Every home has its Christmas traditions, and ours is no different. We read the first half of the Christmas story before we open the 1 present we each get on Christmas Eve. We conclude the Christmas story on Christmas Day, once again, before we open any presents at all. Our hope is to keep the reason for this day before us all.
Tonight, I watched my son tear into any and all paper that he could find. I laughed and flipped through the forward of the book I was given. The person writing the forward made a point about Acts 11:26 that I had never seen before: the disciples at Antioch were first called Christians. Yeah, we all know that; but notice the language of the verse -- they were called Christians. The term was given to them by outsiders and this was not a moniker they chose for themselves.
This point led me to some examination of the word Christian. The Greek word for Christian is christianos. The last half of this word - ianos - is where we will spend our time tonight. This last part of the word for Christian literally means "slave of a great family." It references the wealthy Roman families that owned multiple slaves and that a specific slave could be easily identified with a specific Roman family.
Is this not a great picture of what we as Christians are to be? We are members of a greater family than our own whose wealth is more than all the gold of this world. Should not an unsaved person be able to observe our lives and immediately identify us with Christ? Unfortunately, our lukewarm Christianity in America has blurred the lines between the holy and profane. We have not followed I John 2:15 and do love much of this world and its offerings instead of the One that created it all.
Let's return back to that nickname give to the disciples in Antioch -- Christians. Knowing that this name literally means "a slave of Christ" and carried an implication that they were "easily identified with Christ," we impose our interpretation of the word upon it instead of looking at the culture of that time. This term - Christian - very well may have served two purposes: as a mocking term and a means to an end.
(1) Mocking term: those who did not believe in Christ rejected His claim as Messiah; so to reinforce their unbelief AND mock the disciples, they chose a term that is supposed to refer to a individuals bound to a wealthy and prestigious family. You can almost hear their sarcasm as they called the disciples "slaves to the great family of Christ."
(2) Means to an end: the Roman emperor was to be the individual served and worshiped; so using this term would clearly identify those who did not worship the Roman ruler. Therefore, being called a Christian and worshiping Christ was to risk being persecuted for your lack of faith in the earthly Caesar. Take a look at 1 Peter 4:12-16 to get some additional information about Christians knowing and understanding the risks of persecution.
As we celebrate the day where Jesus Christ came to this earth for all mankind, let's recommit to loving Him as He loved us -- supremely. If we choose to love the world more than God, then the last part of I John 2:15 applies to us -- the love of the Father is not in us. Never forget that Jesus told us to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). Simply put, every facet of our being is to be devoted solely to loving Him more than anything else. If we do that, others will notice a difference and will identify us with Christ.
As I conclude, consider the lyrics to two Christmas songs - a classic and a modern one. The classic song is "Joy to the World" and note this phrase: "the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king. Let every heart prepare Him room." The modern song is "While You Were Sleeping" and here's the phrase: "Bethlehem, you'll go down in history as a city with no room for its king, while you were sleeping."
The obvious question of both is simple: have you prepared your heart for Jesus or have you occupied it with a love for other things so that you are sleeping while He is waiting to get in? By opening your heart to Him, you can have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
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