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12 Reasons for Christmas

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  1. “For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37).
  2. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8; cf. Hebrews 2:14-15).
  3. “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).
  4. “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
  5. “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
  6. “God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:5).
  7. “For God so loved the world that whoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16).
  8. “God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).
  9. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
  10. “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against . . . that the thoughts of many may be revealed” (Luke 2:34f).
  11. “He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18).
  12. “Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarches, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Romans 15:7-8; cf. John 12:27f).

This post was kindly provided by John Piper and Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org. Reposted with permission.

Comments

  1. Great stuff. The word of God is so clear about why Jesus came to this world. I hope that people would see the Christ that Christmas is all about.

  2. I am just thankful for men like the Pastor who search the Word to find that these truths and put them together in a cogent way for lay people like me. This was helpful this morning as I am not ready for the Christmas day as far as gifts and cleaning and baking and was considering what I should do with the few remaining hours. I was able to give thanks for each reason, and will ponder them throughout the day as I participate in the usual Christmas rituals.

  3. Those are twelve great reasons to celebrate Christ, not necessarily Christmas though. The history of Christmas officially being recognized by the Church is shady at best and didn’t come about until around three hundred years after Jesus’s accession. We should remember that Jesus doesn’t need or ever even asked for Christmas, but rather recognize our need for Him, for our Savior.

    Christmas is full of great intentions, that have brought about various good and helpful ministries. However, it is seeming founded on a lie, that essentially requires Christian leaders to hold back truth from their churches, it causes Christians to declare Jesus to the world in an unknowingly deceitful way. In the New Testament, John repeatedly exhorts believers to worship God in spirit and in truth, not just one or the other. While the idea of Christmas stirs up many good intentions with in our spirit’s, Christmas itself doesn’t bring about truth, but instead it buries it further and further from each generation.

    Bottom line, Christian life is about truly loving Jesus, bringing Him glory, as He brings the Father glory. We should do that through every day we live, through truth and as best we can by His standards.

  4. This was a wonderful grouping of scripture, showing the truth of why Jesus came into the world and his plan for us. I hope to be reading more of your works. God Bless you! and Merry Christmas!

  5. I like the 12 Reasons for Christmas…it looks like a good plan of salvation that one could use….I plan to print it out, thanks!
    sally

  6. Thank you John Piper for this post. I especially like reason #1.
    “For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37).

    I read a wonderful article from John Parish (Hebrew4Christians site) and I’d like to share a except that I found VERY helpful about truth.

    …on a Spiritual level, what ultimately changes the heart is God’s salvation. It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no avail. (John 6:62) This salvation is not simply freedom from the penalty of sin but freedom from it’s power. Often, however, we are slow to realize this and God allows us to revisit the various “waste places” of our own lusts until we have become sick of ourselves –“to the bone”. We have to be willing “to give up our sickness”. Usually that means we experience repeated failures unitl and we have “learned from the heart” that the Lord and -the Lord alone is our Healer and Deliverer. Heartache and despair can lead to “godly grief” that leads to genuine repentance in our lifes. (2 Cor 7:10)

    Ultimately, “Salvation is from the Lord” and a brokenness of our spirit is God’s gift to us..”Blessed are the poor in spirit” This word pictures someone crouching as a helpless beggar, totally dependent on God for help. If you are struggling, ask God to help you surrender your “heart sickness” to Him. It’s HIS work, not your own that saves…God alone truly changes the heart. Repentance is a miracle from heaven, given to you personally.

    (Full article at: http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Clear_Thinking/Basic_Concepts/basic_concepts.html )
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There is a battle of kingdoms. God’s truth vs. satan’s lies. Satan would have us believe that truth is relative. In other words truth is what “I” say it is. Satan would have us believe that “we” decisions about what truth is “IS TRUTH”. God graciously brings us back to real truth, again and again until we recognize that HE alone is truth. Until we get that we will remain double minded.

  7. Sorry…correction.

    Satan would have us believe that “our” decisions about what truth is “IS TRUTH”.

  8. Simpy beautiful.
    When I am asked that question, I reply that Christ was born so that He would die to save us and give us a new beginning. A chance to repent, be reborn in Him and live as true sons/daughters of God.
    I’m passing this out to members of my Sunday School class.

  11. Hello Brothers and Sisters In Christ,
    I thank God for all of you and for God who every day supplies not only my physical needs but who delights in all efforts to know Him intimately and personally. As a child of the Most High God I am blessed by Him in seen and unseen ways that delight my soul and affirm in every moment His unending grace and mercy.

    I’d like to request prayers for my adult children. My son, nieces and nephews who encounter earthly attempts by satan to subvert the truth of God, His gospel and the high price He paid to purchase us. Daily these young people are bombarded with satan’s lies. Attempts by the serpent to convince mankind that he can be his own god. I ask for prayer coverage for our young people who I believe are at a much higher risk of deception than was the case when I was a young adult.

    When I was younger I was blessed to live in a country who at least outwardly embraced Judeo-Christian values. We believed in God and country. We did not have to choose one or the other. I lived in a world in which there was a disdain for non-christian attitudes and I was blessed to be surrounded by godly people who would correct you very quickly if you wandered into ungodly philosophies of men.

    This is no longer the case today and I have to confess I am disappointed and angry at churches that do not rise up to refute these ungodly ideas. The church seems to have embraces a misconception that speak no evil means don’t speak. Be silent. Don’t rock the boat. Don’t judge evil. How utterly disappointing. Our country deserves better and we are letting the Lord down preferring to appease heathen ideologies. We tolerate every evil thing and refuse to speak out because we are apathetic.

    I must conclude that satan is winning the battle of ideals due to this cowardice. GET RIGHT CHURCH AND SPEAK HIS TRUTH THAT IS THE ONLY TRUTH! INTOLERANCE OF EVIL IS WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO. WE CAN TOLERATE THE SINNER BUT WE SHOULD NEVER TOLERATE THE SIN.

  12. Out of all the gifts one can receive on Christmas, Christ was truly the greatest gift given to all of us. I appreciate the fact John that you understand this amazing gift of the Lord and his love. Great post and powerful points!

  14. I find it refreshing and encouraging that this famous and extremely well schooled Doctor of Theology has chosen to submit nothing more than a collection of Bible verses for his list of 12 reasons for Christmas. I’ve learned from this example as I’ve learned from the Scripture itself. Thanks John.

  16. How can anyone find blame in someone using the Scripture to make a point? I think any person who reads John Piper’s reasons for Jesus coming to this earth (as they are quoted directly from the Scripture) and finds fault that the author didn’t add a lot of his own thoughts, probably hasn’t accepted the Lord himself/herself.

  17. Of course we celebrate His birth but shouldn’t that be daily. Just as Jesus intensified the 10 commandments shouldn’t any thought/feelings/actions that we may have at Christmas time be everyday. I view Christmas as an opportunity to have more freedom to share Christ to a more accepting audience because of the “season”, but personally I feel convicted regarding my daily walk if I don’t celebrate daily. I don’t want to sound condescending but I do wonder what others may think about the subject. Thanks

  18. Perhaps this will open the eyes of critics about the reasons why Jesus came to the world and why there is the need for us to celebrate His coming. Those who argue about the date of birth are only wasting their time. What is important to me is not the date both the person of person of Jesus. Thank you sir, more anointing and more grace in Jesus name. Amen

  19. These are wonderful suggestions. Though I did post that my husband and I do not ‘celebrate’ Christmas with the world (and don’t have a tree, etc), we DO celebrate that Jesus came, on a daily basis and also gather with my husband’s side of the family, as we are able to witness to them during this ‘season’. What a good suggestion, to give gift of $$ to the church (that which we would have spent on presents, etc)
    Thank you, Charlene!