Charles Spurgeon on "Merry Christmas"

Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Observe the sacred joy of Mary that you may imitate it. This is a season when all men expect us to be joyous. We greet each other with "Merry Christmas." Some Christians don’t like the word "merry." But it is a right good old Saxon word, having the joy of childhood and the mirth of manhood in it. It brings before one's mind the old songs of the season, and the midnight peal of bells, the holly and the blazing log.

I love it for its place in that most tender of all parables, where it is written, that, when the long-lost prodigal returned to his father safe and sound, "They began to be merry." This is the season when we are expected to be happy; and my heart's desire is, that in the highest and best sense, you who are believers may be "merry."

Mary's heart was merry within her; but here was the mark of her joy: it was not such merriment as worldlings will revel in at Christmas, but such merriment as the angels have around the throne, where they sing, "Glory to God in the highest," while we sing "On earth peace, goodwill towards men." Such merry hearts have a continual feast. I want you, ye children of the bride-chamber, to possess today and tomorrow, yea, all your days, the high and consecrated bliss of Mary, that you may not only read her words, but use them for yourselves, ever experiencing their meaning: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior."

How Did The Wise Men Know What The Star Meant? The Answer Is Really Interesting...

Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Have you ever wondered who those wise men were? How did they know about Jesus' birth? How did they know what the star meant? Well… the answers are pretty interesting.

The words “wise men” are translated from the word “magi” or, in this instance, “magoi”. This word and other evidence helps us locate their home country. Magi is an old Persian/Babylonian word (Thayer, BDAG). So since this region was east of Israel, and these men were called magi “from the east”, and Persia/Babylon had a long history with Israel, we can be fairly certain they were from the region now called Iraq and Iran.

The Background: Babylon was the country that defeated Judah in war and then took the defeated Jews back to Babylon as captives. Babylon later became part of the Persian empire. The captives carried their Bibles with them, and some of them became great men in the Babylonian government. The Jewish prophet Daniel, for instance, was powerful and famous while in captivity. He was one of the “wise men” of Babylon and was appointed the chief magistrate over all the wise men. Daniel 2:13; 2:48 Later the Persian king Cyrus gave the captive Jews liberty to return to Judah. Ezra 1:1-3

The prophecy of the star at the birth of Jesus is found in Numbers 24:17. The wise men who were looking for Jesus knew about this prophecy, so it is obvious that the Jewish Bible was kept by the wise men of this region after the Jews returned to Palestine. In their libraries the wise men would have had access to the works of the great Jewish wise man Daniel who prophesied of the coming Messiah, and other Jewish Holy Books. So the wise men looked for the new born King of Israel because they read it in the scriptures.

It was through the ministry of Daniel, and other captive Jewish scribes, that the well-educated scribe Ezra had the complete (up to that point in history) preserved Bible when he returned to Jerusalem with the other freed captives. Ezra 7:6, 10, 11, 12, 25, Nehemiah 8:1-8 Ezra had the Scriptures, so did the wise men, and so do we.

The presence of the wise men after the birth of Jesus supports the truth that the Book of Numbers predates the Babylonian captivity. This was a problem for modern skeptics who believed Numbers was written after the captivity. Other skeptics guessed that Daniel and the other Jewish scribes wrote the Book of Numbers, and the rest of the Old Testament, while in captivity to bolster the Jewish claim to Palestine. Then in 1979 a silver amulet was found in an archaeological dig in Jerusalem with Numbers 6:24-26 etched into the silver. This amulet predated the Babylonian captivity, and is clear extra-Biblical evidence that the Old Testament book of Numbers existed before the captivity... so there is now even more evidence that the Jews took the scriptures into captivity which centuries later led the wise men to Jesus.

The wise men searched for this new King because they believed the Bible, and their faith guided them to Jesus... the Bible will do the same today for those who follow the light of that prophetic star.

Jesus' Birth Was Prophesied In Books Of The Bible Hundreds Of Years Before His Birth

Here are a few of the Old Testament prophesies concerning Jesus' birth. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain manuscripts of the Old Testament dating from 300 BC to 70AD. I have noted whether any part of the book containing a prophecy is in the Dead Sea Scroll collection and what the estimated date is of the manuscript(s). There is no evidence that the residents of Qumran, the closest community to the location of the Dead Sea Scrolls, ever came into contact with Jesus. 

1. The time period of His birth:

Prophesied: Daniel 9:25

Fulfilled: Luke 2:22

There are 8 Daniel manuscripts in the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS). The oldest is dated before 150 BC.

2. The city of His birth:

Prophesied: Micah 5:2

Fulfilled: Luke 2:4-7

There are 2 Micah manuscripts in the DSS. The oldest is dated in the 3rd century BC.

3. That His mother would be a virgin:

Prophesied: Isaiah 7:14

Fulfilled: Matthew 1:18

There are 22 Isaiah manuscripts in the DSS. The Great Scroll is a complete copy of the book and has been dated to around 100BC.

4. That He and His family would escape to Egypt.

Prophesied: Hosea 11:1

Fulfilled: Matthew 2:13-15

There are 3 manuscripts of Hosea, 2 commentaries, in the DSS. These are dated between 100 and 75BC.

5. That the innocents would be slaughtered:

Prophesied: Jeremiah 31:15

Fulfilled: Matthew 2:16

There are 6 manuscripts of Jeremiah in the DSS dated around 200 BC.

6. He is the Son of God:

Prophesied: Psalm 2:7

Fulfilled: Luke 3:22 (Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11)

There are 39 manuscripts of the Psalms dated between 200-100BC.

7. He will be called Lord:

Prophesied: Psalm 110:1

Fulfilled: Luke 2:11

There are 39 manuscripts of the Psalms dated between 200-100BC.

8. That He would be a member of the tribe of Judah:

Prophesied: Micah 5:2

Fulfilled: Luke 3:33

There are 2 Micah manuscripts in the DSS. The oldest is dated in the 3rd century BC.

9. A descendant of Abraham:

Prophesied: Genesis 22:18

Fulfilled: Matthew 1:1

There are 24 Genesis manuscripts in the DSS ranging from 200-1BC.

10. A Descendant of Isaac:

Prophesied: Genesis 21:12

Fulfilled: Luke 3:34

There are 24 Genesis manuscripts in the DSS ranging from 200-1BC.

11. A descendant of Jesse:

Prophesied: Isaiah 11:1

Fulfilled: Luke 3:32

There are 22 Isaiah manuscripts in the DSS. The Great Scroll is a complete copy of the book and has been dated to around 100BC

12. A descendant of David:

Prophesied: Jeremiah 23:5-6

Fulfilled: Luke 3:31

There are 6 manuscripts of Jeremiah in the DSS dated around 200 BC.

Sobering Things I've Seen During The Christmas Season

When I became a police chaplain I learned quickly that this time of year was not jolly for everyone. From November through February cases of depression and suicide soar. This is also a time of more alcohol related deaths including alcohol related suicide.

In the years since first becoming a chaplain I've counseled scores of people and preached too many funerals for victims of suicide, and fatal collisions. All--and I mean all--the fatalities I've ever worked during this time of year could have been prevented. Here are some important reminders:

The consumption of alcohol can lead to fatal collisions. I've seen families killed or maimed by drunk drivers... Don't drink and drive.

I've worked suicides of young adults who drank alcohol and did things or allowed things to be done to them they would never have allowed when sober.

Here's the best rule IF you must drink: Always have a sober trusted person with you who is committed to driving and also protecting you from others and yourself. If you aren't protected... don't drink.

If you suffer from any form of depression make sure you keep your support group intact and lean on them through this season. They are there because they care about you. There is no time of year when it is more important to carefully follow or seek your doctor's advice.

If you are in the support group of someone who suffers from depression, make sure to keep in touch regularly during this time of year. Don't let the busyness of the holiday season keep you from regular contact.

Don't let minors consume alcoholic beverages. Minors have more access to alcohol during this time of year. Not only is it wrong to give alcohol to minors... it is illegal. Don't do it.

Oh... be sure to get involved in a good Bible preaching church. It is amazing what Christ can do in a life committed to Him.

Do everything in your power to insure a safe, enjoyable holiday season. Carol and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a safe, happy New Year.

Jesus Was A Nobody...

If the wife of an emperor, king, or powerful merchant gave birth to a child, it would have been widely known and celebrated. Everyone would know where that child was living.

But almost no one seemed to know Jesus was born. Herod would not have known if the Magi hadn't told him, and the Magi wouldn't have known if God hadn't told them by the use of a star. The shepherds would not have known if the angels hadn't told them. Even after Herod knew the Christ had been born he still was unable to find the child Jesus.

Jesus was born to such an unknown inconsequential family that He blended into the mass of humanity wherever his family lived. With few exceptions no one seemed to ever suspect this child born to Mary and Joseph was anything but just another face to feed in the mass of Jewish peasants.

Jesus' existence was so nondescript that even today some scholars question He ever lived. Think of it: He was virtually unknown until His baptism by John, and then only personally known in His local region in a small country in the Roman Empire. Even then His period of public notoriety was short lived, about 3 years, and he was executed with criminals as a law-breaker.

His short rise to fame was off the tracks people used to become famous. He didn't go to any famous schools or seminaries. He wasn't involved in the politics of His country. He wasn't in a scribal college and He was “unpublished.” He didn't seek license to teach... he just did it.

In a world where duplication was done by hand, 3 years is barely enough time to complete the publication of just a few copies of the biography of a famous person's life... but the life of a Jewish peasant?

Sure... there were writers who wrote about His life: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But if no one valued their writings then there would have been no scribal duplication of their books. But the writings of these men became the most widely translated and widely read publications in human history. People like William Tyndale have died trying to get these writings into the hands of the masses.

Jesus' fame spread in the same way it generally does today: by one person telling another person. This is one of the most miraculous realities in all of human history. The fame of this virtually unknown Jew has been kept alive because people talk about Him. Jesus was and is a nobody only to people who don't know Him. But when you come to know Him He is somebody who must be talked about. There has never been somebody like Him.

People have tried to eradicate His fame from popular culture over the centuries only to see His fame spread more widely by their efforts. They find it is more like trying to put a fire out with gasoline.

How could this happen? Why is He so famous? Because of who He is, what He said, and what He did. If you don't know much about Him I suggest you begin your reading with the Gospel of John or with His Gospel.