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The Good News of the Holidays
The spiritual significance of Christmas and Easter
is the very essence of the Gospel -- the Good News of
God's love and gift of eternal life through faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ.
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Christmas
The Incarnation
of Jesus Christ
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Jesus is God's gift of love, celebrated at Christmas.
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for
behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for
all the people; for today in the city of David there has
been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (Luke
2:10, 11).
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Because of the incarnation, Jesus is fully God and
fully man.
God the Father calls His Son “God” in Hebrews 1:8 “But
of the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and
ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His
kingdom.’”
At the same time Christ is fully man. “By this you know
the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (I John 4:3).
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Easter
The Death and Resurrection
of Jesus Christ
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The gospel includes four historical facts (celebrated
at Good Friday and Easter) concerning the God-man Christ
Jesus, the object of saving faith.
“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel, . . .
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to
Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more
than five hundred brethren at one time” (I Corinthians
15:1-6).
1. He died for our sins.
The death of Jesus Christ in our place is God's only
provision for man's sin.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God” (Romans 3:23). “Jesus, because of the suffering of
death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace
of God He might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).
2. He was buried.
The burial testified that His body was really dead.
“And Joseph took the body . . . and laid it in his own new
tomb . . . and he rolled a large stone against the entrance
of the tomb” (Matthew 27:59-60).
3. He rose again on the third day.
“He (Jesus Christ) was delivered over to death for our
sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans
4:25).
4. He was seen by many witnesses.
The record that Jesus was seen by many assures us that
the resurrection was genuine.
“To these He also presented Himself alive, after His
suffering, by many convincing proofs” (Acts 1:3).
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Receive God's Gift
This Christmas
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God's gift of forgiveness and eternal life cannot be
yours until you accept it as an undeserved gift by faith.
You must personally receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and
Lord.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right
to become children of God, even to those who believe in His
name” (John 1:12).
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a
result of works, that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Assurance of Heaven
And the Christian Life
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be
born again to a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which
is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away,
reserved in heaven for you” (I Peter 1:3-4).
To grow in your knowledge of, love for, and obedience
to the Lord God, faithfully read your Bible each day and
pray for understanding. Seek out a church that believes and
preaches God's Word where you can worship, fellowship, and
serve with other Christians.
Christmas and Easter Accounts
You can read these accounts in God's Word in the
following passages:
Christmas: Matthew 1:18 - 2:23; Luke 1:5 - 2:38
Easter: Matthew 26-28; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22-24; John 18-21
For More Information
If you desire further information regarding the gospel
and salvation, please write to Dr. Roger Congdon, Pastoral
Advisor, The Teaching Home, Box 20219, Portland OR 97294.
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