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by Lonnie Fritz
Introduction:
A. The Christmas season has arrived. Trees and lights are up, presents are being bought, and everywhere you hear the songs of the season. Maybe you have had friends ask you what special program your church is going to put on.
B. Since Christmas is practiced by many as religious holiday, it is necessary that we make an investigation concerning this holiday occasion. Here are some questions that we want to answer in our investigation. 1. Should we celebrate Christmas as a birthday celebration for Jesus? 2. Where did Christmas originate? What does the Bible say about this holiday? Is this holiday religious, social or both? 3. Can Christians participate in the observance, in one way or another, of this holiday?
I. The Birth of Jesus and the
Celebration of Christmas
as His Birthday.
A. The Bible does teach about the
birth of Jesus Mt. 1 & 2; Lk 2 (6-14). Many things that are taught are
very true, the rejoicing, the Joy that was brought into the world, etc.
Christians need to rejoice that God loved us so much that He would do such
a great thing for us.
B. Many facts that are
taught in the Bible that do not agree with the Christmas
teaching of today.
1. Date of Jesus'
Birth is not known. Albert Barnes, noted Presbyterian commentator,
says with reference to the shepherds keeping their sheep in the field:
"The climate was mild, and, to keep their flocks from straying they
spent the night with them. It is also a fact that the Jews sent out
their flocks into the mountainous and desert regions during the summer
months, and took them up in the later part of October or the
first of November, when the cold weather
commenced.
While away in these deserts and mountainous regions, it was proper that there should be someone to attend them to keep them from straying. It is probable from this that our Savior was born before the 25th of December, or before what we call Christmas. At that time it is cold, and especially in the high and mountainous regions about Bethlehem. But the exact time of His birth is unknown: there is no way ascertain it." Collier's Encyclopedia concurs with Mr. Barnes when it says: "It is impossible to determine the exact date of the birth of Christ, either from the evidence of the gospels, or from any sound tradition."
2. How many wise men were there? Three? Mt.2:1,2; 11 Doesn't say! (Some have estimated as many as 40) Where did the wise men go to see Jesus? The manger? No! they went into the house! After the days of Mary's purification Lk.2:22-24 (40-50 days), could have been close to two years after Jesus' birth (Mt 2:16).
3. There are other such examples that show the traditions and teaching of men on the subject of the birth of Jesus that do not agree with the inspired teaching of the Bible. These may seem insignificant, but the result is that Jesus' birth becomes folklore instead of truth.
C. Is the celebration of Jesus'
birth each year, a practice God would have us involved in?
1. If God would have wanted
us to celebrate the birth of Jesus in some special significant way, He would
have given us a command, example, or logical conclusion, that we could
read in the New Testament.
2. The religious celebration of Christmas
is not taught in the Gospels, by Jesus in any of his sermons or
teachings to his disciples. Jesus taught many things to His disciples that were
to be a part of the New Testament church, Lord Supper, giving, humility,
evangelism, church discipline, etc. But not once did He tell them to
celebrate his birth.
3. Jesus promised His
apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth and to a remembrance of
ALL things "whatsoever I have said unto you" Jn.14:26, 16:13
and commanded them to observe "all things whatsoever I have
commanded you" Mt.28:19,20
4. The apostles and first century
Christians never observed the birth of Jesus. Nor did they teach
others to observe it-- they didn't even mention it. The only day that is
set apart as a special day in the N.T. is the Lord's day, the first day
of the week, which is to be done every time it happens (every week) Acts 20:7
The Birth of Jesus is a very important Biblical event! Let us never forget this. Let us study, and teach our children about the Creator of the world coming to His creation. We must be amazed at the love of God and Christ for us, that would send Deity to earth so that we can have forgiveness of sins.
We can even sing "Joy
to the World" when we are thinking of the birth of Christ. But, we must also
remember that God has not designated any day that should be set aside to celebrate
the birth of Jesus.
II. If God did not authorize Christmas,
as a celebration of the birth of Jesus, where did it come from?
A. The observance of
Christmas, as a
celebration of the birth of Jesus, was the combination
of Jewish feasts carried over from the law of
Moses, Pagan winter
festivals, and the Roman Catholic Church's celebrating the birth of Christ.
1. Jewish origin:
The Jews had many Holy Days; Passover, Pentecost, feast of trumpets,
feast of Tabernacles, the feast of Dedication, and the Day of Atonement, etc. Many
of the Jews wanted to carry some of these feast over into
Christianity, Gal.4:8-11; Col.2:16,17 One of the popular feast of the Jews is the
feast of lights - feast of Hanukkah meaning dedication, this
also is in the latter part of December.
2. Pagan Origin:
Compton's Encyclopedia: "Old as our Christmas
festival is, many of the
customs and ceremonies associated with it are far older. They got their start
thousands of years before the Christian era, for our pagan forefathers used
to celebrate the winter solstice (which took place the latter part of
December) as the birthday of the sun, The encyclopedia further states,
"Christmas,
it has well been said, is like a big sieve in which everything
that was most beautiful, most significant, most potent, and most lively,
both in Heathendom and in Christianity, remained, while all that was
small and trivial and outlived fell through and blew away. Probably had
great influence in the picking of the Date turning the winter solace the
feast of the SUN into the feast of the birthday of the SON, the Light of the
world."
3. Catholic Origin:
Bishop Liberius of Rome (considered one of the first Popes) in 354 AD. proclaimed Dec.
25th to be Jesus' birthday. "Christmas"
means the mass of
Christ. There are many other connections between the Catholic Church and the
celebration of Christmas
as Jesus' Birthday.
B. Someone may well ask, (they do many times each year) so what if the Bible doesn't say we need to do it, what's the harm in celebrating the birth of Christ each year at this time? 1) It is not authorized by God (Col.3:17) 2) When tradition begins to be mistaken for truth, it becomes vain religion (Mt.15:1-9). 4) To celebrate Christmas, or any other holiday, as a religious holiday, is going beyond what is written 1 Cor 4:6; 2 Jn. 9.
III. Can We Celebrate Christmas
in a Non-religious way?
I have been on both sides of this
issue: When I was growing up, until the age of five, my parents had a Christmas
tree for the family. At that time, someone convinced my father that
any celebration of "Christmas"
was wrong. From that time on, we did
not celebrate "Christmas"
with a tree, or by calling the season, "Christmas."
(We did however, have what we called a "family day.") After I
was grown, I decided I must do a study of this subject for my self. I came to the
conclusions that: 1) There is a religious celebration of Christmas,
and, 2) There is a social celebration of "Christmas."
3) This social part of "Christmas"
is an area of liberty and conscience, that Christians must
come to their own conclusions. (I have also found that I have had more
opportunities to teach people that the Bible does not teach that we should
celebrate the birth of Jesus as holiday, by celebrating "Christmas"
as a custom, and civil holiday, more so than not celebrating at all.) The
following are more conclusions I have come to, based on my own study.
A. My Observations:
1. "Christmas"
has become much more than the religious celebration of the birth of Christ. It has
become a time when, in hustle up, hurry up world, in which we live, friends and
family take a little more time for each other. It has become a time when
the religious, and even non-religious people give more of themselves to others.
(It is my belief that if we did not have this time of the year, that we would
have a lot more biter, selfish people than this world already has.)
2. Differing views and practices
of Christians:
a) Some people do not celebrate
"Christmas"
at all because they "do not want to give the wrong impression to
others" (i.e. that they believe that the birth of Jesus should be
celebrated as a religious holiday).
b) With others, it may truly
violate their conscience to attach any significance to Christmas.
"One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.
Let each be fully convinced in his own mind." ...But he who doubts
is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not
from faith is sin." (Rom 14:5, 23)
c) Still others, allow themselves to be judged by someone else's' conscience. "Conscience," I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience? "1 Cor 10:29"
B. It is an area of Judgment:
1. "Christmas,"
as a civil or social holiday, is a day that I have liberty to come to my own conclusion. Just
as birthdays & holidays (like Thanksgiving, "a day of giving of thanks
to Him from whom all blessings flow") that can be special days, but without
religious significance.
2. Rom.14:1-23, teaches that I
have such liberty.
C. Something's that are
observed by some as having religious significance, and therefore
wrongly, but may be practiced by Christians IF THEY DO SO WITHOUT ANY RELIGIOUS
SIGNIFICANCE.
1. Circumcision: was and
is practiced by the Jews as a religious act. Paul taught that it
was wrong if it was observed religiously Gal
5:1-4, 1:6-12, but not wrong if
performed not religiously. Gal.5:6 Case in point Timothy Acts 16:3 (Gal.2:1-5)
Acts 15:1,5 Judiazers were binding where God had not bound.
2. Washing of hands: Right if
practiced for cleanliness, but wrong if done religiously Mark 7:1-7,
Mt.15:9
3. Meat Sacrificed to idols: Paul
said that the Christians were at liberty to eat as long
as they had no regard for the idol (1 Cor.8:1-13). As long as they
did not make a weak brother stumble. (It has nothing to do with living by another
Christians conscience, i.e. because my brother doesn't think it is right,
therefore I have to live by his conviction.)
4. Paul kept Pentecost but not as
a religious day (Acts 21:17-26 - 21 "Customs"
a. 1 Cor.10:19-22 All thing to
all people -keep their customs.
b. It is just as wrong and
sinful to oppose something which is all right, as it is to promote something which
is wrong! Paul was not against the customs of the Jews.
D. Christmas
as celebrated by many, as the birth of Christ, is not authorized. But, Christmas
as we know it is also a "custom," a civil holiday which we may choose
to celebrate without religious significance.
1. Atheists, Jews,
unbelievers celebrate without religious significance.
2. The United States
government practices separation of church and state, we have no official Religious
holidays, yet Christmas
is a holiday that all government employees get
paid for. I don't even hear the A.C.L.U. gripe about this. What's
the point? It is a holiday with at least two aspects, 1) It is celebrated as a
religious holiday by some, 2) It is also be celebrated as a
"custom," a civil or social holiday. It is possible to celebrate one, and not the other.
3. What about the name "Christmas." It means "Christ-Mass" and suggests religious connotation. But, so do the words: "Holiday" - Holy Day, "Saturday" - Saturn Day, "Sunday" - Sun Day, "Monday" - Moon Day, "January" - Roman god who was patron of beginnings and endings, "San Francisco" - Saint Francisco, Los Angeles -City of Angels (far from that) "Saint Louis", etc. and many, many other words that we use each day. These words all have pagan or religious origin, but we use them all of the time without regard to the etymology of the word.
Conclusion: Can we celebrate Christmas?
1. Christmas
is a religious celebration of the birth of Christ is not authorized by God.
2. Christmas is also a custom, a time when we can get together with friends and family to celebrate a civil, social and family holiday.
Lonnie Fritz
