(By David Giarrizzo)

We read in Luke 2:22-38 that Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph, took their son to the temple in Jerusalem according to the Law of Moses to have him consecrated before the Lord. In that day, the temple would have been a very busy place with people coming and going. But in his account Luke mentions only two individuals who noticed the baby Jesus and understood the significance of his presence. They were Simeon and Anna.

It’s amazing to think that out of the crowds of people at the temple that day, only two besides Mary and Joseph knew Jesus was there. In that sea of religious people, amidst the busyness of that place, only Simeon and Anna stopped to notice, only two paused to worship the Christ. How convicting that should be to those of us who get so caught up in the silly little details of the holiday season—the planning and shopping, the decorating and cooking, the wrapping and travelling and eating (and eating and eating!!). There are plenty of aspects of the holidays to distract us from the purpose of our celebration. But like Simeon and Anna, we should never let anything around us take our focus off of Christ.

And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:38

We read further in Luke 2 that the aged widow Anna who was at the temple that day not only noticed the baby Jesus, but she thanked the Lord for Him before others and told others about Him. She had bold faith that cared not for the feelings and beliefs of others, but cared for their souls. She was an evangelist in the most religious place in Jerusalem. She knew Jesus as her Messiah and she worshipped Him by thanking publicly and telling others about him. Here is what Luther says about Anna’s faith:

Now faith and the knowledge of Christ cannot be silent. They break forth and testify, so that others may be helped and receive the light. …Faith is too kind and bountiful to keep all such treasures to itself. But when it speaks it is persecuted…yet it does not care and goes right ahead. And who knows how Anna was treated! But perhaps they spared her on account of her age and sex, and simply despised her as a silly fool. Otherwise her life would hardly have been preserved, because she proclaimed such error and heresy, declaring of Christ such marvelous things, in opposition to all the doctrines and systems of the learned priests and teachers of the law. …For if we speak of the redemption of Christ we declare that they are bound in sin and blindness. This however is too much for these great saints, to be called blind sinners! Therefore they cannot endure hearing anything of Christ and his redemption, and consequently they condemn it as a dangerous error and a diabolical heresy.

Therefore, let us imitate Anna and proclaim the Christ of the Bible unashamedly in the face of other religions. Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Islam all teach a different message about Christ. Remember the words of Christ Himself in Matthew 10:32: “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven.” Even parts of “evangelicalism” are missing the point when it comes to the Gospel of Christ. This is even more reason for us to be humbly thankful that Christ has revealed Himself to us sinners. In response to His love for us, our attitude of gratefulness should bear fruit through our actions as we speak to others about Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of men.

This time of year provides many opportunities for most of us to share our thankfulness to God for sending His Son, Jesus. May we not be like most of society and miss the importance of Christmas. And as we enter another new calendar year, let us make it our top priority, our most important resolution, to be visibly thankful for our blessed Savior with boldness in telling others of Christ.

(By Chad Bennett)

When I am not listening to class lectures or sermons in my car, I will often listen to the local Christian music stations. More and more this has been a source of frustration in my life. I do not know if I have become more cynical or if the music really has become that bad. The majority of the music, at best, gives nothing substantial and, at worse, presents heresy.

Christians are to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Where is the music in which Christ is shown richly and that teaches and admonishes fellow Christians?

This was brought into sharp contrast when I recently broke out an old Caedmon’s Call disc. While Caedmon’s Call often dealt with Christian living in their lyrics, they also sang of great doctrinal truths. I have included the following as a sampling of their lyrics:

“Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart.
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground
And weep for the praise of the mercy I’ve found…

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own
In the covenant love of Thy crucified Son.
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine.”

(From “Thy Mercy” written by John Stocker 1776)

How often do you hear a song that deals with the doctrine of election in popular Christian music? The following is from Caedmon’s Call’s song, “Thankful”:

“’Cause no, there is none righteous
Not one who understands
There is none who seek God
No not one, I said no not one…

‘Cause we’re all stillborn and dead in our transgressions
We’re shackled up to the sin we hold so dear
So what part can I play in the work of redemption
I can’t refuse, I cannot add a thing

‘Cause I am just like Lazarus and I can hear your voice
I stand and rub my eyes and walk to You
Because I have no choice

I am thankful that I’m incapable
Of doing any good on my own (repeat)

‘Cause by grace I have been saved
Through faith that’s not my own
It is a gift of God and not by works
Lest anyone should boast”

I present Caedmon’s Call as but one example of groups that present solid Biblical truths in their music, there are, no doubt, others. Unfortunately, it seems that these groups are in the minority. We live in a culture that has made popular Christian music a means of teaching, and many Christians are more influenced by what they hear on the radio than what they hear from the pulpit. Oh, that God’s truth would be proclaimed boldly in every area of our lives!