Question: "What is Christmas Eschatology?"

The Biblical and historic record of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ can be found both in the Old and New Testaments.

Noted in the Old Testament with promises already fulfilled.

1. To fulfil the prophecies of God's Word (Isaiah 55:11).
2. To satisfy the law, paying for all who are guilty of sin (Colossians 2:13). By his sacrifice, he purchased the right to give us a future.
3. To show us an example of how to live, and to tell us important stories face-to-face.

Noted in the New Testament with promises already fulfilled. (Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-20)

If Christ came from Heaven, would you like to throw some light at this Christmas time on Christmas eschatology?

In many countries of the world, the celebration of Christmas on December 25th is a high point of the year. But why? Can it have any real meaning for us today? Is there a 'real' Christmas message?

Christmas celebrations in our church community.

From November onwards, it is impossible to forget that Christmas is coming. Coloured lights decorate many town centres and shops, along with shiny decorations, and artificial snow painted on shop windows.

In streets and shops, 'Christmas trees' (real or plastic evergreen 'conifer' trees) will also be decorated with lights and Christmas ornaments.

Where did it come from?

Shopping centres become busier as December approaches and often stay open till late. Shopping centre speaker systems will play Christmas 'carols' - the traditional Christmas Christian songs, and groups of people will often sing carols on the streets to raise money for charity. Most places of work will hold a short Christmas party about a week before Christmas. Although traditional Christmas foods may be eaten, drink (and plenty of it) means that little work will be done after the party!

By mid-December, most homes will also be decorated with Christmas trees, coloured lights and paper or plastic decorations around the rooms.

These days, many more people also decorate garden trees or house walls with coloured electric lights, a habit which has long been popular in our community. Behind the Vicarage there is one like that.

In many countries, most people post Christmas greeting cards to their friends and family, and these cards will be hung on the walls of their homes. In UK this year, the British Post Office expects to handle over 100 million cards EACH DAY, in the three weeks before Christmas.

Christmas cards are signs of the past and future

The custom of sending Christmas cards started in Britain in 1840 when the first 'Penny Post' public postal deliveries began. (Helped by the new railway system, the public postal service was the 19th century's communication revolution, just as email is for us today.) As printing methods improved, Christmas cards were produced in large numbers from about 1860. They became even more popular in Britain when a card could be posted in an unsealed envelope for one half-penny - half the price of an ordinary letter.

Traditionally, Christmas cards showed religious pictures - Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, or other parts of the Christmas story. Today, pictures are often jokes, winter pictures, Father Christmas, or romantic scenes of life in past times. All these points to the future return of Jesus as the King of kings.

'Father Christmas' is the old man with the sack?

'Father Christmas' (or 'Santa Claus') has become the human face of Christmas. Pictures will be seen everywhere of the old man with long white beard, red coat, and bag of toys. Children are taught that he brings them presents the night before Christmas (or in some countries on December 6th - St. Nicholas' Day), and many children up to the age of 7 or 8 really believe this is true. In most countries, it is said that he lives near the North Pole, and arrives through the sky on a sledge (snow-cart) pulled by reindeer. He comes into houses down the chimney at midnight and places presents for the children in socks or bags by their beds or in front of the family Christmas tree.

In shops or at children's parties, someone will dress up as Father Christmas and give small presents to children, or ask them what gifts they want for Christmas. Christmas can be a time of magic and excitement for children.

Boxing Day

In English-speaking countries, the day following Christmas Day is called 'Boxing Day'. This word comes from the custom which started in the Middle Ages around 800 years ago: churches would open their 'alms boxes' (boxes in which people had placed gifts of money) and distribute the contents to poor people in the neighbourhood on the day after Christmas. The tradition continues today - small gifts are often given to delivery workers such as postal staff and children who deliver newspapers.

Making sense of Christmas

Today in the West, not many people consider the religious meaning to Christmas. Most people in UK or Europe will not go to a religious church meeting, even at Christmas. It has become a busy race to spend money on presents, and get ready for the Day. In UK, many shops stay open till late Christmas Eve and often open again on Boxing Day with the cut-price 'sales'. (Not much holiday for the poor shop workers!) A visitor from another world would think that Christmas was a festival to the gods of money and shopping.

What do you want from Christmas?

Many people do hope for more than presents at Christmas. We want to somehow return to a time in our childhood (or some other good time in the past), when life was simpler and made more sense, before the troubles of adult life arrived. We feel sure that behind all the fun and decorations, there must somehow be a message, something more, some key to life, hope and happiness.

So can we look beyond the way Christmas is celebrated today, and find any real meaning, any message for our lives today AND FOR THE FUTURE?

Reflect on these Three questions:

1. What is Christmas?
2. Where did it come from?
3. What do you want from Christmas?

I found my salvation story in Mark 8:38. I know that it is both objective and subjective truth.

A prayer.

O God, give us a vision of what must be done, a determination to receive salvation and win through, and courage to overcome all obstacles until we reach the goal.

Amen.

Modicum


Prayer Request for December 2009

Maryam Rustampoor, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, were arrested and sent to Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran. The two women did not rob a bank, kill a man or beat up someone. Their crime? Loving Jesus. And it is for this reason alone they are still imprisoned.

In August during a court hearing, the two were questioned repeatedly about their faith. They were told to return to Islam.

"We love Jesus," was their reply. Prosecutors asked the women, who had already spent five months in prison, if they regretted being Christians.

"We have no regrets," they said. "We will not deny our faith."

The judge sent them back to Evin Prison - notorious for its brutality - to "think about" their decision.

"We have already done our thinking," they told him.

Maryam and Marzieh are among dozens of Iranian Christians arrested, detained or interrogated in Iran in recent months. The harassment is the radical Islamic government's response to an Iranian revival that has thousands of Iranians coming to Christ each month.

The Voice of the Martyrs helps the Iranian church in many ways, including supporting gospel television broadcasts transmitted into Iran and printing Christian literature for distribution inside the country.

Please continue to pray for Maryam Rustampoor, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, that God may protect and use them as witness for Jesus.




The Future for St. Matthews's Church

Psalm 37:37

"Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace."

As we look for the future, please, remember that it is difficult to wait for God to act when we want change right away.

However, God promises that if we submit to his timing, he will honour us. Peter says, "humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time" (1 Peter 5:6). Be patient, steadily doing the work God has given you to do, and allow God to choose the best time to change your circumstances.

Modicum