Post hoc ergo propter hoc (Latin: “after this, therefore because of this”)

These past few devotionals have been aimed at the coming Christmas season. I have been wondering what to follow up with after this trip down memory lane. Post hoc means after this and it spurred a memory of which this quote was given and the associated meaning. It is called a logic fallacy. The inference being that everything that happens after an event is caused by an event. When it comes to Christmas I must disagree with the label of logic fallacy. In this case I believe everything that happened afterwards is caused by this one event.

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

If you believe as I do that Jesus is the Christ, sent of God, died on the Cross, was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits upon the throne, then He is heir to all things. The only way this could happen is if the first event caused all the others. The ergo propter hoc, therefore because of this, is because He came with power and purpose.

The prophets proclaimed His coming with purpose. The angels herald His coming with purpose.

Matthew 1:20-23 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 27:29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

The prickly leaves of the holly represent the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified. The berries are the drops of blood that were shed by Jesus because of the thorns.

In Scandinavia, it is known as the Christ Thorn.

In pagan times, Holly was thought to be a male plant and Ivy a female plant. An old tradition from the Midlands of England says that whichever one was brought into the house first over winter, tells you whether the man or woman of the house would rule that year! But it was unlucky to bring either into a house before Christmas Eve.

I see some Christmas traditions that really are not about the birth of Christ but rather His death. That might seem a little out of place but how many of us can say that we were born with that kind of purpose? Christ had to be born in order that all the scriptures could be fulfilled. He could not die for our sins without being born. More than that, and this is the part that bothers everyone outside the Body of Christ, He had to be God. There is no way that the blood of man has the power to enforce God’s covenant.

Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Psalms 32:5 I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;