Jesus Christ is Born
Today, we celebrate the birth of our Redeemer
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.—Luke 2:11
Recently, I bought a copy of Charles Dickens’ 1843 classic A Christmas Carol.
In it, I found an introduction written by G.K. Chesterton, a Christian apologist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Chesterton wrote:
“(Ebenezer) Scrooge is a utilitarian and an individualist; that is, he is a miser in theory as well as in practice. He utters all the sophistries by which the age of machinery has tried to turn the virtue of charity into a vice... Many amiable sociologists will say, as he said, ‘Let them die and decrease the surplus population’....
It is notable also that Dickens gives the right reply... The answer to anyone who talks about the surplus population is to ask him whether he is the surplus population... That is the answer which the Spirit of Christmas gives to Scrooge... Scrooge is exactly the sort of man who would really talk of the superfluous poor as of something dim and distant; and yet he is also exactly the sort of man whom others might regard as sufficiently dim, not to say dingy, to be himself superfluous... the miser who himself looks so like a pauper, confidently ordering the massacre of paupers. This is true enough even to more modern life; and we have all met mental defectives in the comfortable classes who are humoured, as with a kind of hobby, by being allowed to go about lecturing on the mental deficiency of poor people. We have all met professors, of stunted figure and the most startling ugliness, who explain that all save the strong and beautiful should be painlessly extinguished in the interests of the race. We have all seen the most sedentary scholars proving on paper that none should survive save the victors of aggressive war and physical struggle of life; we have all heard the idle rich explaining why the idle poor deserve to be left to die of hunger. In all the spirit of Scrooge survives.But in justice to Scrooge, we must admit that in some respects the later developments of his heathen philosophy have gone beyond him. If Scrooge was an individualists, he had something of the good as well as the evil of individualism. He believed at least in the negative liberty of the Utilitarians. He was ready to live and let live, even if the standard of living was very near to that of dying and letting die. He partook of gruel while his nephew partook of punch; but it never occurred to him that he should forcible forbid a grown man like his nephew to consume punch, or coerce him into eating gruel. In that he was far behind the ferocity and tyranny of the social reformers of our own day. If he refused to subscribe to a scheme for giving people Christmas dinners, at least he did not subscribe (as the reformers do) to a scheme for taking away the Christmas dinners they have already got... Doubtless he would have regarded charity as folly, but he would also have regarded the forcible reversal as theft. He would not have thought it natural to pursue Bob Cratchit to his own home, to spy on him, to steal his turkey, to run away with his punch-bowl, to kidnap his crippled child, and put him in prison as a defective... These antics were far beyond the activities of poor Scrooge, whose figure shines by comparison with something of humour and humanity.”
A Christmas Carol is a story of redemption for Ebenezer Scrooge. Redemption for a lost world is why Jesus was sent to this world as fully God and fully man to live a perfect, sinless life to eventually bear our sins on a cross. As fallen humans, the free gift of eternal life is offered to us all. We just need to accept that gift.
Let’s remember why we celebrate this day, and let’s show joy to a world that desperately needs redeeming.
Some other Christmas pieces worth reading:
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2023/12/ira-katz/this-is-not-a-conversion-story/
https://sonsoflibertymedia.com/the-gospel-in-the-stars-a-brand-new-app-the-world-should-see-video/
https://sonsoflibertymedia.com/bearing-one-anothers-burdens/
https://sonsoflibertymedia.com/it-started-off-right/
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2023/12/taki-theodoracopulos/believe-it-or-not/
And here’s my Christmas piece, updated, from last year:
https://sethhancock.substack.com/p/christmas-and-the-need-for-humility
Christmas and the Need for Humility and Fearlessness
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
—Isaiah 9:6
Today, Christmas day, as you open gifts and enjoy time with family and friends, take some time to think of the birth of our Savior. But don’t just stop and think about it momentarily. Reflect on the lessons we can learn from the humble beginnings of Jesus Christ.
For me, my favorite Christmas movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It too had a humble rise to becoming a Christmas classic as Paul Harvey once described. Nobody wanted to make the film until the new production company Liberty Films, owned by Frank Capra, produced it in 1946. It was a box office bomb and critics panned it. It eventually lost its copyright allowing television stations to air it for free, which they did. And after years of it airing constantly, it’s become considered one of the greatest movies ever made.
The most powerful scenes come near the end when George Bailey, the movie’s protagonist, is at the end of his rope facing jailtime and the loss of his building and loan business. Those who have seen the movie know that Bailey faces these struggles not because of his own actions but because of a dumb mistake by his uncle and the corrupt behavior of big banker Henry F. Potter.
Nevertheless, Bailey is at his low point, and he goes to God asking for help. At a bar, Bailey pleads to God to “show me the way.” And after he gets through with his prayer, Bailey takes a punch to the face to which Bailey responds: “That’s what I get for praying.”
Funny thing is, sometimes God’s answer to prayers is a punch to the face. Sometimes the answer isn’t what we want. Sometimes we feel like God doesn’t answer our prayers all. But we must always remember that if we are true believers, coming to God with a contrite heart, God is always listening and always answers prayers.
For Bailey, he doesn’t get the answer he wants and is driven to the brink of suicide until his guardian angel, Clarence, shows up and gives him the chance to see what the world would be like if Bailey were never born.
Bailey got a chance to see his purpose in life, a purpose given to him by God. And suddenly, he no longer wanted to kill himself.
Now, maybe I’m reading a little too much into this, but there’s a scene with Bailey, after seeing what life would be like in Bedford Falls (now Pottersville without him), pleads with Clarence to “get me back. Get me back, I don’t care what happens to me.” But it seems to me that when Bailey speaks to God, not Clarence, and says, “I want to live again. Please God, I want to live again,” that’s when life returns for him. That’s powerful to me because God is the only One to answer prayers.
Bailey now realizes that his life, the greatest gift God has given all of us, has had a purpose. He no longer feared what was going to happen to him. He was simply elated that his life was back as he runs through Bedford Falls yelling “Merry Christmas” to all who could hear, even to the banker Potter who was threatening him.
Bailey was elated, even knowing that all of his problems that drove him to wanting to kill himself existed. Of course, unbeknownst to him, his friends and family and neighbors who he had helped throughout his life were busy helping Bailey get out of his troubles. In the end, the true answer to Bailey’s prayer from God was showing him that his life mattered.
These scenes illuminate some of the lessons we should take from the story of the first Christmas. We need to be humble and fearless. And let Christmas be a time to show true charity to all.
Humble Beginnings for Our Lord and Savior
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
—John 1:14
One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” A few key lyrics:
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Think about that for a moment. Jesus is the King of kings, and He is the Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15). And yet, Jesus showed the perfect act of humility to come to earth to become fully human, and fully God at the same time, to pay for our sins. And it started with a humble beginning in a manger.
Jerry Newcombe wrote that “genuine humility is a beautiful and God-like trait. The first Christmas was really quite humble.” Newcombe added:
“Perhaps that is why Christmas resonates in the hearts of many, even many non-religious people… because of its utter humility.
Of course, we Christians believe God became a man in Jesus Christ. But when He came, He didn’t come in pomp and circumstance, living in an ivory palace. He came in a humble and lowly way.
He didn’t even sleep in a bed that first Christmas. He was laid in a manger – a feeding trough for animals – in a smelly stable. Hay served as the baby’s mattress.
Here is a lesson to us all. No one in this world, no matter how lowly, no matter what side of the tracks they come from, would find Jesus unrelatable. He is accessible to all.”
It was a feeding trough that the one and only King slept in His first night on this earth. And His purpose was to die a painful death on a cross for us. Jesus did not deserve that death, a death we all deserve, but He humbled Himself to die on the cross for us.
Consider this for Christmas, that Bethlehem was where sheep used for sacrifice were raised. I have to give my dad credit for reminding me of that a few days ago.
A few years ago, John MacDonald wrote about this fact for Biblical Leadership:
“Everything points to these shepherds watching over sheep used for sacrifice. What would they have thought when they heard:
‘Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:11).
The message of the angels signified, among other things, that the time of animal sacrifices would soon end. The offering of Jesus Christ, the Savior, would soon take place.
It’s no wonder these shepherds ‘let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen’ (Luke 2:19-20, The Message).
Christmas is the traditional time for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Let’s remember why He came—not only to live but also to die—the perfect sacrifice for sin, once and for all.”
Furthermore, consider the gifts of the three wisemen, particularly frankincense and myrrh. Both are resins used as burial spices.
God’s plan was always to send His one and only Son to die for our sins. He took the punishment we all deserve as sinners.
We live in an age of prideful boasters all around us. It’s everywhere in our society, in our culture. It is a “me” culture.
However, we need to escape the veniality of our culture, the selfishness of our age.
Jesus showed us the perfect example of humility. Of course, none of us are capable of perfection, but we must remember that we are called to be humble such as Proverbs 3:34 which states God “scorns the scornful” but He “gives grace to the humble.” Or Luke 14:11 which says that “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Or Proverbs 22:4 which states that “by humility and the fear of the Lord” there are “riches and honor and life.”
Escape Misplaced Fear
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
—Luke 2:8-14
That was the Bible passage read by Linus in Charles Schulz’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
I never noticed this myself until I recently read a piece from Jason Soroski for Crosswalk, but there is an important moment in Linus’ speech. Those of you familiar know that Linus always carries with him a security blanket. But in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” he drops the blanket precisely when he says “fear not.”
We live in an age of misplaced fear. But we are not taught to fear man. We are taught to fear God.
Matthew 10:28 states:
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Proper fear of God gives us wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 states:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
As for Schultz, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” represented some fearlessness. Television executives did not want the Bible in the show. Schulz, a devoted Christian, wouldn’t allow the Christmas special to be secularized. He didn’t fear the ramifications. It might have killed his career, but Schulz didn’t care.
“Despite opposition, Schulz was also determined to ‘fear not’ regarding having the gospel message included in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
In 1965, Schulz got pushback from producers and executives at CBS about using the Gospel of Luke Scripture text in the television special. When Schulz, a Sunday school teacher, said Linus should recite from the Gospel of Luke, both producer Lee Mendelson, and director Bill Melendez did not agree and tried to convince Schulz otherwise. Mendelson said, ‘We looked at each other and said, well, there goes our careers right down the drain. Nobody had ever animated anything from the Bible before, and we knew it probably wouldn’t work. We were flabbergasted by it.’
Mendelson even suggested that a laugh track would save the show, and Schulz responded by standing up and walking out of the room. Melendez told Schulz (whose nickname was Sparky), ‘Sparky, this is religion. It just doesn’t go in a cartoon.’ But Schulz had a simple response: ‘Bill, if we don’t do it, who will? We can do it.’
Of course, the Scripture stayed in the special and a multitude of viewers who treasure this moment are glad it did. In fact, the show won a Peabody and an Emmy Award, and CBS immediately ordered four more specials.”
And may I mention, the Gospel remaining in the show was not important specifically for the Christians who watched it and were happy it remained in. More importantly, it allowed the Gospel to be heard by countless nonbelievers who need to hear the Gospel.
Applying the Lessons of Humility and Fearlessness Today
“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”
—Luke 6:27
John Whitehead wrote about the expanding surveillance state as we’re tracked constantly through our cellphones, our DNA, facial recognition software, behavioral surveillance, spending and consumer activities, public activities, social media and social network activities, license plate readers and our mail. He wrote:
“You’d better watch out—you’d better not pout—you’d better not cry—‘cos I’m telling you why: this Christmas, it’s the Surveillance State that’s making a list and checking it twice, and it won’t matter whether you’ve been bad or good.”
The problem is we’ve lived through a time that lives by the lie that man is basically good. It couldn’t be any further from the truth. There’s “none who does good, no, not one,” (Romans 3:12).
We must understand that and realize that. We cannot call ourselves brothers or sisters of nonbelievers. They are lost and need to find the Savior.
Whitehead wrote that “the narrative about the birth of Jesus is one that speaks on multiple fronts to a world that has allowed the life, teachings and crucifixion of Jesus to be drowned out by partisan politics, secularism, materialism and war, all driven by a manipulative shadow government called the Deep State.”
Detailing the police state in place during the time of Jesus’ birth and the police state we have today, Whitehead wrote that Jesus would be called a “domestic extremist” today. He wrote:
“Thus, as we draw near to Christmas with its celebration of miracles and promise of salvation, we would do well to remember that what happened in that manger on that starry night in Bethlehem is only the beginning of the story. That baby born in a police state grew up to be a man who did not turn away from the evils of his age but rather spoke out against it.
We must do no less.”
We must speak out against evil and for our Savior. We must, as Gerald Celente says, be “warriors for the Prince of Peace.” That requires us to be both humble and fearless.
We also must not simply speak out against evil; we must also do so with true love. True love is not the cuddly, sunshine and rainbows portrayed today. True love warns. It’s hard to not hate our oppressors. But we are called not only not to hate them, but we are called to love them. Afterall, their souls are headed for Hell unless they repent and put their faith in Jesus.
In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus said:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Merry Christmas
“What if Christmas is a core belief in the birth of Jesus Christ who lived among us and many times offered a freely given promise of eternal life that no believer should reject or apologize for?
What if Christmas is the rebirth of Christ in the hearts of all believers? What if Christmas is the potential rebirth of Christ in every heart that will have Him, whether currently a believer or not?
What if Jesus Christ was born about 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem? What if He is true God and true man? What if this is a mystery and a miracle? What if this came about as part of God’s plan for the salvation of all people?
What if Jesus was sent into the world to atone for our sins by offering Himself as a sacrifice? What if He was sinless? What if His life was the most critical turning point in human history? What if the reason we live is that He died?
What if the government thought He was crazy when He said He was a king, but His kingdom was not of this world? What if He was not crazy but divine? What if when He said that He could forgive sins, He was referring to Himself as God?
What if He is one of the three persons of a triune God? What if this is an inexplicable mystery? What if there is no power without mystery? What if the power He possessed, He exercised only for the good?...
What if the God-as-baby whose birthday we celebrate is the Savior of the world? What if we don’t hide this but live it?
What if the baby born of Mary 2,000 years ago really is the Savior of the world?
What if the Son of God and the Son of Mary really can dwell in our hearts?
What if the Peace of Christ is the joy of hope realized?
What if we can know Christ personally through reason and revelation?”
Enjoy your time with family and friends. Gary Barnett wrote:
“In the midst of all the uncertainty, the horror, the terror of the state, of personal heartbreak, and of the insanity that seems to be all-consuming during all of our lives today, beauty and joy is all around us. It is hidden much of the time, but can be found in an instant if one is to look closely enough and find it. While so many have struggled to find the essence of life, only the few have reached that pinnacle. I think this is so terribly sad, because regardless of strife and the hardships of life, underneath is heaven on earth. If this could only be known to more, maybe, just maybe, a harmony among the many could find its way into the heart of our human existence. This is a goal worth seeking, and a goal if achieved that could bring about love and peace for the multitudes. This is not meant as any pronouncement of a societal utopia, because that can only exist within each of us; meaning the more that find happiness, the better off we will all be….
Take this time to reflect only on the good, and ways to keep it within your heart and soul. There is plenty of time to understand the evil in life, but concentrating only on that evil will consume even the most optimistic among us, and poison the mind. Spend time with family, go fishing, hiking, and watch the splendor of all life everywhere. Eat wonderful foods from around the world, and explore other cultures. Listen and absorb the wonder of music. Travel and experience life through the eyes of others. Be aware of everything around you, instead of hiding in the world of technology and isolation. Study and learn about things that are unknown to you, and always seek to improve only self, for as you improve yourself, others will follow your path, because you will have found the elusive peace.”
And also, remember what Christmas is all about.
There’s an effort to destroy Christmas. But it’s not the phony “War on Christmas” stuff being parroted by Conservative, Inc. It’s not an effort to get rid of Christmas. It’s an effort to secularize it and destroy all the real meanings of it.
Take the drag queen, using the name Miz Cracker. Cracker said:
“To say that Christmas is about traditional values or values of any kind anymore is pretty ridiculous. Christ is nowhere featured in this. In America, if you look at the way people knock down the doors of shopping centers, I think you can tell that we have separated Christmas from Christ.
I think any opportunity that we have to kick down traditional family values is welcomed. The way of thinking about family is old and tired and we need to reinvent it.”
Society wants to tear down God by any means necessary. We must stand up against it, and pray for the lost souls who are against us.
And I’ll finish with a little lighthearted poem that speaks to our culture’s desire to destroy God.
The poem, “The Night Before Whatsit,” was written by Doug Wilson, a pastor at Christ Church in Idaho:
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the land,
We still mark the birth of the One who is banned
From public discussion or public display.
“Get rid of the Christ child—but still keep the day!”So public school children must practice with stealth
Those carols which threaten our strange commonwealth,
And now and again someone’s runaway creche
Will abruptly appear in some government place,
Right out in the open where children can view
This threat to the folks at the ACLU.So drink to the health of our once happy nation,
And deck all the halls with strange litigation.
Then eat all you want to, drink rum by the quart
But don’t say that name, or you’ll wind up in court.Pretend that this holiday just always was.
Don’t ask whence it came like a smart child does.
Just talk about Rudolph or Santa’s small elves,
Or sing little ditties of days bunched in twelves.
Now this is all right because (please get this straight)
There’s no separation of North Pole and state.
So sing all you want of this sort of stuff
In the public arena, folks can’t get enough.If you do sing the carols, then please, just be careful.
Look over your shoulder, keep watch and be prayerful.
Edit those carols, avoid our law’s curses,
(You’ll have to leave out quite a few of the verses.)
So you won’t get the secular humanists riled
With songs about sinners and God reconciled.
“Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay,”
Angers the People for the Humanist Way.But if you believe the time is now ripe
To stand up for Christmas, don’t sit there and gripe.
The secular Scrooges and Grinches will hear
If you say, “Merry Christmas,” with all the right cheer.
It’s time to be counted for what’s good and right,
To all, Merry Christmas! To all, a good night!
Merry Christmas!