Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!
Note: I thought it would be helpful for us to take a break from JC Ryle’s book called Holiness to consider something more closely tied to the Christmas Season where there will be many opportunities to teach and model Christian living to your children (Ephesians 6:4).
Although the Bible gives us the teachings of Jesus and enough information to discern the heart and mindset of Jesus, few specific details are given about His daily life during His earlier years or His actual appearance. Therefore, it is easy for us to create an image of Jesus in our minds that is not supported by scripture. We may imagine Him as is depicted in so many Bible stories as generally happy, average in stature, and white; kind of cruising through His days with His hands up in the air, gesturing as He teaches to the crowds. We may forget that Jesus was and is fully God and fully man which means that during his time here on earth, He got tired and needed sleep, felt hunger and needed food, and experienced all of the temptations that we do every day, yet never sinned (Hebrews 2:17-18, 4:14-15).
I want us to think about what Jesus experienced on His birthdays, days that we now refer to as Christmas, but I want to be careful. One of the worst things we can do would be to make wild speculations that are not based in the Scriptures. Regarding birthdays, there are no mentions of birthday celebrations in the Bible, only celebrations of the reign of pagan kings. So, it is likely that the Hebrews did not have the tradition of birthdays- no gifts, candles, or cake for Jesus, and certainly no wishes made from the Lord! However, I don’t think we can say that Jesus’ earthly parents didn’t reflect and give thanks that another year had passed in the life of their Son. In addition, we can’t say with certainty that Jesus had 33 birthdays. Most theologians and tradition date Jesus’ earthly life at 33 years, but it is possible that the number may be off by 1-2 years.
However, not being entirely clear on those details will have no effect for our purpose of thinking about what Jesus did on His birthdays. We have enough clear truth from God’s Word to answer the question.
We know He was sanctified, or set apart. Luke 4:17-19 tells us this: Reading from the scroll of Isiah, He declared, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
We know He was sinless in his thoughts and deeds and was perfectly obedient to the Father’s will despite a level of Satanic attacks that we can’t even imagine (Matthew 4:1-11).
We know He progressed through the years and as it says in Luke 2:40, And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
We know He loved His disciples and others. John 13:1 tells us, Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
We know He was focused on the Kingdom work that He had been given to do as He says to the Father in John 17:4, “Father, I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”
And when were these things not on Jesus’ mind? Is it wild speculation to believe that there was never a time when Jesus took a break from thinking about obeying the Father, teaching and learning, loving people, and pursuing the mission that He had that eventually would lead to that terrible cross? Reflecting on what we know about Jesus’ ministry on earth, can we rule out the idea of Him ever taking the time to celebrate His life on His annual birthday or maybe taking a couple of weeks off for Himself?
I think it is safe to say that the Son of Man never wandered into doing or thinking things that were outside His mission to save His people from their sins and glorify the Father. Certainly, birthday celebrations would not fit into the picture of His life!
So, I’d like to take the aforementioned points and bring some application for us as we celebrate the birth and birthdays of Jesus- the day we call Christmas, and I am encouraging you to not skate over what I am about to say, but to think deeply about the implications for yourself.
First, He was sanctified- set apart, and so are we. In John 17:16-19, Jesus is praying to the Father about us and says, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
However, here’s the problem: Sometimes, we don’t want to be set apart from the world and we prefer to be more like those people around us. Why? Because we are afraid of what people might think about us or we are afraid that our relationships may be damaged. But, Christ came into the world and was more different than any other person could possibly be. He chose to enter into a world of sin and walk in it for his entire life. Because He was set apart in His teaching and thinking, many were so displeased with him that they sought to kill him. Talk about relationship challenges!
For us, the Bible calls us to deny ourselves and the idols of this life and be salt and light at every opportunity and we will have those opportunities during the Christmas holiday season. You know who’s coming to your house this year or whose house you will visit. You know all of the personalities and the history of how those conversations go when you are together. How about establishing a new tradition where you say something about Christ and His gospel? Could it be in an extended prayer or a reading from scripture before you sit down to eat? Think about how this kind of tradition can be a model that you children will bring to their children (Ephesians 6:4). From John 17: 6-8: “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.”
We know He was sinless in his thoughts and deeds and was perfectly obedient to the Father’s will. As those who claim Him as our Savior, we need to think about the things that we typically do over these next two to three weeks. Are there are things that we need to turn away from such as excessive drinking, overeating, and overspending? Think about all of the opportunities to discuss with your children how they should think correctly about spending God’s money (Ephesians 6:4).
We know He progressed through the years growing in wisdom and favor with God. How can we do what Christ was doing on His birthdays?
We can take the time to pray as He did in Matthew 14:23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
We can take the time to read the same scrolls that He did. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
We know He loved His disciples, and we emulate that by loving our friends and family.
Is there a family member that you need to reconcile with? A hurt for that past that you need to forgive? Is there sin that you need to confess to your spouse or children (Ephesians 6:4)?
We can carve out some time to serve others. Jesus says in Matthew 20:26-28, “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Are there certain things that you typically do during the holidays that are basically selfish? What about thinking about doing something for your spouse or loved one that may require you to cut back on your own fun time?
Is there someone in your life that left the faith? Is there someone that is lost and hurting and needs to hear the clear explanation of the gospel from you? Let your children hear your concern and see the action taken (Ephesians 6:4).
Do you need to have a special focus on holding your tongue from making foolish or hurtful remarks this Christmas?
We know He was about the Kingdom. Are we?
Does Christmas help us focus on the mission of Christ (and our mission as believers) or does our Christmas thinking resonate more with the idea of merriment, gift giving, and great food? You see, if we are thinking like Jesus would have us think about Christmas, we would think not only of His arrival in a manger, but His birth in the fuller context of His death on the cross. In other words, it is the fulfillment of His mission at Calvary that magnifies the greatness of His birth.
So, am I saying that we should throw out the merriment, gifts, and good food? No, but I am saying if we are followers of Christ and are intending to walk worthy of our calling, we need to make Christ truly preeminent in Christmas. Grace will be needed and, in some cases, even courage. But know this: You were reborn to do it. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).
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Last modified: December 23, 2022
