CHRIST FOR PRISONERS WEEKLY BULLETIN
Christmas Day, December 25, 2007

What Does Christmas Mean To You

Luke 2:14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luk 2:14
Gloria en las alturas á Dios, Y en la tierra paz, buena voluntad para con los hombres.

To each of us Christmas brings a different message. It speaks to some, as the angels did to Mary, a message of great joy. I have read that it was the hope of every devout Jewish woman that she might be the mother of the promised Messiah, and to Mary this honor came. It is true that the message, while bringing joy untold, brought also the shadow of the cross with it.

Yes, Christmas brings to each a different message.

1. It speaks to some of joy:

The announcement of His birth carried with it a prophecy that He would bring great Joy to all people. Why is it that some people come to Jesus and immediately become sour pusses, long-faced and sad? When Christ is in our lives there should be great joy!

Luke 2:10
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luk 2:10
Mas el ángel les dijo: No temáis; porque he aquí os doy nuevas de gran gozo, que será para todo el pueblo:

In His presence is “fullness of joy”. With “fullness of Joy” how can we complain all the time? Paul said,

Philip. 4:11-12
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. [12] I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Phi 4:11
No lo digo en razón de indigencia, pues he aprendido á contentarme con lo que tengo.

Phi 4:12
Sé estar humillado, y sé tener abundancia: en todo y por todo estoy enseñado, así para hartura como para hambre, así para tener abundancia como para padecer necesidad.

He goes on to say;

Philip. 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Phi 4:13
Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece.

Philip. 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Phi 4:19
Mi Dios, pues, suplirá todo lo que os falta conforme á sus riquezas en gloria en Cristo Jesús.

Psalm 16:11
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore

Psa 16:11
Me mostrarás la senda de la vida: Hartura de alegrías hay con tu rostro; Deleites en tu diestra para siempre.

Have you been in His presence lately? How long has it been since you spent an hour in the Word of God, an hour in prayer, an hour doing some work for the Lord, an hour at a Nursing Home, Jail or on the street witnessing for the Lord? Do you want more Joy in your life, try one of these things.

Psalm 30:5
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

John 15:11
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

In this Scripture Jesus is speaking and He just talked about what it means to abide in Him and how much He loved us. Then He gives us the purpose of His Words, “that His joy would be in us and our joy would be full.

Neh. 8:10
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

If you feel down don’t see a shrink, more of them commit suicide than any other profession, give your heart and life to Jesus and He will shrink your problems to where they seem like nothing and in their place comes the joy of the Lord.

2. To some it brings a message of peace: Not what the world calls peace but the “Peace of God which passeth all understanding”.

Psalm 4:8
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

When we stop looking all around us and look to Jesus we will find peace. When was the last time we saw real peace in the world. If we continue to worry about all that is going on around us we will never have that peace. God help you to find peace in Him and not in circumstances.

John 20:19
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

These people met and were in great fear. They were in fear for their lives, all that they had lived for the past three years. Jesus appears to them with the message, “Peace be unto you”. That should tell us that no matter what the circumstance, He and He alone can bring real peace.

Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

The next step to peace with God is stopping being carnally minded. Carnal minded means, “having the nature of the flesh, i.e., under the control of the animal appetites. Governed by mere human nature, not by the Spirit of God. It is mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from diving influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God.” (Ungers Bible Dictionary)

Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Galatians 1:3
Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 Thes. 3:16
Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

3. What message is this Christmas bringing to you?

I just finished the introduction so with God’s help we will finish the message:

It brings many and varied messages:

1. First, it speaks to each a serious message as to the fleetness of time.

Each Christmas is like the passing of a milestone of life. There is much work for myself to do; there is much work for others to be done. The Christmas message is one as to the need of haste. “The night cometh when no man can work” We pass the years as we pass fence posts on the highway. When one is passed, it lies back beyond recall. It is the same with the opportunities we let slip. The Christmas season tells us of neglected opportunities and urges the importance of faithfulness in the future.

2. Christmas also brings a message telling of the new gifts God still wishes to give us.

He has given his Son as the Saviour of men, the greatest Christmas to the world. He has given him also as our personal Saviour. But God has more gifts yet for us if we will receive them. He wants to give us a deeper and more abiding sense of His presence. He wants to give us more largely yet of His gift of holiness. He wants to give us power to overcome sin. He wants to give us greater success in work for Him. He wants to give us more joy and gladness as His followers. He has many things yet to give us if we are ready to receive them, and this Christmas comes as a message telling us of the blessings He still holds out for us to take.

3. This Christmas brings us also a message as to the inter-wining between earth and heaven.

God is interested in us, or He would not have given His Son. Christ is interested in us, or He would not have come to the earth that first Christmas Day. The angels are interested in us, and showed it when that “multitude of the heavenly host” sang the song of “Peace on earth, good will to men.” Heaven is interested in earth.

But the Christmas message reminds us also of our interest in heaven; not alone the supremely important interest in God as our Heavenly Father, Christ as our Divine Saviour, the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier, but along with these, other interests that are very dear and precious. This Christmas brings a reminding message of a dear parent with Christ, a loved son/daughter in His paradise, and of many friends who have gone on before. This is the inter-wining interest.

4. Again, this Christmas brings a message as to the way Christ would like Christmas to be observed.

I am sure the Lord would not lessen to any degree the joy of the children. He would not even mind us missing sadly the dear departed loved ones. But He would have us think a little more kindly of others, forgive all who have wronged us, speak somewhat more gently to our loved ones, remember very generously the poor, the friendless, all less favored than we, and do all in our power to spread the good news of His coming and to promote the further spread of His Word in the world.

5. The last message we mention is one of hope for the future.

There is a cheering and hopeful message in the promise that the Christmas “tiding of great joy” are yet to reach “all people.” Too often it is forgotten that the angel message the first Christmas dawn was both an announcement and a prophecy. Is there something suggestive in the fact that Christmas comes when the days begin to lengthen? Christmas day is a little longer that the day before it. From this time forward for months the days will grow longer and the nights shorter.

The first Christmas morning said to the world’s night: “Henceforth you must decrease while the day will increase.” From that time to this, Christianity has been taking a little by little from the world’s night and adding it to the world’s day.

This blessed Christmas morning is yet to dawn for “all People,” even unto the remotest parts of the earth. The world today is one year further away from the birth of Jesus, but Praise God it is one year nearer the final triumph and reign of Jesus.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Every soul over the many messages Christmas brings!

God Bless Each Of You!!