Sermon: A Brief History of Christmas | Doug Wilson

A Brief History of Christmas | Isaiah 9:6-7
Douglas Wilson

Christ Church -- Moscow, ID
Sermon #1647 -- A.D. December 11, 2011

[JesusISdaonlyway]

"God is perfect but not a perfectionist". Along with Pastor Doug's explainations of it..I can see the truth of this phrase in how we often think God should do things a certain way and take issue with Him when things don't workout according to the conceptions we come up with in our head...(see the twelve disciples for example who thought Jesus was coming to do a government takeover, but did not expect Him to die and rise again to establish His government. They were thinking temporal but God does all of His works (even temporal one's) with eternity in view. Should it surprise us that His works don't often make sense to us in the moment. Another thing that this phrase highlights yet again is how He actually use the imperfections to highlight His perfection and accomplish His perfect works. That is astounding! This is something very deep to meditate on. He is forever this way, and this warrants only our trust in the One who knows.

[AnHebrewChild]

Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

[zapazap]

The reformers got rid of requiring feasts other than the five.

But did they forbid people from commemorating, say, the martyr of Stephen, in their own homes?

[zapazap]

I would not bind a Puritan from working in the fields on Christmas day. But if they were doing it for ostentic purposes I might call it _virtue signalling._

[andreastruble]

I'm confused, if Christ is eternal hasn't He had Lordship and therefore authority eternally. The fall of Adam and Eve took them and us out of the will of God didn't move or change but mankind did,