I received an email from William Mwakila a wonderful friend from Tanzania welcoming me and Karen home from our trip to Eastern Europe . In the email he asked me a question. He said in Tanzania they celebrate Christmas in a great way and was told in American they do not celebrate Christmas so. Well I assured him that was not the case, Christmas I told him is the most beloved holiday of the year, sadly not because of the spiritual significance, but because of the money, money, money that is spend on trees to decorate, gifts to make us happy, and parties to go with friends whom we have been too busy to visit the rest of the year.

On the way to one such party (our Sunday School Christmas Party) Karen and I stopped at a Food Lion to purchase a cake as we did not want to come empty handed. We were out with church visitation and did not expect to be able to attend, but planned to come late. As things worked out we had time to make it on time. We rushed to the bakery and saw a coconut cake. Two ladies behind the counter were cleaning up to go home and I asked if they could write something on the cake after all it was for our Sunday School Christmas Party. One said, “sure what would I like for her to write.” I looked at Karen, she said “Merry Christmas?” I said, “no I am sure other cakes will have Merry Christmas on them.” I said, “how about Jesus is born?” She wrote the words, we thanked her very much, paid for the cake, and were off to the party. While on the way the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, “you should have written Jesus is not a baby.” What a great truth. Jesus is not a baby. My friend today Jesus is not a baby in the manger. Oh no, today He is in Heaven speaking to the Father on our behalf, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34)

This time of the year Jesus is portrayed as a little defenseless baby in a manger. Please do not believe that lie for one minute. Now yes it is true the Word, Jesus, the Son of God became flesh and dwelt among us. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) I thank God for this. What love! How Jesus could take off His divinity and put on humanity. How Jesus could empty Himself of all His Heavenly glory as the Son of God and became the Son of man for us. “Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:64) What love and dedication Jesus has for us. But it is not true today He is a baby. Many Christians would say there is no problem with the way we practice Christmas in the Church after all we are telling the story of Jesus' birth. But in reality they know in their heart there is a big disconnect with what the Bible says and man's traditions of Christmas. We try to spin the Bible stories of the birth of Jesus to justify the overspending and buying that makes up 90% of most company's bottom line and try to make up lost time of not visiting friends and family. We sing songs about baby Jesus, the Shepards, the Wise Men, Angels announcing the birth of Jesus, and then wrap it all up with a pagan tree tradition and gift giving because the Wise Men brought Jesus gifts tying it to love, but real love cannot be bought or sold. In all my years of giving and receiving gifts I have never given or received gold, frankincense, or myrrh. Do you know Jesus never asked us to remember His birth, but Jesus did ask us to remember His death, “And when he had given thanks, he brake it , and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me . 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it , in remembrance of me .” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25)

This wrong perception of baby Jesus continues because in a short four months we will kill baby Jesus now a man in another holiday we call Easter. Did you know the word Easter is found one time in the KJV of the Bible. “ And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.” (Acts 12:4) and has nothing to do with the death of Jesus. The word “Easter” here is translated Passover. It is a subtle ungodly cycle. Every year baby Jesus is born and in a short four months He is killed by the Romans (we really know by His Father for our sins), but my friends this perception is not true, today Jesus is alive and well in Heaven, and some day is coming back to judge us and the nations for our words and deeds. Karen says when Jesus returns again, “He will be kicking butt and taking names.” We must never miss this critical point. Like Jesus' birth I am very grateful for His death on the cross where would we be without His death, lost and on our way to everlasting death and separation from God. “ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3-4) and because He died for us we now can walk in newness of life.

Now my beloved here is the real danger of all of this baby Jesus and Christmas thinking; it displaces the real focus and truth of who Jesus is and why he came to earth in our minds and lives. Believe it or not it is the way unrepentive man and misguided Christians deal with and handle Jesus so that they do not have to deal with their sin and handle their transgression of His word. Who wants to face Jesus as our coming King and judge, it is far better to face Jesus as a defenseless baby in a manager and then four months later He is killed in their eyes during Easter. The main message of the Gospel of Jesus being raised from the dead is lost in the bunny rabbits, Easter baskets, candy, and emotional Easter presentations and pageants at churches around the world. The personal message of the Gospel is lost in the holidays. Oh the message of the Gospel is told, but it rarely gets through the songs and festive celebrations.

My friend this is not a cynical view of Christmas and what we call Easter, but a Biblical view. The Bible tells us Jesus was born once and died once for our sin. “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.” (Romans 6:10) And my friend this Jesus is coming back to earth. “Which also said, Ye men of Galilee , why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11 ) But this time when Jesus returns He is not coming as a baby in a manger nor will He ever die in our eyes, but is returning in great power and authority, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;” (2 Timothy 4:1)