PASTORAL CHAT
My dear Readers
Before C K Tang became a hotel there was written “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” on its wall. Some passerby commented, “That must be done by some quirks”.
How could that be? The wall belonged to C K Tang and if anyone has it, it was from C K Tang himself. C K Tang himself rejoiced to see those words on his wall and God has blessed him.
When I saw those words I also rejoiced because they were God’s amnesty to mankind, and I needed it.
Today C K Tang has become a hotel but the words are no more because the old man is no more.
But we all need it. How about you?
We come to Church even tonight for Christmas Eve. We have so many items of praise. Why?
Your affectionate pastor
T. T.
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Holy Night, Humble Night
by Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo
When was Christ Born?
We are living in the period called AD (ie, Anno Domini, “in the year of the Lord [Jesus Christ]”). The period before AD is called BC (“Before Christ”). On the basis of the terms BC and AD, people think that Christ must be born in AD 1. This is incorrect. Christ could not have been born in AD 1. Matthew 2:1 tells us that Christ was born at the time when Herod the Great was king. But by AD 1, Herod was no longer alive for he died in 4 BC. Moreover, Luke 2:2 tells us that Christ was born at the time when Cyrenius conducted a census. This census occurred in 5 BC. Jesus thus was not and could not be born in AD 1!
Christ was born in 5 BC, and not AD 1. How did this discrepancy come about? This discrepancy was due to Dionysius’ (a Scythian monk) miscalculation when he prepared a standard calendar for the Western Church. In Dionysius’ calendar, January 1, 754 AUC (Anno Urbis Conditae, ie, “from the foundation of the city of Rome”) became AD 1. This became a problem because later research showed that Herod the Great (cf Matt 2:1) died in 750 AUC, ie, 4 BC. How could Jesus be born at a time when Herod was already dead? This contradicts the historical records of Scripture which tell us that Jesus was born when Herod was still alive. Thus, Jesus could not have been born in AD 1 (so Dionysius), but sometime before Herod’s death (ie, 4 BC) according to the Scriptures.
Now, exactly when was Jesus born? Jesus must have been born within two years prior to Herod’s death. This we gather from Matthew 2:7 which tells us that after Herod had ascertained the time of the star’s appearance, he commanded the execution of all the baby boys two years old and below (Matt 2:16). Thus, Jesus must have been born sometime between 6-4 BC. We know that John the Baptist was conceived in the womb of Elizabeth six months before Mary became pregnant with Jesus (Luke 1:36). The difference in age between John and Jesus was only six months. Luke 3:1 tells us that John began his ministry in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Tiberius became ruler in AD 11. The 15th year would bring us to AD 26 as the inaugural year of John’s baptismal ministry when he reached the age of 30. In keeping with Luke 3:23, Jesus would also be about 30 years old that year since he was only six months younger than John. This would thus make 5 BC the year of Christ’s birth.
Jesus was born in a little town called Bethlehem (cf Mic 5:2). He was born not in a palace but in a stable, and His bed was not a cradle of silk but a manger of straw. It was a very lowly and humble birth for One who is Himself the Son of God and King over all. The Apostle Paul drew from the incarnation of Christ an important lesson on humility: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil 2:3-8). His lowly birth reveals the life He was going to live—the life of a lowly slave. Jesus Himself said, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He came not to be served, but to serve. For our sake He came. He was born to die, to save us from our sins.
Why was Christ Born?
On the night when Christ was born, the shepherds came to see the baby Jesus. The birth of Christ was announced to them by the angel of the Lord who appeared to them while they were watching over their sheep. The angel brought a wonderful piece of news from heaven: “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). Then appeared a great company of angels praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). What is this “peace” and “good will?” The peace that came with the birth of Christ is certainly not a general, outward peace between men. Jesus Himself said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matt 10:34). When Christ was born, Herod went on a rampage and massacred all babies two years and below (Matt 2:16). There was no peace. This peace that the angels proclaimed had to be the special, inward peace that results from a reconciliation of man to God in Christ Jesus. Paul spoke of this in Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: … being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Rom 5:1, 9, 10). Christ our Mediator has saved us not only by His death but also by His life. Christ earned the righteousness of God for us when He lived a perfect life on earth in fulfilment of the Law (Matt 5:17-18). The peace of God that comes from Christ is the result of Christ imputing His righteousness on us when we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour.
The “good will” that the angels referred to is not man’s but God’s good will. It is because of God’s will that we can receive His peace. The KJV rightly translates it as “good will toward men.” This good will that is towards men originates from God. God is the source of peace. God’s peace is a free gift. It is purely by His mercy that sinful men are bestowed His peace. Since salvation is purely by His grace, only He can boast when sinners are saved, and that is why to Him and Him alone the glory belongs. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:6-8).
Philippians 2:8 reveals that the Lord Jesus took the form of a man in order to die for our sins: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Galatians 4:4-5 sheds additional light that Jesus became man not only to die but also to live for us: “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.” Jesus kept the law perfectly in His life to redeem us. It is important to understand that we are saved by the two-fold obedience of Christ—He saved us not only by dying (ie, passive obedience), but also by living (ie, active obedience) for us.
What is the Spirit of Christmas?
The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of humility. The birth of Christ was not witnessed by the high and mighty, but the meek and lowly. The angels brought the wonderful news of the birth of Jesus not to the kings, but to the shepherds. The Lord Himself was born not in a palace, but in a stable, and laid in a manger. Why such an ignominious entrance and visitation? God intended right from the start to have all know that His good will and peace are given only to those who humble themselves before the Lord Jesus Christ who had humbled Himself for them.
It is from the Lord’s self-effacing example that Paul drew inspiration to exhort the Philippians to be humble: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil 2:5-8).
Let us come and worship our humble Saviour tonight. Silent night, holy night … humble night.
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