Return to 4th Quarter 2023 articles.

HOLIDAYS CHRISTIANS
CELEBRATE

At Easter, we celebrate the resurrection from the dead of a man Christians believe to be God's Son. Believers have a reason to celebrate Easter because he died for our sins to reconcile us to God and then conquered death for us. Some Christians celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's Son, every Lord's Day, Sunday, as we partake of the Lord's Supper. That is because it is the day Jesus rose from the grave, and the early Christians came together to worship God and have Communion on that day.

Jesus gave us the Communion, or Lord's Supper, before he was crucified (Luke 22:17-20; Mark 14:22-24; Matthew 26:26-28). The apostle Paul taught it to the early church in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. The Lord’s Supper was observed every Lord’s day by disciples who came together to worship God and remember what Jesus had done for them.

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, God in human form (John 1:1-14). Although December 25th was not the day Jesus was born, and many people celebrate Christmas for other reasons, it is still a time when we remember the birth of Christ. In a way, Christians remember the birth of Jesus every time we celebrate the Lord's Supper because it reminds us that he surrendered his physical body to crucifixion on the cross. He was, at the same time, a human man and proven to be the Son of God. Only he could atone for our sins because he was sinless (John 3:16, 17).

Another holiday that reflects the heart of Christianity is Thanksgiving. It is a day set aside to be thankful for what we have. Even though this holiday has taken on a secular flavor, being thankful for all of our blessings is at the heart of Christianity. We thank God for sending his Son to save us. We thank God for being with us. We thank God for our material blessings, for the blessing of family and friends, and for health. Most importantly, as Christians, we thank God for our spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

— Cynthia Clayton

Picture credit:
© Julie Marcussen

Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.