VIEWPOINT: Christmas Choices, Celebration, and Expanding the Beachhead

To (Jesus) who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests, to serve His God and Father – to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen – Revelation 1:5b-6

Every year, we choose how we’ll celebrate Christmas. The sacred, “Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King,’” exemplifies one choice. The secular “Here Comes Santa Claus” is another choice. Then there are woke Cultural Marxists who would negate Christmas.  These racist, diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), anti-American, anti-Judeo-Christian communist demons advocate that racial and gender minority groups replace traditional morality and use “counter-culture” revisionist history to incite rebellion and dangerous “oppressor versus oppressed” hatred against white people, particularly straight, white men.

I’m celebrating Christmas with “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing …” because Christmas is the birthday of the incarnate (in the flesh) Jesus, the Christ (the Messiah (the anointed or chosen one)), and Emmanuel (God with us), and of His first coming (Advent) to earth from heaven, as proven evidentially by historical events and numerous human observations. Our celebration should also cause us to understand why God came to earth as Jesus because “(Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn (having special status) over all creation. For by Him, all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:1516)

To understand Jesus’ coming, I reviewed four sources listing four, ten, twelve, and thirty-one reasons for Jesus’ advent.  All sources gave similar reasons for Christ’s coming. For example, four reasons include: To Take Away Our Sins, To Destroy Satan’s Work, To Make the Father Known, and To Prepare for a Second Advent. These similarities weren’t surprising, but within the 31 reasons was “25. To reign as King,” which wasn’t included in the other three sources. Scriptural support for #25 is the familiar Christmas verse. “For unto us a child is born… Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end on the throne of David and over His kingdom… ”(Isaiah 9:6-7) This is one of numerous Old Testament prophecies about the kingdom of God, that Messiah will come, establish His kingdom, and reign forever.

Theologians agree that “Jesus is the King” but disagree about the time and nature of the kingdom Jesus came to establish.  Some literal Bible interpreters believe Jesus will establish an earthly kingdom of God upon His second coming. But many Bible verses have convinced me to accept a figurative interpretation. The kingdom of God is spiritual, and Jesus established His kingdom during His earthly ministry. For example: “Jesus told Pilate, ‘My kingdom is not of this world… My kingdom is not from here’” (John 18:36), and when Pharisees asked Jesus when God’s kingdom would come, Jesus said, “… the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17:21)  Jesus also told His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.” (Mark 9:1) The kingdom of God was finalized upon Jesus’ resurrection and placement upon God’s right hand to rule as “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36) and shown “with power” (Mark 9:1) on Pentecost (Acts 2) – the Church’s birthday.

Hence, Jesus projects the kingdom of God through His church – of imperfect people – that currently exists as a beachhead of Christian believers who strive to glorify God, advance God’s truth and righteousness, obey Him, and achieve “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

Yes, Christ allows Satan’s demons to roam the earth – for a while – before Christ returns.  Meanwhile, we celebrate Christ’s birthday and dedicate ourselves to spreading the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16 (“the Great Commission”)), repenting of our sins, being baptized to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and living within God’s acceptable life-giving/enriching freedoms, so Christ’s beachhead – kingdom of God – is expanded, and ours and others’ earthly lives can possess authentic joy and meaning, lives assured of eternal life.

Let’s celebrate Christmas and rededicate ourselves to expanding Christ’s beachhead by standing tall – As in: “Stand tall for what you stand for.” – for God’s kingdom.  Let’s combat and defeat all those evils discerned from God’s Word that Satan’s demons will continue to disseminate until Christ returns with the Sword to judge the world.  Merry Christmas!

Donovan “Mark” Quimby
Shenandoah Christian Alliance