And when the wise men saw the bright star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Matthew 2:10

Transcription

1 And when the wise men saw the bright star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Matthew 2:10

2 he Blessed Star Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode! Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol Many have speculated about this bright star that announced the birth of the Savior of the world. Some have calculated Its astronomical date and validated its existence. Some have fabricated Superstitions and religions Some have formulated Interpretations and justifications But a few have followed that star, Bringing with them their most precious of gifts Christmas Spirit C harles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in This popular book had an extremely powerful influence in undermining opposition to Christmas, in England and New England. Dickens switched the focus of the holiday off of the pagan superstitions of this winter festival and put it rather on to the benefits of doing good. This well thought out story gave people a different point of view on Christmas. This was a turning point for the way Christmas was celebrated, changing it to a day devoted to giving gifts. The celebration of Christmas found new meaning and acceptance in a society that had formerly handled the holiday with mixed feelings in the 17th century it had been banned altogether for its heathen roots by the Puritan government (see History of Christmas following). Though an in-depth look at the dialogue in Dickens story shows a complex understanding of how a life of greed and selfishness will reap eternal consequences, this often repeated story has lost much of its deep significance in its modern renderings. The main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, has come to symbolize the idea that those who don t celebrate Christmas are uncharitable, twisted, mean-spirited and socially isolated. This emphasis on doing good evolved easily with the introduction of the myth of ole St. Nicholas (later called Santa Claus) giving to the children based on the deeds they had been doing all year. For he can see you when you re sleeping, he knows when you re awake, he knows if you ve been bad or good, so be good for Goodness sake. So, you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout. But in the midst of modern day commercialization, the original concept of doing good has been lost for the most part in all the holiday rush This excerpt from the text of this famous literature classic shows the essence of what Dickens was trying to convey about the Christmas Spirit. Here the famous Ebenezer Scrooge finds himself confronted with the ghostly image of his long-dead business partner, Jacob, with whom he had spent many years in their money-lending business

3 fell upon his knees, and clasped his SCROOGE hands before his face. Mercy! he said. Dreadful apparition, why do you trouble me? Man of the worldly mind! replied the Spirit of Jacob Marley, do you believe in me or not? I do, said Scrooge. I must. But why do spirits walk the earth, and why do they come to me? It is required of every man, the Ghost returned, that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world -- oh, woe is me! -- and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness! The spectre raised a cry, and shook its chain and wrung its shadowy hands. The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. It was long, and wound about him like a tail; and it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel. You are fettered, said Scrooge, trembling. Tell me why? I wear the chain I forged in life, replied the Ghost. I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you? Scrooge trembled more and more. Or would you know, pursued the Ghost, the weight and length of the strong coil you bear yourself? It was full as heavy and as long as this, seven Christmas Eves ago. You have labored on it, since. It is a ponderous chain! Scrooge glanced about him on the floor, in the expectation of fi nding himself surrounded by some fifty or sixty fathoms of iron cable: but he could see nothing. A very little more, is all that is permitted to me. I cannot rest, I cannot stay, I cannot linger anywhere. My spirit never walked beyond our counting-house -- mark me! -- in life my spirit never roved beyond the narrow limits of our money-changing hole; and weary journeys lie before me! The Spirit set up another cry, and clanked its chain so hideously in the dead silence of the night, that the Ward would have been justified in indicting it for a nuisance. Oh! Captive, bound, and double-ironed, cried the phantom, Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one life s opportunity misused! Yet such was I! Oh! Such was I! But you were always a good man of business, Jacob, faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself. Business! cried the Spirit, wringing its hands again. Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business! It held up its chain at arm s length, as if that were the cause of all its unavailing grief, and flung it heavily upon the ground again. At this time of the rolling year, the spectre said I suffer most. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode! Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me! Text from the first chapter of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

4 History of Christmas Observances hristmas was not celebrated by the early believers. Those who actually knew the Savior never celebrated his birthday. In fact, the celebration of birthdays including that of Christ was rejected as a pagan tradition during the first three hundred years of the church. In the earliest part of the Reformation in Europe, the reformers exposed that there are no biblical references to Christmas celebrations nor any biblical commandments to celebrate the birthday of Christ. The strong objection of the English Puritans that there was no biblical sanction for the celebration of Christmas began to cause a stir in all of Europe. So when the Puritans took over the government they abolished English Christmas celebration by an act of Parliament in A similar law forbidding the celebration of Christmas in New England was passed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans in Actually the Puritans and other Protestant groups were correct when they said that Christmas observations in December had their origins in pagan festivals of the winter solstice, as history proves this fact out. Their other objection to the December 25 th date was that no one knew on what day Christ was born, which is also accurate for the most part, although nowadays astronomers can give us a good approximation. Actually most of our Christmas customs have evolved from times that long antedated the Christian period a descent from seasonal, pagan, religious and national practices, hedged about with legend and tradition. Five Shilling Fine! The dissenting Pilgrims fled England in the early 1600s to escape what they considered impure religious practices: ornate church buildings, elaborate rituals, the veneration of saints, flamboyant dress of the ministers. They were just as adamant in their opposition to the secular excesses they had witnessed in their homeland on religious holidays, like Christmas. Thus, there was no Christmas celebration on December 25, 1620 when the first settler landed at Plymouth Rock. This Christmas Day was devoted to hard labor! The Pilgrims utilized all their holiday energies felling trees in order to avoid any frivolity on the day called Christmas. The Pilgrims interpreted the Bible literally, and nothing in the Scriptures mentioned having a good time at Christmas. While the rest of the world celebrated the Lord s birthday, the Pilgrims chopped wood. But the difficulties of keeping Christmas under control were faced by Gov. William Bradford in Plymouth a year after the Pilgrims first had landed in America. Though the Pilgrims first Christmas was spent building shelter against the harsh New England winter, in the second year, several of the settlers who had recently arrived by ship and who were more sympathetic to the Church of England (later called the Episcopal Church) had a different plan for Christmas. William Bradford tells the story of the occasion in his book On Plymouth Settlement: On Christmas Day, the Governor called the people out to work as usual; but most of the new company excused themselves, and said it went against their conscience to work on that day. So, the Governor told them if they made it a matter of conscience, he would spare them till they were

5 better informed. So, he went with the rest, and left them at home. But on returning from work at noon he found them at play in the street, some pitching the bar and some at stool ball, and such like sports. So, he went to them and took away their games, and told them that it was against his conscience that they should play while others work. If they made the keeping of the day a matter of devotion, let them remain in their houses; but there should be no gaming and reveling in the streets. Since then, nothing has been attempted in that way, at least openly. By thirty years later in 1658, the Massachusetts General Court, which was ruled by the Puritans, imposed a five-shilling fine on anyone who was caught celebrating Christmas. Although the ban was lifted in 1681, the Puritans continued to condemn the celebration of Christmas. The few Church of England congregations in New England ignored such condemnations, however, and celebrated Christmas openly from the early 1700s. A few venturesome souls from other churches would join in the holiday festivities, but most people just watched from afar. I t may be somewhat surprising to learn that as late as the early 19th century most of the United States did not celebrate Christmas. Though not strictly called Puritans many similar Christian sects including the Quakers, Scotch- Irish Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists, as well as the Mennonites and other plain groups, shared New England s aversion to paying a special honor to the 25 th of December. Christmas did not begin to be a legal holiday anywhere in the United States until very late in the nineteenth century, with Alabama being the first state to make it so.

6 And there were in the same country... Shepherds Abiding in the Field keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Messiah, the Sovereign. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. From Luke Chapter 2

7 The Wise Men from the East oday when we read or hear the story of the wise men Tor magi coming from the East that visited the Son of God still in infancy, we probably do not think much deeper about it than the words we read. But, why were they the only ones that took note of the bright star? Why were they the only ones recorded that came from afar to worship Him? No one noteworthy among the leaders or wise men in all of Judea, including King Herod or his counselors knew anything at all concerning this great King of the Jews. But, if we look deeper it becomes more obvious why He was revealed to them. Knowing the origin of these magi may be necessary to fully understand the type of men they were and why they would have ventured on such a long journey to investigate this heavenly sign. The more general appellation for these men was wise men. However, apart from the scriptures, they are more usually known as magi, or magicians. They were supposed to be adept in the secret learning which in the more remote antiquity had its seat in Egypt. Though their exact roots are unknown, they were understood to have been from the learned and priestly class, and had, as was supposed, the skill of deriving from books and the observations from the stars, a supernatural insight into coming events. They came to be possessed of great influence, and never failed to be consulted on all great occasions. (Fairbairn s Imperial Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1891) It is for this reason that their appearance in the city of Jerusalem caused such a stir and won them entrance immediately into the presence of the King. Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. The question rumbled through the crowded streets of Jerusalem When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where the Messiah should be born. And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men to him, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I

8 may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, the wise men rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come to the place, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt. When he saw that he had been deceived by the wise men, King Herod was exceeding angry, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. From Matthew Chapter 2 (KJV) hree Responses The Wise Men rejoiced, The Shepherds rejoiced, The King was angry The Wise Men Traveling from afar to see something that would change the course of history, wise men came. They were men who knew the times, saw the signs, recognized that it was time for a change. They were the righteous of this earth, who long for a better day. The Shepherds They knew the sky like they knew their sheep. They loved their sheep like they loved the One who made the sheep. They were poor men of faith the faith of their father Abraham. They were persuaded, and they were sons of Abraham. They were promised to be like the stars in the sky. But there were few left with this faith. They were the holy of the earth, the ones to whom the birth of the Savior could be revealed. They were the poor in spirit. Like Joseph and Mary, and Zakariah and Elizabeth, these holy shepherds had eyes to see the skies split open and hear the angels sing. The King King Herod also heard the news. He could have been a king like David but was not. His politics got him the job, but his heart disqualified him. His response to the news of the birth of a king betrayed his motives he was unjust, jealous of the One who could have saved him. Three Eternal Destinies The righteous, the unjust, and the holy (Revelation 22:11)

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