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December 20,
2007 |
Dear World News and Prophecy Subscriber,
Christmas is a few days away, and once again we see a lot
of talk about "the reason for the season." There
is the usual focus on the materialism of Christmas, along
with the annual admissions that the traditions of Christmas
are not supported in the Bible.
I see that the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams,
in a BBC interview clearly knocked in the head many the
wrong notions about the Christmas celebration. About the
wise men, he said, "Matthew's Gospel doesn't
tell us there were three of them, doesn't tell us
they were kings, doesn't tell us where they came from.
It says they are astrologers, wise men, priests from somewhere
outside the Roman Empire, that's all we're really
told." Anything else was legend. "It works quite
well as legend," the archbishop said.
That is true. So much legend has been built up around the
birth of Christ. The legends obscure the real meaning of
His birth within the plan of God. The focus of the Christmas
story on a babe in a manger blurs the critical role of Christ
today as the living Son of God in the midst of His Church,
leading and guiding the proclamation of the eternal gospel
of the Kingdom of God.
Christ today is not only our personal Savior but also the
soon-coming King of Kings. His disciples misunderstood the
timing of this key role in the first century. Over and over
again the disciples thought the Kingdom would be restored
to Israel in their lifetime (Acts 1:6). The Kingdom of God
was not to be restored till the time of the end when Christ
returns with full power to restore all things to this earth.
Revelation gives us a clear picture of Jesus that serves
as the touchstone for our minds to consider when we think
of the Messiah, the Son of God. He stands in the midst of
seven gold lamp stands clothed with a garment down to the
feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His
head and hair are like white wool, as white as snow, and
His eyes blaze like a flame of fire. His feet are like brass,
and His voice like the powerful sound of the mightiest rushing
river. As if this is not enough to impress us, we are told
His face shines with the strength of the sun (Revelation
1:13-16).
John's awesome description of Christ should be imprinted
on our mind when we bow in prayer or think of the mercy
God has granted to us in His Son. Christ is the author of
the book of Revelation—He is the Revelator. This is
where we go for the true description of Christ and the true
story of Christ's work on this earth.
One of the many flaws in the way people approach Christ
is shown at this time through the Christmas tradition. The
constant focus on the helpless image of a babe in a manger
is so far from the current reality that it distorts the
real story of Bible.
We have written much about this. I would
direct you to our booklet, Jesus Christ: The Real Story, for
an eye-opening look at the real Jesus of the Bible. For
more information on the Christmas myths, I point you to
an interview done this week by one of our senior writers,
Jerold Aust. Jerold was interviewed by Alan Colmes on Fox
News Radio. Jerold wrote an article in the November-December Good
News magazine, "What's
Behind the Magnetic Pull of the Christmas Season?" which apparently caught
the attention of the show's producers. You
can hear the interview here.
Wherever you may be traveling over the next few days, be
careful and be safe.
Keep watching,
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