Christmas: Christ Is All

...Christ is all...

Colossians 3:11b

     Yes, the opening verse is short. Do not be misled that due to its shortness that it does not have great meaning. Those words are the very essence and substance of Christianity. In what sense is Christ "all in all?" We must take the time to judge ourselves and to inquire as to whether or not this is true for ourselves. Christ is the mainspring of our doctrine and our practice of Christianity. We must have the correct understanding of Christ so we have the right knowledge of sanctification and justification. Jesus Christ must have His rightful place in us, that is, if we are to be Authentic Christians.

     In a few days Christmas will be upon us, a day of joy, excitement, a day of receiving and giving of presents, of ourselves to others. Christmas has become a day that not only Christians celebrate but those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as well. When Christmas is given way to "happy holiday" we get upset, even mad. When Christmas carols are not given air to be heard and only secular songs about Christmas we get mad. Why? 

     Christmas is a shortened form of "Christ mass" and literally means "Christian mass." Christmas was unknown to the early Christian writers. Irenaeus and Tertullian (Their writings were around 200 A.D.) omit it from their lists of feasts. Christmas celebration was first in Rome 336 A.D.Clement of Rome around 200 A.D. did write about this subject of great interest and had great uncertainty: 

only the year of our Lord's birth, but also the day; and they say that it took place in the 28th year of Augustus, and in the 25th day of [the Egyptian month] Pachon [May 20] … And treating of His Passion, with very great accuracy, some say that it took place in the 16th year of Tiberius, on the 25th of Phamenoth [March 21]; and others on the 25th of Pharmuthi [April 21] and others say that on the 19th of Pharmuthi [April 15] the Savior suffered. Further, others say that He was born on the 24th or 25th of Pharmuthi [April 20 or 21] (McGowan, Andrew, How December 25 Became Christmas, Bible History Daily, 12/02/2016.)

Several other dates were offered and used as to this celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The Roman Catholic and Protestants settled on December 25th as the date to be used for the Christmas celebration. Many other so-called Christian religions object to this, as do the Jehovah Witnesses who will not celebrate birthdays and often use Origen for their support. 
     THIS ALL CAN BE DEBATED FOR ETERNITY BUT DOES NOT REMOVE THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. If this celebration for you is all about or mostly about the gifts, the tree, the songs, the excitement then you have missed the point: JESUS CHRIST CAME TO EARTH TO DIE! Jesus Christ is the greatest of gifts ever given to mankind. We cannot give a gift to Jesus other than to make Him our personal Savior. God dis not send to earth by some transformation of an angel to become a man, and God did not send any other spirit to become our Savior. Mormons believe that Jesus is a created being, and Jehovah Witnesses believe that Jesus is a created being, but neither or correct for Scripture makes plain and clear: Jesus is God, God incarnate. It is God who saves and this by means of Jesus Christ. 
     There was a time when this earth was nothing more than a mass of electrons created by God to become formed into all that was to be created. It was Jesus Christ who being God created all things: "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3). "Christ is all" This Christ, the promised Messiah who was "in the beginning, not the beginning but in the beginning who as with God, and this due to the fact that He is God, the Second Person of the Trinity, and who is God" (John 1:1). "Christ is all." Christ is all as a sinner's justification before God and without Christ no man can come before God. We have to come in the name of Jesus, standing on no other ground, pleading no other plea. Jesus Christ, this baby, this One whom we celebrate on December 25, came to die and this He did on the cross. The name, not the letters of the name but the authority of His name is the only name by which a person can enter into heaven. 
     With all this then will you take the time not to just celebrate all the gifts, the food, the time with family, friends to remember the reason for the season. "Christ is all." This baby boy born in a manger grew to be a man, a man who walked and talked and did great wonders in His ministry here on earth was born to die for you. This baby boy must be looked at with the eyes of One who has all gratitude and love that God would come for you and all you have to do is to accept Him, believe upon Him, repent truly for you sins and then to grow in holiness. 
     This day, December 25th, or whatever date you use to celebrate His coming must not lose it reason due to all the excitement of celebration but a day to call all together and go over the reason for the season. God came, and He came for you. This baby boy is the Messiah, the anointed High Priest. Christ is not Jesus' last name, it is the appellation of who He is; the Messiah, the Savior, the Promised One from the beginning of man when he fell. Jesus Christ is Jesus, Immanuel, and when we say we are Christians then we say to all that we are the image of His character and then we live that image. 
     Enjoy this day, enjoy all the celebration, enjoy the reason for this celebration: God has come and has come to put an end to all this sin, this cultural world that is in opposition to God and this He did by becoming a baby, and to grow, and to teach and to die all just for you. All this in the economy of God He came and now CELEBRATE!

I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live:
     I will sing praise to my God while I have
my being. My meditation of Him shall be 
    sweet I will be glad in the LORD.
              Psalm 105:33-34

Praise God: He has come

Richard L. Crumb