Victoria
Well-known member
Jesus was a master teacher. Asking piercing questions was part of His teaching style. He zeroed right in on issues, often creating discomfort for those questioned. Grappling with His questions was like a spiritual wrestling match. But new insight and growth in faith were often the result.
If Jesus was in the flesh walking in our midst at this season of the year I wonder if He might have some questions for us too - questions about Christmas.
His first question might be, "Why the huge emphasis on Christmas?" Compare the Bible's emphasis on the birth of Christ in relation to its emphasis on His death, burial and resurrection. Matthew and Luke each have a couple of chapters for the events surrounding the birth, but all four gospels devote chapter after chapter in the recounting the passion and resurrection narratives. That leaves me scratching my head wondering why many Bible-believing Christians pull out all the stops when it comes to Christmas and do very little when it comes to Easter.
Jesus might also ask us this question: "If you believe that celebrating Christmas is a legitimate, even desirable, spiritual exercise, do you also believe that Satan has his counterfeit for it as he does for so many other things?"
Jesus might point out for example that the Bible says the devil has antichrists, false teachers, false prophets and counterfeit miracles to replace Christ and deceive people. If that is true, again it makes me wonder: Is there a counterfeit element in our contemporary Christmas celebrations?
Which begs a final, probing question, "At what point do Christians start being counter-cultural in celebrating Christmas?" You know - salt and light. He might ask this question because when we compare the way non-Christians celebrate Christmas with the way many of us Christians do, there is little if any difference. They spend, we spend: they eat, we eat; they have family gatherings and so do we and on it goes. Many of them customarily go to church as we do. His question makes me wonder other things: Is there a distinctly Christian approach to Christmas? If we are to do all we do for the glory of God how do we celebrate Christmas to the glory of God? Have we been so swept up in the commercialization of our culture that we don't know where the lines are anymore? Is going to excess and exhaustion in spending, eating and activity justifiable in the name of Christmas? And if so, how do we justify it with a clear conscience in a world where many are suffering and dying in poverty?
I have to admit, Jesus's questions make me uncomfortable and I don't have ready answers to them. But like everyone who is confronted with Him and His questions I have a choice. If I want to seize the opportunity for spiritual growth that comes with the questions, I can choose to wrestle with them. Or , I can choose to try ignoring Him and His questions, avoid the spiritual wrestling match and resulting growth, and stay with the status quo. That would be easiest, but then I think he would have more questions - for me.
From Insights Canada -Pressure Points - Jesus's Christmas Questions by Steve John (Insight for Living Ministries)
If Jesus was in the flesh walking in our midst at this season of the year I wonder if He might have some questions for us too - questions about Christmas.
His first question might be, "Why the huge emphasis on Christmas?" Compare the Bible's emphasis on the birth of Christ in relation to its emphasis on His death, burial and resurrection. Matthew and Luke each have a couple of chapters for the events surrounding the birth, but all four gospels devote chapter after chapter in the recounting the passion and resurrection narratives. That leaves me scratching my head wondering why many Bible-believing Christians pull out all the stops when it comes to Christmas and do very little when it comes to Easter.
Jesus might also ask us this question: "If you believe that celebrating Christmas is a legitimate, even desirable, spiritual exercise, do you also believe that Satan has his counterfeit for it as he does for so many other things?"
Jesus might point out for example that the Bible says the devil has antichrists, false teachers, false prophets and counterfeit miracles to replace Christ and deceive people. If that is true, again it makes me wonder: Is there a counterfeit element in our contemporary Christmas celebrations?
Which begs a final, probing question, "At what point do Christians start being counter-cultural in celebrating Christmas?" You know - salt and light. He might ask this question because when we compare the way non-Christians celebrate Christmas with the way many of us Christians do, there is little if any difference. They spend, we spend: they eat, we eat; they have family gatherings and so do we and on it goes. Many of them customarily go to church as we do. His question makes me wonder other things: Is there a distinctly Christian approach to Christmas? If we are to do all we do for the glory of God how do we celebrate Christmas to the glory of God? Have we been so swept up in the commercialization of our culture that we don't know where the lines are anymore? Is going to excess and exhaustion in spending, eating and activity justifiable in the name of Christmas? And if so, how do we justify it with a clear conscience in a world where many are suffering and dying in poverty?
I have to admit, Jesus's questions make me uncomfortable and I don't have ready answers to them. But like everyone who is confronted with Him and His questions I have a choice. If I want to seize the opportunity for spiritual growth that comes with the questions, I can choose to wrestle with them. Or , I can choose to try ignoring Him and His questions, avoid the spiritual wrestling match and resulting growth, and stay with the status quo. That would be easiest, but then I think he would have more questions - for me.
From Insights Canada -Pressure Points - Jesus's Christmas Questions by Steve John (Insight for Living Ministries)
