A CNN headline says, "Obama delivers very Christian message at Christmas tree lighting". Here is the report on the essence of what he said:
In his remarks at Thursday's tree lighting, Obama said that Jesus "grew up to become a leader with a servant’s heart who taught us a message as simple as it is powerful: that we should love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves."
"So long as the gifts and the parties are happening, it’s important for us to keep in mind the central message of this season," he said, "and keep Christ’s words not only in our thoughts, but also in our deeds."Unfortunately this (the CNN headline and Obama's words) continues to propagate what almost everyone seems to think about the essence of Christianity. And that is this: It all boils down to just following the rules.
Look at Obama's comments. What is the "central message of this season"? It all boils down to obedience to God's commands.
But the essence of Christianity is precisely the opposite. We need a Savior because we CAN'T obey his commands as we should. You'll only love the real Jesus of Christmas if you acknowledge that you have a real need to be saved from something. Namely his righteous wrath of God that has to be poured out on sin.
Mark 1:15 says that the essence of Jesus' message is to "repent and believe". Repent of your failure and believe in the one who was sent to be the substitute for you. Belief in this "good news" is the power to change. This realization takes your feet off the performance treadmill of trying to achieve your right standing through obedience to "Christmas good deeds" and places them securely on ground that doesn't move. You don't have to run on the treadmill anymore. Jesus ran it for you. His victory is now your victory. Just come to him. Admit your need, receive his pardon from your sin, trust him to satisfy the deepest longings of your soul, and feel the motivation to love and obey him because of what he did for you.
That is the "Christian" message. The CNN headline got it wrong. Everyone around us (church people and those outside the church) probably believes the CNN headline. Are you telling them the difference?
4 comments:
While I agree with you that what he said is not the Christian message, it is a Christian message since the President essentially quotes Jesus
I usually like what you have to say, but I think you missed it on this one.
Taken out of context (i.e., CNN blurb), it is possible to surmise that Obama is saying the "central message of this season" is obedience to God's commands.
But, in context, (i.e., full transcript) I think it's clear that he is saying the central message of the season is not "gifts and parties", but rather the "manifestation of God's love" (Obama's words) in the birth of Jesus.
This is the perfect example of why this is the most politically polarizing time in history. We would all do better to try to rise above this over-analysis of a sound byte.
Shame on you. How many of our Presidents in their official speeches have ever emphasized, for example, the atoning death of Jesus?
Even the lighting of the CHRISTIAN Christmas tree ("the National Christmas tree") should be presented, so far as possible, as inclusively as possible.
Everyone should read the full transcript and watch the full video on this. Everyone can also read Obama's chapter on Faith in The Audacity of Hope and his descriptions of how he came to accept Christ in Dreams From My Father. Also his remarks at the last Prayer Breakfast. Obama has clearly stated that he accepted the Jesus "who died for my sins."
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