Away in a Manger, or Alive in Your Heart?

There is no indication either in the Bible or in the pages of history that the first century church of Christ celebrated the birth of Jesus in any special way. It’s not surprising though that some in later generations decided to set aside a day to do so and that this celebration gained traction and popularity over the centuries. Commonwealth countries that still honor the British monarch have a public holiday called the King’s/Queen’s Birthday (its name changes depending on the one ruling). If these countries see fit to honor the birth of a monarch that has very little real power or authority, it stands to reason that some would see fit to honor the birth of the “King of kings” who not only has real authority but “all authority… in heaven and on earth” (1 Timothy 6:15; Matthew 28:18).  

The New Testament tells us how to “give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne,” our Lord and Savior Jesus, as it contains “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (Revelation 4:9; 2 Peter 1:3). The fact that a celebration of Jesus’ birth isn’t included in its pages reveals that such a celebration isn’t a part of God’s plan for our worshipful praise. The New Testament does say that some might choose to observe “one day above another,” but recommends that such observances be private, kept between oneself and God whenever there are differences of opinion over such days (Romans 14:5-6, 22). I can envision though a body of believers united in opinion where “with one mind and one mouth” people choose to focus on and celebrate the birth of Jesus, not through novel, unauthorized worship, but through singing, preaching, and prayer. If it could happen on June 25, there’s no reason it couldn’t happen on or around December 25.

Still, our God knows us, and again, in His wisdom, He didn’t create Christmas. In fact, He didn’t command us to elevate any day above another besides Sunday, the Lord’s day, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10). Again, this isn’t because such an elevation is wrong as Romans 14 teaches. But could it be that God foresaw what happens year after year in the world today?

Around the world, there are some who honor and celebrate the birth of Jesus with great excitement and enthusiasm. “Jesus is the reason for the season!” they cry. “Glory to the newborn king!” they sing. But year after year, December comes to a close, and the Christmas decorations get packed up. Amidst the ornaments and decorations is a nativity scene with a small figurine that serves to represent Jesus as a baby. They sang, “Away in a manger,” before, but now the little manger where that figurine sat is put away, and with it, not just the representation of Jesus, but Jesus Himself. He won’t be thought of or revisited for weeks or even months to come. Again, “Let earth receive her king,” they sang, but for these people, Jesus will never be enthroned, at least not in life (Philippians 2:9-11).  

I am certain that not everyone who celebrates Christmas does so in the way I’ve described. I’m also convinced that Christmas is an incredibly personal matter, and each Christian ought to do with it what he or she feels is best. Allow me to make this appeal though: please don’t try to put Jesus away in a manger somewhere. Allow Him to grow up and become the perfect teacher, the mighty worker of miracles, the sinless Savior who triumphed over sin and death. See Him not as a helpless infant but as the “Mighty God” “who was and is and is to come” and who is now “a very present help in trouble” (Isaiah 9:6; Revelation 4:8; Psalm 46:1). Investigate His authoritative word, the New Testament. Live by it, and honor Him through it.

Don’t put Jesus away in a manger; let Him live inside your heart.  
-Patrick Swayne  
patrick@tftw.org

Recent

Archive

 2024
 2023

Categories

Tags

1 Corinthians 12:29 1 Corinthians 12 1 Corinthians 14:15 1 Corinthians 14 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 1 Corinthians 1:14 1 Corinthians 4:3-4 1 Corinthians 4 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 1 Corinthians 7 1 Peter 1:3-5 1 Peter 1:6-12 1 Peter 2:17 1 Peter 2:9 1 Peter 3 1 Peter 5:6-7 1 Peter 1 Samuel 4 1 Thessalonians 5:18 1 Timothy 4:1-3 2 Corinthians 5:10 2 Corinthians 6 2 John 1:9 2 John 9 2 Kings 5 2 Kings 2 Peter 2 2 Peter 3 2 Peter 2 Samuel Abel Abraham Absalom Acts 17 Acts 19 Acts 20:28 Acts 22:16 Acts 2 Acts 8 Acts Alcohol Alleged Contradictions Apostles Ark of the Covenant Attitude Authority Autonomy Autumn Awesome Awe Balance Baptismal Regeneration Baptism Barnabas Benevolence Bible Contradictions Bible Questions and Answers Bible Study Bible Time Bible Biblical Interpretation Bishop Body of Christ Borrowing Broad Way Brotherhood Cain and Abel Cain Calling on the Name of the Lord Calvinism Catholicism Catholic Celibacy Challenges Children Christian Living Christmas Church Funds Church Growth Church Leadership Church Membership Church of Christ Church Circumspection Citations Citizenship Colossians 3:16 Communication Communion Community Church Community Confidence Congregations Contend for the Faith Contentment Counting the Cost Covetousness Creation Credit Current Events Dating David Debt Forgivness Deconstruction Degrees of Punishment Deity Deliverance Denominationalism Devil Difference Different Discipleship Divine Nature Doctrine Dragon Drinking Easter Ecclesiastes 7:10 Ecclesia Eldership Elders Elder Elijah Elisha Encouragement Enoch Ephesians 2:8-9 Ephesians 4:11-16 Ephesians 5:15 Ephesians 5:16 Ephesians 5:18 Ephesians 5:19 Ephesians 5:5 Ephesians 5 Esther 4:14 Evangelism Ezekiel 36 Ezekiel 6 Faith Alone Faith Only Faithfulness Faith Falling Away Fall False Teachers False Teaching Family Worship Family Fathers Favor Fear Feeding of the 5000 Fornication Free Will Fundamentals Galatians 4:9-10 Galatians 6:2 Gender Roles Generosity Genesis 22 Genesis 4 Genesis Gift of Tongues Gifts Giving God's Grace God\'s Grace Godhead Godhood God Gospel Meeting Gospel Grace Grammar Gratitude Greater Sin Greed Grief Grieving Hallelujah Praise Jehovah Hallelujah Hebrews 10:25 Hebrews 13:4 Hebrews 5:12 Help Hermeneutics Holidays Holy Bread Holy Spirit's Deity Home Devotionals Home Husbands Hymns Hypotheticals Idolatry Immutability Imperatives Influence Insomnia Instrumental Music Instruments in Worship Intertextuality Isaac Isaiah 2 Isaiah 6 James 1:16: James 1:19 James 1:27 James 1 James 3:1 James Jehovah Witnesses Jehovah Jerome Jesus Temptation Jesus' Deity Jesus\' Deity Jesus Job John 11 John 19:11 John 1:1 John 3:16 John 3:36 John 3 John 4:24 John Calvin John the Baptist Joshua 24:15 Jude 1:11 Jude 3 Jude Judgement Judging Judgment Kindness Lamb of God Lamech Lazarus Leadership Leaven Lemuel Lending Levites Life Lessons Limited Atonement Living Sacrifice Local Church Lord's Supper Losing Salvation Love of God Luke 13:22-30 Luke 13:23 Luke 1:28 Luke 5:1-11 Mariolatry Mark 1:12-13 Mark Marriage Martin Luther Mary Matthew 16:18 Matthew 5:13-16 Matthew 5:3-12 Matthew 5 Matthew 6:19-20 Matthew 7:13-14 Matthew 7:1 Maturity Melchizedek Men's Business Meeting Men\'s Business Meeting Men\\\'s Business Meeting Men Metaphors Minor Prophets Miracles Miraculous Gifts Money Monotheism Mormonism Mothers Mount of Olives Mountain of the Lord's House Mountains of Israel Mountains Murder Music Mutual Submission Narrow Gate Narrow Way New Creation Nicodemus No Elders Non-Denominational OSAS Olive Trees Olives Olivet Olive Once Saved Always Saved One Another Parenting Pastor Patience Patriarchs Pattern Paul Peace Pentecostalism Persecution Perseverance of the Saints Perseverance Perseverence Perspective Pharisees Philippians 3:20 Philippians 4:6 Plagiarism Plan of Salvation Poetic Language Politics Pop Music Prayer Praying to Saints Praying Pray Preacher Preaching Priesthood Priests Proverbs 23 Proverbs 31:6 Proverbs Providence Psalm 148 Psalm 33 Quotations Reader Response Redeeming the Time Relationships Relationship Religion Religious Pluralism Religious Syncretism Remission of Sins Respect Restoration Movement Restoration Revelation 12:9 Riches Roman Catholic Church Romans 10:1-13 Romans 10:13 Romans 10:9-10 Romans 12:1-8 Romans 12:10 Romans 12:15 Romans 12:1 Romans 12:3-8 Romans 12 Romans Sabbath Sacrifice Saints Only Salvation Issue Salvation Satan Saved Scarecrows Sermon on the Mount Serving Others Sexual Sin Shewbread Showbread Silence of the Scriptures Singing Sin Situation Ethics Sleep Sobriety Song Studies Sons Soul Winning Sovereignty of God Spending Spirit and Truth Spiritual Death Spiritual Gifts Spiritual Leadership Steal Stephen Stolen Straight Gate Stress Student Debt Submission Suffering Syncretism TULIP Teachers Teaching Temptations Thankfulness The Beatitudes The Problem of Evil The Problem of Pain and Suffering The Problem of Suffering The Way of Cain The Way Thievery Thieves Titus 2:11-12 Titus 2 Tongue Speaking Total Hereditary Depravity Tradition Translation Trials Trinity Types and Antitypes Unchanging Nature Uncleanness Unconditional Election Understanding Unity Universalism Unknown Tongue Unmerited Favor Vulgate Wealth Wide Gate Will of God William Kirkpatrick Wives Women in the Church Women's Roles Word Study Work Worship Youth Zechariah clergy death sickness