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X’MAS, GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER CELEBRATION |
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In
my teen ages, some 68 years before, the X’mas day was being observed
in the East in January while it was on Dec. the 25th in the
Western countries. Who considered the boy born of a virgin as great to
reckon! Later the child’s greatness grew as the prophecies on Him were
becoming literally true as He grew. And He grew as much as God in His
words and deeds, and as a perfect man fulfilling the prophecies on Him
one by one. But in
the moment of His baptism and while coming out of the water, all the
onlookers of the act of Jesus’ baptism, to their wonder, saw the Holy
Spirit descending on Him as dove does from heaven and sitting on Him! He
was proved and announced as the Son of God promised Gen. 3: 15 in
B.C.4000 to come as the seed of the woman and as the world redeemer.
The Lord Himself was very particular to command His disciples to
remember Him on the
day of the Jewish feast of Passover, a picture of His foreordained
qurbani on behalf of the perishing millions in sins. Jesus the young
man’s fame mounted up. The heaven then introduced Him: “This is my
beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”. Wonders started in His name.
It was recorded in the airy waves indelibly. Has the scientists ability
to catch those words’ waves roaming around in the atmosphere!.
Anyhow it was a historical fact to prove Jesus as God’s Son
dipping down in the water, which command many don’t like now. The
River of Jordan will testify the event if time needs of it. Our point
here is He did not forget to make His own propitious death and shedding
of blood to be remembered till His arrival back. HE DID NOT COMMAND
SPECIALLY TO REMEMBER A DAY OF THE YEAR CELEBRATING HIS BIRTH- DAY,
CRUCIFICTION AND
RESURRECTION. Absolutely, nowhere in the whole Bible.
Many churches are entangled in traditional strings, which have really
kept out truths of the scripture. They were introduced by festival
minded leaders in order to promote merry-making, eating drinking and
self-satisfaction. God in
his own will and plan had commanded the Jews to observe festivals
described in Lev.23. But to us, the New Testament spiritual Israel, the
Lord has not set any festival to observe. That is a fact which can’t
be winked at. The Lord has asked his followers to observe only two things
as a mark of obedience and memorial. But are absolutely free from
festivity. They emit out spiritual flavors of Praises, adoration and
dedication. These two are baptism (meaning immersion) and the Lord
’s Supper. They are symbols of Jesus’ birth, his body and blood
and his death, burial and resurrection. Those who purify themselves to
practice these two regularly, don’t need any other festival to
remember him (Rom 6: 3-5; 1Cor.11:24). To add to these (Baptism and
Lord's Supper) commanded
observances, suggests what our Lords commandments are
insufficient. That is a violation. Belivers,
we should reject all unscriptural teachings. We should understand, what
is pregnant with death of Jesus Christ is His birth too. In first
century, the apostles and now the new testament belivers, remember
Birth, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ along with Lords Table,
every Sunday. He died because he was born. We therefore has to learn:
Observe His death lawfully and regularly every Sunday as the apostles
did . It includes His birth too. Read Acts 2:42; 20:7; etc. Regularly
the 1st century believers remembered Jesus death that
includes his birth too every Sunday. That is, commemorating His death is meant to remember His
humble birth too. The apostles did it every Sunday; we too do it .
Instead what the (nominal) Christians do today, is ignoring
the remembrance of both birth, death and resurrection in all
humility and honour they prefer the merrymaking
eating and drinking.
They ignore Jesus’ chief command and adopt an insane merrymaking act
of eating and drinking. Here
is the cause for the down fall of true Christianity.
They invite God’s wrath upon themselves. Dec. 25 was an
unobserved day to the Great apostles in the earlier centuries.
Christmas, Good Friday and Easter is a diabolic duplicate mass,
unscriptural that snatched the divine and reverent fearful approach to
the command of the Saviour. It is killing reverent approach to Christ
the Saviour and the Judge. Today’s these festivals
are killing Christ, the Saviour.
It kills the reverent approach to the feet of the Lord every 1st
day of the week which the
apostles had practiced and handed over to us. Once I was invited by
my office mate when I was
employed 50 years before on a X’mas day. Innocently I went with him.
What I saw there was- his wife, mother, father and all others were found
drunk and balance less. I immediately
got out and went
back. Today’s X’mas day means is a cursemas as most of
these Christians have not experienced Jesus Christ as Lord and personal
Saviour. Runaway from that
: Psalm 1 and Gal, 5:19 etc warn us. Let it be replaced by the worship
of the Saviour by
observing the Lord’s supper every week Sunday
from now onwards. Use the rest of the first day of the week to
spread the joyous news of the birth of Jesus, the Son of God to the
perishing people and in the
neighborhood and feed the poor starving
on the road . Spend for that good
cause. We will earn much instead in
eternity.
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Bro.K.M.Mathai, M.A,B-230, Minal Residency, J.K.Road Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh INDIA |
