ENDING WITH A MIRACLE

On Wednesdays I usually write on the Christian Writer blog chain’s monthly theme. This month it is "Colors, Sounds and Smells of December." But instead, I’m taking the opportunity to post an article that appeared this month on WEUSED2BU. Hopefully it will give you some thinking points as we close 2012 and enter the winter season.

 

 

A time of death celebrated as a time for rebirth

Bible historians say that the actual day of Jesus’ birth is not known. Some guess—based on astronomical events at the time in history—that Jesus was probably born in the springtime or summer. Other historians tell us the date of December 25 was selected to celebrate Jesus’ birth because a widely-observed pagan holiday occurred on that date and thus Christmas would already have a popular following on that date and the pagan focus could be diluted.

Whatever day was Jesus’ actual birth day, we celebrate it on December 25. Just days after we recognize the entrance into the earth’s dormant stage, we celebrate the way God brought new life to His people through Jesus. Winter—the day that recognizes the beginning of the earth’s dying cycle—so nicely coincides with the celebration of the birth of our savior, giving us a way for spiritual rebirth.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 5:22)

　

An end of the old and the start of the new

God created time in the beginning; right there on day number four of creation.

And God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years" (Genesis 1:14)

God knew we humans need time to mark the passage of our lives. And so we designed calendars based on God’s celestial timepieces and Earth’s place in the solar system. We live our lives marked by minutes, hours, days, months and years. And we give special importance to the ending of one year and the beginning of the next.

We end this calendar year and begin 2013 with a fresh, unblemished page on our calendars. We do so at a time of the year that we also celebrate Christmas—God’s miracle gift to us of His son, Jesus, who makes all things new.

　

The placement of a miracle

The miracle of Christmas represents our new life through Jesus. We observe it at the same time we observe the beginning of the Earth’s dying season. We observe it as we end one year and begin of the next. Thank you, Jesus for the reminder that life in you is always new, always alive, always a miracle.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!(2 Corinthians 5:17)