BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Birthday celebration is very popular all over the world.  It is a big event on social media.

Everyday thousands of people celebrate their date of birth. For some it is the only time they look inwards by indulging a treat once in a year. For family and friends it is an occasion to appreciate and honor those who deserve to be honored and appreciated.

The way married men and women use flowery words to describe their spouse on the occasion of their birthday celebration I believe is one of the reasons singles are so anxious to get married.  I hope such accolades are not designed to make one look good in public and camouflage internal wars. Anyway, if you are looking for beautiful adjectives to describe a good person go to birthday announcements.

Unbelievers have one birthday, which they celebrate with gusto. Christians have two birthdays. “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:11 NKJV). Two births, first natural then the spiritual by God.

I have a question for Christians who celebrate their birthday annually or occasionally. As one invested with the power to become a son of God which of your two birthdays do you celebrate? Is it proper for a Christian to celebrate natural birthday only? Or should Christians rather celebrate only their spiritual birthday? Or should Christians celebrate both natural and spiritual birthdays?

Christians should be led in all affairs of life by the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit leads by the Word of God. As it is written “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  (2 Tim 3:16 NKJV)

The bible does not prohibit the celebration of birthday. As a matter of fact, according to the Lord Jesus Christ, it is compulsory for those called by the name of God to celebrate their eventual resurrection. Consequently, you must know what you are celebrating and why you do so. Believe me when I say the foolishness of God is wiser than men. God in His ‘foolishness’ did not disclose the birth date of Jesus Christ, rather the word of God says: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” (Gal 4:4-5)

Jesus in His ‘foolishness’ did not celebrate His natural birthday anniversary, not once; rather, He celebrated His ‘deathday’ once and asked His followers to continue doing that until He comes again. Natural birthday belongs to the past; Holy Communion is a futuristic hope, looking to the future with great expectation.

Christ’s first set of Apostles and those who succeeded them in their ‘foolishness’ did not celebrate the anniversary of their date of natural birth. Instead they took Holy Communion daily from house to house, in obedience to the Lord’s command. “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (Lk 22:19) They remembered His death and resurrection, not His date of birth.

Sometimes it is difficult for the human mind to comprehend the wisdom of God. Jesus said “memorialize” my death, which by extension means the death of every believer in Him.  The day you gave your life to Christ was the day you were born anew. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal 2:20 NKJV).

Every born again Christian died the day he or she repented and was implanted with a Hypostatic Chip. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Rom 6:3) For reasons best known to Him, God hid the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The celebration of date of natural birth looks backwards rather than focusing on now and the future. If you are running a race on the tracts at the Olympic Games and you hear ‘on your marks, get ready’ and the gun is fired and you begin to run, will your mind focus on the starting point or the finish line? Prizes are won in front not at the starting block.

The day you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ was the day you died with the assurance of rising again from the dead to live and reign with Christ forever and that is the day worth remembering. As it is written: “as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” What should be proclaimed is not the Lord’s date of birth, but date of death. It is a celebration of His resurrection from the dead. Resurrection to life is the hope of every serious Christian.

Holy Communion is a remembrance offering. It helps us to remember that we are in the world but not part of it; we are pilgrims and sojourners just passing through. It helps us to focus on the things above and not things below. Nowhere in the Scriptures are Christians required to remember or celebrate the date Jesus was born. God in His infinite wisdom hid the date Christ was born. Jesus was not born on December 25 as some suppose. If we are striving to be like Christ then we must do everything possible to emulate Him and imitate the original Apostles as commanded in the Scriptures.

Every believer is a minister of the gospel of Christ. You have the right to celebrate Holy Communion alone or with your family and friends who are born again. If you don’t know how to administrate Holy Communion by yourself my booklet “HOW TO CONDUCT HOLY COMMUNION AT THE FAMILY ALTAR” will be available for free distribution by mid-November. You can ask for it then.

As a Christian next time you are celebrating birthday be sure to incorporate the ministration of Holy Communion as part of the event. Thank you for reading.

Come, Lord Jesus.