The Real Christmas

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

They started playing Christmas music even before Thanksgiving this year.

"The First Noel," that's one of the Christmas songs.  It talks about an angel visiting the shepherds, announcing the good news of the birth of the Savior, Jesus.

That's right out of the book of Luke in the Bible.  From Luke chapter 2:

8 And there were shepherds in the same country, staying in the field, keeping watch over their flock at night.

9 And see, the angel of the Lord came to them, and the glory of the Lord shined around them, and they were very afraid.

10 And the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for see, I bring you good news of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign to you, you'll find the baby wrapped in cloth, lying in a feeding trough for animals."

An angel brought the good news of the birth of Jesus to shepherds staying in the field keeping their sheep.

Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem to pay their tax.  But there were no motel or hotel vacancies.  That's how the baby Jesus came to be laid in an animal feeding trough soon after being born in the city of Bethlehem.

Wise men from the east came to Israel seeking the newborn King.  They had seen his star in the east.

Jesus' being born in Bethlehem fulfilled an Old testament prophecy. (Micah 5:2)

Later, Jesus would be called a Nazarene because they had moved to the city of Nazareth.

Christmas is the time of year when we hear about Santa Claus.  But Santa Claus has nothing to do with the real Christmas.

The real Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, the Messiah for the Jews, and Savior of the world, even though the majority of Jews have rejected Jesus.

Jesus didn't set up an earthly kingdom.  He said, "My kingdom is not of this world."

In view of the rejection, largely, by his people the Jews, one might wonder whether Jesus came to earth at the best time.

But Jesus is more than just the savior of the Jews, he is also savior for the gentiles because the gentiles also need forgiveness for sins.

The blood of Jesus pays for our sins, for those who accept him as Savior.

Logistics is the planning of things and their timing.  Military units have their logistics people.  But the best logistician is God.  He is the best at math.  He is the best at planning and timing.

When God the Father sent his son Jesus to earth about two thousand years ago, it would be a very good assumption that it was, in fact, the best time for Jesus to come, because the timing was chosen by God.

Jesus began his earthly ministry and prayerfully chose twelve disciples.  Some might wonder why he chose Judas Iscariot.  I think it could only be because it was God's will for Jesus to choose Judas.

It had been prophesied that there would be a betrayer.  Judas was the betrayer. (John 13:18, Psa 41:9)

Jesus was always trying to do the will of God, his Father.  Jesus said that it was his Father that was doing the works that Jesus did, but of course, Jesus supplied the hands and a voice for God.

Once Jesus' earthly ministry began at about age thirty, it lasted for only about three years.  Jesus had powerful enemies among the Jewish leadership, the Pharisees, the Saducees, and the High Priest.

They thought that Jesus was becoming entirely too important, and they wanted him out of the way.  They probably thought that if Jesus were put to death, this new Christianity would also die out.  But they were wrong about that.

Pontius Pilate was the Roman Governor, and also the Judge that Jesus was brought before.  After questioning Jesus, Pilate wanted to release him, since Jesus had done nothing deserving of execution.

But the Jewish leaders insisted that he be crucified.  So Pilate yielded to them.  It was a political decision, rather than rendering justice.

But it was meant to be that Jesus should die for the sins of the world.  In the Old Testament, animals were sacrificed for sins.

Jesus was the ultimate sacrificial lamb, sacrificed once and for all for the sins of the world, doing away with the need for anymore animal sacrifices.

God the Father accepts the sacrifice of his only begotten Son for the sins of the world.

Chapter 2

But during his earthly ministry, Jesus had much to teach.  And he performed miracles of healing.  He cast demons out of people.  He raised dead people back to life.

At the end of the Gospel of John, John says that beside what we have in the Bible about what Jesus said and did, there are so many other things also, that John supposes that the world couldn't contain the books that would be written about all of them.

But what we have of the history of Jesus on earth, his words and his deeds, are mostly in the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Jesus speaks some also in the book of Revelation.

Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment.  He said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength."

And the second most important commandment is  "You shall love your neighbor like yourself."  (This is also called The Golden Rule, or, do to others as you would have them do to you.)

Jesus said if you hear his sayings and do them, you're like a man that built his house on a rock so that when the storms come, you'll survive.  Otherwise, you've built your house on the sand, and you'll crash. (Matt 7:24-27)

One of Jesus' teachings is that if you go to a wedding, don't go and take the highest room, but take the lowest room. (Luke 14:8-11)

Of course, we don't do weddings like that anymore.  Maybe in some foreign country.  I've been to quite a few weddings.  You go to the church where the wedding is, and you take a seat.  No one comes and tells you, "Come with me sir, and I'll show you where the rooms are."

Nevertheless, there's an important principle here, even though we're not doing weddings that way.  The important principle is this:  Don't be too self-assertive.  Be willing to wait in the shadows until your promotion comes from the Lord.

Jesus said, "He that exalts himself shall be brought low, but he that humbles himself shall be lifted up." (Luke 14:11)

The Bible says promotion comes from the Lord. (Psa 75:6,7)  Let the Lord promote you, rather than trying to promote yourself.

Jesus said that not everything is in the Bible.  But the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost, shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance that I have spoken to you. (John 14:26)

That's another reason to get the Baptism with the Holy Ghost from Jesus.  Of course I believe every Christian has some of the Holy Ghost.  But you'll have more of the Holy Ghost after Jesus baptizes you with the Holy Ghost.

The evidence that a Christian has received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost is that they speak in a language they've never learned, and don't understand.

In John chapter 9, Jesus healed a man from blindness.  So the Jewish leaders questioned the formerly blind man.  Those leaders said about Jesus that they didn't know where Jesus was from.

The formerly blind man tried to explain to those Jewish leaders why it was amazing that they didn't know where Jesus was from.  Since the world began, it was not heard that anyone opened the eyes of someone that had been born blind, and that if Jesus were not of God, he could do nothing.

But the Jewish leaders rejected the good teaching of the formerly blind man.

In John chapter 13, Jesus washed the disciples feet, and said that we should do likewise.

In John 15, Jesus said that God will take you away if you don't bear fruit.  Every Christian should produce good fruit.

If you have a tree in your back yard that only produces bad fruit, you'll be looking to replace it with something else.

In John 15:12, Jesus commands Christians to love each other, like he has loved us.

In John 15:20, Jesus says that just as he has had some persecution, so will we.

In John 16:7, Jesus told the disciples that it was the best thing for them that he go away so that the Comforter will come.  Do you get it?  Jesus is saying that our having the Holy Ghost is better than his being present on earth.

And that's another reason why every Christian ought to be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and pray in unknown tongues.

In Jude 20, it says we build up ourselves in faith when we pray in unknown tongues.  When you get things from God, you get them by faith.

Also, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17)

The real Christmas is about Jesus, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the only begotten Son of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the Messiah and Savior, who also, with his Father, God, created the world, and the heavens.

Let's not lose focus this Christmas of what Christmas is all about.

Please also see my book, "Hoehn's the Killing of Jesus," available at Amazon.com

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.