From the beginning of recorded history, mankind has sought to become gods. The primitives trusted the power of magic to control or bend the powers of the world to their will. They trusted the spirits of nature to set their spirits free at the end of life just as their spirits were set free through dreams during periods of sleep.
In Egypt successive pharaohs called themselves “son of Ra,” the sun god. In life, the sun was their “father.” In death, the sun became their immortal life. What was good for the pharaoh soon became good for the commoner. Merry in life and joyful in death, that was the goal. Food and drink were buried with the departed to tend to the physical needs in the other life.
The Greeks called their chief god Zeus. The Romans called him Jupiter. Both cultures shared a pantheon of gods although addressed by different names. Both sought to enlist the favor of a god or goddess in life and to court that favor into becoming gods themselves. Some rulers thought themselves so powerful they perceived to attain immortality by their own strength.
A religion arose in India that promised oneness with the immortal force of the universe called Brahma. That state was called Nirvana. The religion was Hinduism. The religion took many forms but its binding requirement was that one abide by the rules of the caste into which one was born and trust that by so doing, the next birth would be a happier one until, at last, one attained the blessed state.
From Hinduism sprang Buddhism with its eight noble paths to Nirvana. Right belief, right purpose, right speech, right conduct, right means of livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right meditation would lead one progressively to absorption with the power of the universe.
The Chinese were captivated by the orderliness of the universe. Their emphasis was on harmony, integration and cooperation which, they believed, led to peace, prosperity and health. This orderliness existed before the universe and only the perverseness of men and demonic beings that refused to adjust themselves to it, prevented the principle from being self-evident.
This principle was called the Tao. If it were followed everywhere, heaven, earth and mankind would form a single harmonious unit of universal well-being. “He who attains Tao is everlasting,” the Chinese taught. The faith holds that one of its leaders attained Tao and became a river spirit, another a mountain spirit, another soared upon the clouds of heaven and so forth.
Confucianism is considered by many to be more of a philosophy than a religion but Confucianism finds its base in the understanding of Tao. Its founder, Confucius, participated in the worship life of Taoism throughout his life. His teachings of the five great relationships were based on the principles of harmony and cooperation. They provided the key to stability in this world and the hope for the next world, Confucius held.
In the Middle East, Islam arose. The goal was not for adherents to become gods but to obtain immortality by faithfully fulfilling their religious duty. That duty began with the repetition of the creed “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.” Regular prayers, almsgiving, keeping the fast during a special cycle of the moon called Ramadan and a pilgrimage to Mecca completed the duties.
In America, the Mormon faith continued man’s efforts to obtain immortality. While using Christian terms, Mormonism holds that by right works and right ceremonies, the faithful will become gods and reign over their own worlds in the life to come.
Throughout history the world’s major religions have mankind trying to reach God by man’s own efforts. Throughout history the world’s major religions have mankind attempting to earn eternity by man’s own deeds.
The one exception to this worldwide phenomenon is Christianity. Other religions teach man must reach up to God. Christianity teaches God reaches down to man. Other religions teach man must earn everlasting life. Christianity teaches God offers eternal life as a gift to all who will accept it.
Philippians 2:5 ff. explains that Jesus of Nazareth existed in the form of God before His birth. John 1 expounds this truth by saying that “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”
Philippians teaches that Jesus did not regard “equality with God a thing to be grasped.” Instead, Jesus “emptied” Himself. He was made in the likeness of men. John adds “and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Philippians explains the purpose of Jesus’ coming with these words: “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
The chapter concludes with the promise that “He who believes in the Son has eternal life.” Philippians continues with the promise that a day is coming when “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow … and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
This season of the year, Christians celebrate Christianity’s great exception. This Christmas season we celebrate God reaching down to mankind and offering eternal life through the birth of Jesus, our Savior and Lord.
Celebration alone is not enough. For God’s gift of eternal life to be a reality in one’s life, one must “believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31). John wrote “whoever believes in Him should not perish” and “he who believes in the Son has eternal life.”
Belief is a personal matter. It is one’s own decision. Do you believe in Jesus? That is the only way to salvation. That is the only real reason to celebrate Christmas.
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