6. Ancient pagans used to cut evergreen boughs and bring them in their
homes around Dec. 20-23 to recognize the winter solstice.
600 B.C. Middle Eastern pagans were bringing felled trees into their
homes and decorating them. Jeremiah warned Jews to stop copying
this practice. (Jer 10:2-4)
Early Christians were condemned for copying pagan practice of
adorning their homes with lamps and boughs of laurel at Christmas.
English Puritans condemned “heathen practices like carols, decorated
trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated the sacred event.”
The modern Christmas tree tradition dates back to Western
Germany in the 16th century.
The decorated Christmas tree only began to catch on slowly in the
mid-19th century in America.
Today, the Christmas Tree has become accepted by most
Christians, by people of other faiths, and for those who do
not follow an organized religion.
7. Luke 2
8 There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was
night, and they were looking after their sheep. 9 An angel of the
Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around
them. They were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do
not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. It is for
all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has
been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. 12 Here is how you
will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped
in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared.
They were praising God. They said, 14 “May glory be given to
God in the highest heaven! And may peace be given to those he
is pleased with on earth!”
8. Luke 2
15 The angels left and went into heaven. Then the shepherds said to
one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has
happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and
found Mary and Joseph and the baby. The baby was lying in the
manger. 17 After the shepherds had seen him, they told everyone. They
reported what the angel had said about this child. 18 All who heard it
were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
19 But Mary kept all these things like a secret treasure in her heart. She
thought about them over and over.
20 The shepherds returned. They gave glory and praise to God.
Everything they had seen and heard was just as they had been told.
9. 13 Christ set us free from the curse of the law. He did it by
Galatians becoming a curse for us. It is written, “Everyone who is hung on a
pole is under God’s curse.”
3 Deuteronomy 21 23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree,
but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land
which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is
hanged is accursed of God. (NKJV)
10. 15 Christ is the exact likeness of God, who can’t be seen. He is
Colossian first, and he is over all of creation. 16 All things were created by
him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created
s1 everything that can be seen and everything that can’t be seen. He
created kings, powers, rulers and authorities. Everything was created by
him and for him. 17 Before anything was created, he was already there.
He holds everything together.
18 And he is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the
beginning. He is the first to be raised from the dead. That happened so
that he would be far above everything. 19 God was pleased to have
his whole nature living in Christ. 20 God was pleased to bring
all things back to himself because of what Christ has done.
That includes all things on earth and in heaven. God made
peace through Christ’s blood, through his death on the cross.
11. God’s only beloved Jesus proved once
Son Jesus came to and for all that he
be born on earth so alone is our
that he would one Salvation by dying
day grow up to for the world’s sins
save us from our
sins and give hope
to a lost world.
? ? and coming back to
life three days later.
Christmas means nothing without the
Cross.
