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NASB | Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Isaiah 9:6 For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [Is 25:1; 40:9-11; Matt 28:18; Luke 2:11] |
Bible Question: Tonight I heard a song on the radio. The lyrics: "Let's all give thanks to the Lord above, 'cause Santa Claus is coming tonight." ...... Tonight I read in Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." ..... There are obviously two Christmases: the Christmas the world celebrates and the Christmas Christians celebrate. Are they compatible? Why or why not? --Hank |
Bible Answer: Hi, Hank; I'm inclined to think that the second (secular) Christmas was inevitable. There are really two aspects of this second Christmas. One is the obvious gross commercialization that has grown up around it. But I don't think that would be as pervasive if it were not for the emotional - even spiritual - dimension of this second Christmas: People who don't know the origin of the words speak longingly of "peace on Earth" and universal goodwill. Even the Coca-Cola company would like to "teach the world to sing in perfect harmony". I think this emotionalism arises out of our nature, created in the likeness of God. C. S. Lewis once observed that there are many religions with tales and myths that resemble events described in the Bible. There are resurrection myths and incarnation myths that preceded the birth of Christ. Critics point to these myths and claim that Christianity borrowed them. Lewis said that these myths arose out of the deepest longings of the human heart; it's no surprise that God, who knows the human heart best, satisfied those longings perfectly in his son, Jesus. Those myths don't undermine the truth of Christianity; they testify to it. I think the secular Christmas continues to speak to these deep desires - even while it fails to know or acknowledge the truth of Jesus' birth. So, yes, they are compatible in some ways. It is the only time of the year that I can think of where the universal desire for peace and hope is universally expressed. When all the beggars in the world are openly starving for bread, we have an opportunity to tell them that it can be found right under their noses. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |