For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! (1 Corinthians 15:16-17)

Today Is Christmas

December 25 appears on the calendar every 365 days. The celebration of the birth of Christ spreads across the globe as the world enjoys a holiday of family, friends, religious events, and raucous parties late into the night. There is an irony to the celebration of Christmas, as a semblance of religious honor is given to the birth of Jesus Christ, with pictures of a baby lying in a manger with many people who have little or no knowledge of who Jesus Christ is. It is a time to spark an interest in the hearts of those who never think about the Lord and to urge them to seek after the real story of the birth of Jesus. Christmas can be an opportunity to lead lost souls to Christ.

The birth of Jesus is more than a holiday. Without the birth of Jesus, there could be no resurrection. The birth of Jesus was unlike any child that has ever been born. God showed His power and dominion by bringing Jesus into the world through a virgin birth. The conception of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, who had never known a man, is a miracle that has never been replicated. Isaac was born in the womb of a woman ninety years old, and John the Baptist came from a womb that had passed the age of childbearing. Both Isaac and John were conceived in the womb by a man. In the case of Jesus, Mary was a virgin who was blessed among women to bear the Son of God—the testimony of the virgin birth points to the singleness of Jesus’ resurrection.

There have been numerous accounts of people raised from the dead. Abraham offered Isaac as a burnt offering, believing that God would raise him from the dead. In the days of Elijah, a woman of Zarephath had a son who was sick and died. Elijah raised him from the dead. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, as well as the daughter of Jairus, and the widow of Nain’s son. After the resurrection of Jesus, many came out of the tombs and went into the city. All of those who rose from the dead died again. When Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to the Father and lives and reigns at the right hand of God. The resurrection was not possible without the birth. God’s power is found in the birth and resurrection of Jesus. Today is Christmas. The story should tell the whole counsel of the birth and the resurrection of Jesus. One without the other is an empty story.

Another irony of Christmas is that the focus is on the birth of Jesus rather than His resurrection. In 100 days, the world will pause again to celebrate Easter. The focus will be on the resurrection of Jesus, but not on His birth. Once again, the world will celebrate a day to reflect on Jesus and enjoy a holiday of family, friends, religious events, and raucous parties late into the night. Everything will be about the risen Christ without telling the story of the miraculous birth of the Christ. The world is always so confused about something that is clear. Every holiday cherry-picks a portion of the story of Jesus and tells one without the other. The birth of Jesus cannot be told without His resurrection, and the resurrection cannot be told without His birth, and yet that is where the world finds itself.

Today is Christmas. Most stores are closed. The world almost comes to a stop. Presents are given. Celebrations abound. Families gather. In three days, the greatest day on earth will take place again. It happens every week. The first day of the week is when the children of God pause to tell the story of the birth of Jesus, His life, and His resurrection. This event repeats fifty-two times a year. The first Christians did this two thousand years ago when they met on the first day of the week. Celebrating the life of Jesus was something they did every day. They gathered as the people of God every first day of the week to worship the glory of the resurrection of Jesus. There was no special holiday because the first day of the week was set aside for devotion, praise, and honor to the King of kings and Lord of lords. When people ask if the saints remember the birth of Jesus, the answer is a resounding yes because without the birth, there could be no resurrection. The world did not find hope in the birth alone. If there had been no resurrection, the birth would have been meaningless. And if Christ is not risen, faith is pointless because the world remains in the grip of sin. Thank God for the birth of Jesus, but thank God for the resurrection.