this awakening.
This is an interesting question, especially at Christmas time. The Christmas story is a beautiful story of Christ coming to earth, the angelic hosts, wise men, angel announcements, shepherds, wise men, and all the traditions and festive celebrations.
In the Bible, the verb “to see” has several meanings: It can mean simply the notion that we can see events and people around us. It can also mean that we not only see them, but we see the details of them and can describe them. Finally, the Bible uses the word “Behold” when it means that we not only see, we can describe, but we also understand the deeper things of what we are looking at. I will come back to this usage.
It is also a sad time for many people remembering loved ones who have passed, childhood Christmas celebrations, loss, and heartache. The angels brought “good news” and we can examine this “good news” as the angels saw it, the shepherds saw it, and the wise men saw it, Herod, and even Mary and Joseph. But...how do we see it?
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and Christians the world over will go to church and sing O Holy Night with candlelight services. I love this time of year, but it is also a little melancholy for me. My question to myself and to you is...What do YOU see? What do I see?
It is a HOLY night, set apart by GOD to mark the time in human history when He came to change everything for us. The angels announced this birth to lowly shepherds who were temple shepherds. They raised temple sheep for the Passover sacrifices. Their goal was perfect lambs, and they had a procedure of inspecting each newborn lamb and wrapping them tightly in cloth to protect them from thrashing and damaging their body after birth. This was only for the perfect lambs.
In the Gospel of Luke Ch 2:11-12 is declares:
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
These verses have been memorized by many of us. The shepherds were given a sign they would recognize...a baby in swaddling cloth lying in a manger. A sign is always a pointer to something else, so what is the sign pointing to? And would the shepherds understand the sign and its ultimate meaning?
This Christmas we will focus on the baby Jesus in the manger, but do we see the sign? Do we know what it is pointing to? I hope so because it makes all the difference. Many people have various beliefs about this event, from the religious faith understanding to the secular holiday understanding, to the foolishness of believing in a God itself.
As a believer, one Bible verse brings this home to me ...and I hope it will also stimulate some deeper thought for you.
In John Ch 1:29 it says...
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
The shepherds saw the baby as the Lamb of God, and they knew full well what that Lamb was destined to do...die for the sin of the people...and this was the meaning to them, and hopefully to us.
This savior, redeemer, anointed one, Christ... was the one who would come in time to make a pathway for all of us who believe in Him.
Do you Behold Him, do you believe in Him?
My prayer is that you will understand this Holy Night and its eternal implication.
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Erick, every year--twice a year--I look forward to your run down of the historicity of Jesus, his birth, death, and resurrection. I like the repetition. It reminds me of the repetition we see in the old testament. We aren't smarter than ancient Israel. We are just as dumb and forgetful. We need to be reminded of the reality of His love, because we darn sure act like we forget about the judgement. I hope you never feel like you're being redundant and need to mix it up. Keep reminding us.
Thank you for being bold in your beliefs. We need to hear and read these truths today as much as any time in history.
Amén.
Great piece, Erick!
Great comments, and good history too. How often had I heard as a young lad that, you can't use the bible as history. How wrong those folks were. This is essential Christianity.
Thank you for boldly speaking to all via radio and podcast.
William Stead
Merry Christmas to you and your family Erick! As I read thru this, I got chills as this story always makes my heart joyful! I also could hear the words of Linus in my head as he recites from the book of Luke about the true meaning of Christmas in the Charlie Brown Christmas. Those words always bring tears of joy to my eyes as I think of our savior, the creator of all, loving us so much as to come be one of us to save us all! No gift ever will compare to HIM! Peace and goodwill to all of us!
Merry Christmas Erik. This is beautiful and timely. I dream of a day when "woke" represents the awakening of faith in God, and Jesus as our savior. I think telling of Biblical history is a pathway through secularism to this awakening.
Do you see what I see?
This is an interesting question, especially at Christmas time. The Christmas story is a beautiful story of Christ coming to earth, the angelic hosts, wise men, angel announcements, shepherds, wise men, and all the traditions and festive celebrations.
In the Bible, the verb “to see” has several meanings: It can mean simply the notion that we can see events and people around us. It can also mean that we not only see them, but we see the details of them and can describe them. Finally, the Bible uses the word “Behold” when it means that we not only see, we can describe, but we also understand the deeper things of what we are looking at. I will come back to this usage.
It is also a sad time for many people remembering loved ones who have passed, childhood Christmas celebrations, loss, and heartache. The angels brought “good news” and we can examine this “good news” as the angels saw it, the shepherds saw it, and the wise men saw it, Herod, and even Mary and Joseph. But...how do we see it?
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and Christians the world over will go to church and sing O Holy Night with candlelight services. I love this time of year, but it is also a little melancholy for me. My question to myself and to you is...What do YOU see? What do I see?
It is a HOLY night, set apart by GOD to mark the time in human history when He came to change everything for us. The angels announced this birth to lowly shepherds who were temple shepherds. They raised temple sheep for the Passover sacrifices. Their goal was perfect lambs, and they had a procedure of inspecting each newborn lamb and wrapping them tightly in cloth to protect them from thrashing and damaging their body after birth. This was only for the perfect lambs.
In the Gospel of Luke Ch 2:11-12 is declares:
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
These verses have been memorized by many of us. The shepherds were given a sign they would recognize...a baby in swaddling cloth lying in a manger. A sign is always a pointer to something else, so what is the sign pointing to? And would the shepherds understand the sign and its ultimate meaning?
This Christmas we will focus on the baby Jesus in the manger, but do we see the sign? Do we know what it is pointing to? I hope so because it makes all the difference. Many people have various beliefs about this event, from the religious faith understanding to the secular holiday understanding, to the foolishness of believing in a God itself.
As a believer, one Bible verse brings this home to me ...and I hope it will also stimulate some deeper thought for you.
In John Ch 1:29 it says...
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
The shepherds saw the baby as the Lamb of God, and they knew full well what that Lamb was destined to do...die for the sin of the people...and this was the meaning to them, and hopefully to us.
This savior, redeemer, anointed one, Christ... was the one who would come in time to make a pathway for all of us who believe in Him.
Do you Behold Him, do you believe in Him?
My prayer is that you will understand this Holy Night and its eternal implication.
Merry Christmas to all...
Thank you, Erick, for faithfully pointing everyone to Him! Abundant blessings to you and your family this Christmas and the coming new year!🎄🎄🎄
Praise God that he gave us a savior to provide the price for our sins that we in no way could ever do. <><
Thanks Erich
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 1:3-6
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thank you Erick for professing the word!! Love you man!!
Amen
Amen and Amen! May you and your family's Christmas be joyous and warm in relationship!
Erick, every year--twice a year--I look forward to your run down of the historicity of Jesus, his birth, death, and resurrection. I like the repetition. It reminds me of the repetition we see in the old testament. We aren't smarter than ancient Israel. We are just as dumb and forgetful. We need to be reminded of the reality of His love, because we darn sure act like we forget about the judgement. I hope you never feel like you're being redundant and need to mix it up. Keep reminding us.
Thank you, Erick, Merry Christmas!