“For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-22

How do we reach the lost that they might hear the Gospel and come to know and trust in Christ Jesus as their Savior? Look at how the apostle Paul approached that task.

To the Jews he became as a Jew, to those under the law as under the law, to those without the law as without the law but not without law toward God, to the weak he became as weak. And why? That he might “by all means save some.”

In other words, the apostle, even though he was free from the requirements of Old Testament law subjected himself to that law (observing the Sabbath and feast days and submitting to dietary laws) when trying to reach the Jews for Christ. When he was seeking to reach those not under the law, he didn’t burden them by trying to bring them under the law and Paul himself lived among them as without the ceremonial law’s prescriptions. When he sought to reach the weak – those who believed it sinful to eat certain foods and the like – he lived as though he himself were weak that he might preach to them Christ and free their consciences from such weaknesses. The apostle behaved himself in such a way so that he could by any means morally acceptable reach the lost for Christ.

And how does this apply to us today? Should we expect our hearers to become like us and observe our traditions and our customs? Or, should we come to them where they are at – becoming like them in so far as we can without sin – that they might hear us and hear the message of God’s Word calling them to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus?

We need to keep in mind and practice the methodology of St. Paul, who was called of Christ to take the Gospel to the world: “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”

“Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Psalm 90:1-2 (Read Psalm 90)

One certainty as we enter into each new year of life is God Himself. He has been man’s dwelling place in all generations. He has created us, given us life and holds our life in His hand. “In him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth … And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1, 2). “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4).

The Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – has always been and always will be! You and I have been created by God, and we still depend upon Him for our every breath! Cf. Daniel 5:23.

Our lives are short, averaging only 70 to 80 years. We are like grass which grows up and flourishes in the morning but is cut down and withers by evening. Our lives pass like a watch in the night. Because of our sins, which are ever before the LORD, we feel the heat of His wrath and wither and die.

Knowing this, we ought to “number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (v. 12). We ought to read and study His Word that we might learn the truth about ourselves and the life we live here in this world. And, we ought to repent of our rebellious and sinful ways and turn unto the LORD God and receive the compassion and mercy which He offers and gives for the sake of the innocent sufferings and death of His own Son, Jesus Christ, in our stead!

Then, when we trust in God to mercifully forgive us for Jesus’ sake, we can “rejoice and be glad all our days” (v. 14). We can live our short lives here in faith because we have been redeemed by God’s own dear Son and have everlasting joy awaiting us in heaven when this life is done!

O everlasting God, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Let us see the brevity of this life and its cause, our own sinfulness; and let us return unto You for mercy and forgiveness for the sake of Christ Jesus, the Son, and His innocent sufferings and death in our stead. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible]

Though I write this before Christmas, by the time you read it, Christmas of 2017 will be over, church services and celebrations will be done, gifts will be opened — some broken and others exchanged or packed away — and the focus of the holiday season will be shifting toward the upcoming New Year’s celebrations and activities.

Though Christmas celebrations pass quickly — sometimes even before our minds have accepted the fact that the season is upon us — the joy of the season doesn’t have to pass away or be packed away with the decorations, ornaments and gifts.

The reason for the season — which is often missed and forgotten — takes us back to ancient Bethlehem and the fields surrounding that little but, at the time, bustling city. In that city, now over 2,000 years ago, God kept the promises He had been repeating to mankind for 4,000 years. The Seed of the woman who would crush the head of Satan (Genesis 3), the Seed of Abraham who would bring blessing to all the nations of the world (Genesis 22), the Son of David and the Root of Jesse who would establish an eternal kingdom (2 Samuel 7 and Isaiah 11), the Child born of the virgin who is God Himself with us (Isaiah 7 and 9), the One who would suffer and die to make atonement for the sins of all people and rise again in triumph (Psalm 22, Psalm 130 and Isaiah 53) and that Ruler who was to come from Bethlehem (Micah 5) was born.

Perhaps the words of Gal. 4, summarize it best: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (v. 4-5).

God fulfilled all those promises when Mary gave birth in Bethlehem and laid her child in a manger: “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

To understand the true significance of this historic event and why it offers and gives unending joy and happiness, I urge you to hear again what God Himself says of this very real and historical event through His heavenly messenger, an angel. The words of the angel to the shepherds when Jesus was born still apply today. God still tells us what this humble birth in Bethlehem is all about: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

Jesus’ birth and the angel’s message are, as he says, good news of great joy for all people, for on that very day in human history, in Bethlehem, was born a Savior who is the long-promised Messiah (the Christ) and also the Lord (Jehovah God Himself in human flesh) come into this world to save us from our sin and the just condemnation we all deserve on account of our sin and disobedience.

Because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16), the shepherds were filled with joy and, after they had gone and seen the newborn Jesus, returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.

You and I too can continue to glorify and praise God — even after the Christmas season is over — for all we have heard and seen through God’s Word of Scripture, for God so loved us, He stepped into history, sending His own Son to make atonement for our sins, that we might through faith in Christ Jesus, when our place in history is done, step into eternity with Him.

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7 (Read Luke 2:1-20)

Far more than a quaint story, these verses from Luke, chapter two, describe a historical event which occurred in a real time and at a real place. It happened in the days of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus. Cyrenius was the governor of Syria.

Though Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, the ancient prophet foretold the birthplace of Messiah to be Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); and God, in his divine providence, moved Caesar Augustus to take a census at just the right time, making it necessary for Joseph and his espoused wife to be in Bethlehem when the days were fulfilled for Mary to bring forth her firstborn son.

When Messiah Jesus was born and laid in a manger, an angel announced his birth to shepherds living a field nearby and keeping watch over their flock by night. The heavenly messenger brought them good tidings of great joy for all people; for that very day in Bethlehem, the city of David, a Savior was born, the Messiah, the LORD himself in human flesh (Luke 2:10-11).

And, as the angel choir said in its hymn of praise, this child brought about peace between God and man, and God’s good will toward sinful man. How would this be? Christ Jesus satisfied the righteous demands of God’s holy law for all of us, and he suffered and died and paid in full the just punishment for the sins of the world that God might have mercy upon us and graciously forgive our sins when we look to His Son in faith for pardon and peace!

Having heard these things, the shepherds were not content to go back to their work of guarding the flock; they went to see the things of which the angel had told them. And, they found it just as the angel had said. They found Mary and Joseph and, with them, the baby lying in a manger.

Nor did the shepherds keep the good news to themselves; they told everyone – they made known abroad – what the angel had told them concerning this child born in Bethlehem. Mary herself treasured up the words of the shepherds concerning her son and pondered them in her heart.

When the Shepherds returned to their flock, they were glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, which was just as the angel had told them. They were rejoicing in God’s gift of a Savior who would redeem them and give them a place in God’s eternal kingdom.

Of course, these events in history have great significance for each and every one of us today. God’s own Son was born in Bethlehem on that historic day. His birth is good tidings of great joy to us as well, for he is the long-promised Messiah, the LORD God himself; and he went to the cross for the sins of the world – for the sins of each of us – and he rose again in victory that each and every one of us might have forgiveness for all our sins and life eternal through faith in him!

O dearest Jesus, we thank you for coming into this world a true man – that babe born in Bethlehem – and going to the cross to redeem us and make us Your own. Move us to take the time to see, to worship and to spread abroad the good news of Your salvation. Amen.

[Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible]

With Christmas and the many church services now over, it might be good to see if you have your facts straight and if you know why we celebrate Christmas and what Christmas is really all about. And, because so many traditions have been introduced to the holy day, it may prove beneficial to take the following Christmas Quiz to see if you know what is fact and what is merely fiction or tradition.

1. Christmas is the celebration of what important event in history?
A. The first coming of Santa Claus. B. The birthday of Chris Cringle. C. The birth of Jesus Christ. D. The passing of the winter solstice.

2. Jesus was born on what date?
A. On Dec. 25, 0000. B. In the Jewish month of Kislev. C. At Christmas in the year 4 B.C. D. The Bible doesn’t tell us the precise date.

3. Jesus of Nazareth was born in what city?
A. Nazareth. B. Bethlehem. C. Jerusalem. D. Chicago. E. The Bible doesn’t say.

4. Who issued the decree that all the world should be registered?
A. Caesar Augustus. B. Cesar Chavez. C. Quirinius. D. King David.

5. Who was governing in Syria when Jesus was born?
A. Herod the Great. B. Octavius. C. Alexander the Great. D. Cyrenius.

6. Why did Mary and Joseph make the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem? A. Because God had promised that the Messiah would be born there. B. Because they were on a winter vacation in southern Israel. C. Because Caesar Augustus required them to go there to be registered. D. Both A and C above.

7. Why did Joseph take Mary with him to Bethlehem?
A. She was his betrothed wife. B. Because she was pregnant and about to have a baby. C. Because Mary, too, was of the house and lineage of David. D. Because God told him to stop there on the way to Egypt.

8. What had God’s angel told both Mary and then Joseph before they traveled to Bethlehem?
A. That Mary, while yet a virgin, would conceive and bear a child who would be called the Son of God. B. That Mary was with child through the miraculous working of God the Holy Spirit. C. That this child was to be named Jesus. D. That this child would save His people from their sins. E. All of the above.

9. When was Jesus born?
A. On the night Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. B. Ten days later. C. The Bible doesn’t say. D. While they were staying in Bethlehem to be registered.

10. Where in Bethlehem was Jesus born?
A. In a field. B. In the Bethlehem hospital. C. In a stable. D. In a cave. E. The Bible only says that Jesus was laid in a manger because there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn.

11. Where were the shepherds when Jesus was born?
A. Following a star in the east. B. Living out in the fields near Bethlehem and watching their flock at night. C. Looking for Jesus in the temple. D. Waiting for Mary and Joseph to arrive in Bethlehem.

12. What message did the angel give to the shepherds?
A. That he brought good news of great joy for all people. B. That a Savior was born for them in Bethlehem. C. That this child was the long-promised Messiah and the Lord God Himself. D. That they would be able to find this child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. E. All of the above. F. None of the above.

13. Who appeared with the angel on the night Jesus was born?
A. The wise men. B. A whole multitude of angels praising God. C. A praise band and choir. D. None of the above.

14. What did the shepherds do after they heard the message of the angel?
A. Get back to work because their sheep had scattered. B. They said nothing to anyone about seeing an angel because no one would have believed them if they did. C. They waited until morning and then went to see if the message was really true. D. They hurried to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus in the manger just like the angel had said.

15. After they found the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph, the shepherds:
A. Returned to their flocks quietly because it was late and they were tired. B. Told everybody what the angel said about this baby in the manger. C. Glorified and praised God for sending Christ Jesus into the world and for sending His angel to tell them of Jesus’ birth. D. Went back to their flocks by a different route. E. Both B and C above.

16. Aside from Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the angels, who else came to worship the baby Jesus on the night He was born and laid in the manger?
A. Wise men from the east. B. King Herod. C. Simeon. D. The little drummer boy. E. The Bible doesn’t tell us of any other worshippers on the night when Jesus was born.

17. Wise men from the East came to worship Jesus:
A. Because they saw His star in the East and knew it meant the King of the Jews was born. B. They too heard the multitude of heavenly hosts. C. Not when the shepherds came but some time later because Mary and Joseph were staying in a house when they arrived. D. Both A and C above.

18. How many wise men came to worship Jesus?
A. three. B. five. C. About 100. D. The Bible doesn’t tell us the number, but it was enough to trouble King Herod when he heard why they had come.

19. According to the Bible, Jesus was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger:
A. So we could exchange gifts. B. To inspire Santa Claus. C. To fulfill God’s promises to send a Savior who would destroy the work of Satan. D. To suffer and die for the sins of all the world and then rise again. E. To make a way for sinful people to be saved and go to heaven when they die. F. All of the above except A and B.

20. According to the Bible, God would like us to celebrate the birth of His Son into this world by:
A. Going Christmas shopping and giving gifts. B. Spending the holidays with family and friends. C. Singing Christmas carols. D. Turning back to God and trusting in Him to forgive our sins and give us everlasting life with Him in heaven because He so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son to suffer and die for the sins of all and rise again.

The answers to the above Christmas Quiz questions can all be found in the Bible — especially in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters one and two, and the Gospel of Luke, chapters one and two. If you wish to check your answers, a guide is also included below:

1-C 2-D 3-B 4-A 5-D 6-D 7-A 8-E 9-D 10-E 11-B 12-E 13-B 14-D 15-E 16-E 17-D 18-D 19-F 20-D