1 / 20

Christmas Origins

Christmas Origins. How did we get here?. -Each year millions of trees are cut down to help us celebrate. -Each year billions dollars are spent on gifts during the season of giving. -Candy, lights, parades, songs…. Christmas Facts. The “progression” of Christmas.

jeroen
Download Presentation

Christmas Origins

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Christmas Origins How did we get here?

  2. -Each year millions of trees are cut down to help us celebrate. -Each year billions dollars are spent on gifts during the season of giving. -Candy, lights, parades, songs… Christmas Facts

  3. The “progression” of Christmas

  4. The Bible doesn’t say much…just a humble explanation of a humble birth, of a humble man. • So how does this grow into what we have today? Luke 2:1-7

  5. Christmas…was not observed in the first centuries of the Christian church. A feast was established in memory of the birth event [Christ’s birth] in the 4th century. • A door was open to take something worldlyand use it to explain something other worldly. Why?

  6. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” • Note that they were “abiding” in the field. This makes a December birth very unlikely. Both Ezra 10:9-13 and the Song of Solomon 2:11 show that winter was the rainy season and shepherds would not stay on cold, open fields at night. Luke 2:8

  7. In the Roman world theSaturnalia(December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchanging of gifts. On the Roman New Year houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. • The festival took place around this time of year because the winter solstice (December 21) marks the beginning of longer days. Making a pagan ritual into a Christian holiday.

  8. The modern Christmas tree originated in Germany. • An old Babylonian fable told of an evergreen tree which sprang out of a dead tree stump. The old stump symbolized the dead Nimrod, the new evergreen tree symbolized that Nimrod had come to life again. As a tradition a tree was decorated with red berries during the Saturnalia! The Tree?

  9. -European traditions traveled to the Americas along with the settlers. -Nicolas (Bishop of Myrna, Turkey) lived in the 4th century. He was posthumously named as a “Saint” for his work with children. An annual feast day was held in his honor on December 6th. -Clement Moore’s “A Visit From St. Nick” tied the concept of Reindeer and a plump St. Nick to the modern American Christmas story. Christmas comes to America

  10. Just as early Christians made adaptations to a “wordly” celebration so as to teach spiritual principles. We can use the modern Christmas to do the same. • Others focus • Family • Giving by Thomas Nast

  11. Giving Acts 20:35

  12. Givingdefined… • Giving--present participle of give (Verb) • Verb: • Freely transfer the possession of something to someone; hand over to: or to bestow love, affection, or other support. • Ex: “He was very giving and supportive.”

  13. Giving and the Bible • Mentioned well over 200 times in the scriptures. • John 3:16 (perhaps the most famous of scripture), “For God so loved the world that he GAVE us his one and only son…” “Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting.” - Princess Elizabeth, Asquith Bibesco

  14. Context for Giving “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill • Monetarily • Resources • Gospel • Self

  15. Giving Monetarily Old Testament offerings: New Testament Offerings • Tabernacle • Fellowship • Atonement • Freewill • Drink/Food • Special Vows • Tithes • Weekly offering (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) • Benevolence (Acts 2:42-47) • Special Missions (2 Corinthians 8:1-15) …generous, sacrificial & humble

  16. Giving Resources • Time • Talents • Knowledge/Insights “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” - Maya Angelou

  17. Giving the Gospel You have been passed a GREAT commission To givethe gospel message about Christ.

  18. Giving yourself • With your attitude • By your presence • With your ears • In your service “it’s more blessed To give than to receive.”

  19. Practicals for Giving… >Daily giving of the gospel… >Daily giving of time to God… >Daily giving to the Kingdom… >Weekly contribution… >Yearly Special Missions…

  20. Malachi 3:6-12 Philippians 4:15-20 1 Corinthians 9:1-18 Additional scriptures on giving… Disciples give.

More Related