Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?

THE NATIVITY OF JESUS

__________________________________________________________
Should Christians celebrate the Birth of
Jesus Christ?
All Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise indicated.

Compiled & Edited by

Pastor Joseph Fenech Laudi

 Cornerstone Pentecostal Church 

99, National Road

Blata l-Bajda l/o Hamrun

Malta

Phone: +356 9989 3347
Email: info@cornerstone.org.mt

Website: http://www.cornerstone.org.mt

Table of Contents

Foreword ............................................................... 1

Introduction ............................................................ 2

The Incarnate Christ .................................................. 3

The Birth of Christ .................................................... 4

Great Joy To All People ............................................... 5

Celebrating The Birth of Christ ...................................... 5

Objections Against the celebration of Christmas ................. 7

A Final Word ......................................................... 16

Foreword

 Should Christians celebrate Christmas? Or rather, How should a Christian celebrate Christmas?  These are questions of concern for many sincere believers. In fact, many believers dislike the season and have refused to celebrate it at all. A number of reasons are given, and while I might agree with some of their concerns and some of the reasons offered against the observance of Christmas, I would not necessarily agree with their conclusions.

One day I happened to catch a TV preacher denouncing the celebration of Christmas. He was saying it is pagan holiday, and that Christ could not have born in December. He used some Old Testament passages to show how the Christmas tree was idolatrous and an abomination.

 He quoted Jeremiah 10:2-4 which reads:

Thus says the LORD, "Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter. Jeremiah 10:2-4 NASB.

Then he quoted Isaiah 44:14-15:

Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak, and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image, and falls down before it. Isaiah 44:14-15 NASB.

Finally, he quoted Jeremiah 3:13:

Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God And have scattered your favours to the strangers under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,‘ declares the Lord. Jeremiah 3:13 NASB.

It seems that the points of reference for this preacher were to "wood cut from the forest," "they decorate it with silver and gold," "he plants a fir" (an evergreen tree), "scattered your favours . . . under every green tree," and "falls down before it." The preacher went on to say, that at Christmas people take an evergreen tree cut from the forest; they decorate it with ornaments of silver and gold, and then fall down before it when they place their presents under the tree. His conclusion was that this is idolatry.

If this weren't so sad, it would be hilarious, but sincere people hear this and become concerned. As a pastor, I have had people ask me questions such as, "Are we wrong to celebrate Christmas?" "Is this idolatry?" "What should we do about celebrating Christmas?"

It is this mentality that is addressed in this study. How should believers respond to such questions and to the criticism levelled against the celebration of Christmas and the Christmas season? Is it scripturally wrong to celebrate Christmas? Is it pagan?

Everywhere we go during the season, the signs of Christmas are there with all their glitter, tinsel, lights, greenery, cards, festivities, carols, bells, Santas, manger scenes, angels, trees and presents--and the push by Madison Avenue and the gimmicks of the retailers. The Christmas season either makes or breaks many businesses.

Should we play the part of Scrooge and say, "bah humbug!"? Should we call attention to the fact that certain of our Christmas traditions such as the yule log, the decorated tree, and mistletoe each have their roots in pagan festivals? Should we assert that to celebrate Christmas is to promote paganism and materialism and thus is just not the biblical thing to do?

I personally do not agree with that conclusion. In this short study, some of the arguments and issues are considered and so are some of the biblical options open to us as believers.

 J. Hampton Keathley, III Th.M.

Introduction

 Every year as December approaches there are those who look forward to the Christmas season while others dread even the mention of the name! Those who look forward to it sometimes go overboard in the way they celebrate Christmas while those who shun it go to the opposite extreme where they act as prophets of “doom and gloom!” These see Christmas as rooted in paganism and as a result are blinded to the actual event that Christmas is or rather should be all about.

To the sincere Christian Christmas should be an event where the Birth of Christ is remembered and celebrated in a way that acknowledges the fact that Jesus came into the world as a human babe to eventually grow up to be the Saviour of the world. This is commonly known as the doctrine of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, where Diety put on  human flesh.  "Every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ  has come in the flesh is not of God and it is the spirit of the antichrist."  1 John 4:3.  The Birth of Christ is rooted in the Holy Scriptures and not in paganism. What has happened is that a lot of worldly things have crept into this Joyous event. It does not mean that every tradition that attached itself to the Christmas season is inherently bad or evil but the true Christian must be careful not to celebrate Christmas in such a way that it becomes so worldly that it looses its real meaning.

In the world we live in today we have inherited so many customs, traditions and words from paganism. In spite of this fact most of these have lost their pagan influence or significance and today simply mean a totally different thing. An example is the English word God. The word God to us refers to the Supreme Being, the Creator of heaven and earth yet the word God comes from pagan origin.

The following information on the origin of the word God will help to understand why it is used in the English vernacular.

GOD - The English word God is identical with the Anglo-Saxon word for “good,” and therefore it is believed that the name God refers to the divine goodness. (See Oehler's Theol. of Old Test.; Strong's and Young's concordances.) (From New Unger's Bible Dictionary) (Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright (C) 1988.)

Further information on the source of our word for God is listed below:

Word origin: God - Our word god goes back via Germanic to Indo-European, in which a corresponding ancestor form meant “invoked one.” The word’s only surviving non-Germanic relative is Sanskrit hu, invoke the gods, a form which appears in the Rig Veda, most ancient of Hindu scriptures: puru-hutas, “much invoked,” epithet of the rain-and-thunder god Indra. (From READER’S DIGEST, Family Word Finder, page 351) (Originally published by The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., Pleasantville New York, Montreal; Copyright (C) 1975)

So the word that we use for the Supreme Being, God, comes from a very pagan origin. Thus the word God is used generically by many different religions to refer to their deity or “invoked one.” The point is that in spite of the fact that the word God is of pagan origin we do not think twice to use it. To us it has a different meaning to what it originally meant and so we continue using it without any qualms.

In this compilation on Christmas I have mingled my thoughts with those of the late J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M to produce a work that will help bring balance to the two extremes. It is my prayer that those who desire to celebrate Christmas will do so in a way that will bring honour to Almighty God and that they will not feel judged by those who are uncomfortable in celebrating this great event.

 Joseph Fenech Laudi

 The Incarnate Christ

 God loves us very much and wants to bless us. He does not want us to be lost but it is His utmost desire that all men and women, whoever they may be or wherever they are, to be saved. Man was created by God and lived in perfect harmony with Him in the Garden of Eden. In time man (Adam and Eve) broke his intimate relationship with God by disobeying God’s command and instead he gave his allegiance to Satan. Disobedience is an act of rebellion and so it is sin. It was this sin that separated sinful man from a Holy God. As a result of the fall of Adam and Eve their offspring were born with a fallen nature and as a consequence we all were born into this world inclined towards evil. We like our first parents, all have sinned and as a result we are separated from God. Yet God did not forsake His creation and amazingly, even before He created the world He devised a plan to redeem mankind back to Himself. This plan is known as the Plan of Salvation.

He (God) chose us in Him (Jesus) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.  Ephesians 1:4.

He (Jesus) indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.  1 Peter 1:20.

Before the birth of Jesus, for hundreds of years through his prophets, God had promised a Saviour to save us from our sins. To fulfil His promise, God Himself took on human flesh and became a man, Jesus Christ. He emptied Himself wilfully from His pre-incarnate glory that He shared with the Triune God before the act of creation. The Bible tells us that He left heaven’s glory and entered this world as a baby born of a virgin Jewish woman whose name was Mary about 2000 years ago in the land of Israel. Jesus is called the Son of God and His mission was to die in our place so that we would be redeemed from the curse and judgement of sin and be restored back to enjoying close fellowship with our Creator.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6.

…Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-7.

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.  1 Timothy 3:16.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us).  Isaiah 7:14.

The Birth of Christ

The message of Jesus’ birth was thrust upon a group of astonished and startled men. The need of a Saviour was probably furthest from their minds in the quiet peace of the Palestinian night. Yet this message was very clearly for them individually as well as collectively. Curiosity, if nothing else, made them hurry into town to see what it was all about and they found it just as they had been told.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.  Matthew 1:18-25.

So it was, that while they (Joseph and Mary) were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to ALL people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. Luke 2:6-18.

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 

Luke 2:20-21.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."…When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Matthew 2:1-2; 2:10-11.

Great Joy To All People

 In Luke chapter 2 the angels declared that they brought glad tidings (good news) of great joy to ALL people. We know from the Scriptures that the whole world was affected by the coming of Jesus into this world. The birth of Jesus brought joy to those who loved the light but turmoil to the devil and his followers. We must realise that Jesus came into this world of ours to bring us to the Light so we can enjoy abundant living and not be enslaved by the enemy of our soul – Satan!

In Him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (take hold of) it. He (John the Baptist) was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light (Jesus). That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 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. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:4-14.

The thief (devil) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  John 10:10.

…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. John 3:8.

Celebrating The Birth of Christ

 The devil tried all he could to destroy Jesus even as a little baby boy but the Holy Spirit protected Him. For the devil the birth of Jesus Christ meant his downfall, and he hated this event and even today he still does, and tries to stop men and women from remembering and celebrating this joyous event.

 How does he do it? He uses two ways. First and foremost he managed to corrupt the Nativity of Christ by influencing unbelieving men and women to take ‘the Birth of Christ’ out of the picture and instead putting Santa Clause as the central figure of this event commonly known as Christmas. In doing so he renders the powerful message of the coming of Jesus into the world as ineffective. Secondly, he influences Christians either by celebrating Christmas in a worldly and traditional fashion or by completely ignoring this Joyful event by influencing other believers not to celebrate it at all! Most cults do not celebrate the Birth of Christ and they vehemently attack this event. Unfortunately even some Christian denominations team up with these cults to oppose such a glorious event! It is interesting to note that most of these Christian churches and their leaders that do not celebrate the Nativity of Christ also oppose the Baptism and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as being for the Church today!

 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

Matthew 2:16.

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child (Jesus) and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  Matthew 2:19-20.

True Christians need to bring in a balance which honours the Birth of Christ in a worthy manner. It is indeed possible to celebrate Christmas in a way that reflects the attitude that the shepherds had when they saw Jesus! They spread the word about the Christ, and glorified and praised God for the promised Saviour. Jesus is still today the promised Saviour for those who would welcome Him into their hearts and be Born Again!

Are we, as Christians taking advantage of this event by spreading the Good News of the real reason of why Jesus came into the world, or are we simply collaborating with the enemy of man’s soul and viciously attacking the Birth of Christ, thus forfeiting the possibility of reaching lost souls with the Good News!? Some believers, by standing against the celebration of the Birth of Christ, are compromising the Biblical truths about the birth of our precious Saviour!

Now when they (the shepherds) had seen Him, they spread the word…about this Child (Jesus)...(They) returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen.

Luke 2:17, 20.

Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

Psalm 96:2.

How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"  Isaiah 52:7.

Objections Against the

Celebration of Christmas

To answer the various objections raised against the celebration of Christmas I will use the excellent article written by the late J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M.  I have emphasised and slightly edited this article to draw attention to the reader some salient points.  Mr. Hampton was a 1966 graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and a former pastor of 28 years. He wrote many articles for the Biblical Studies Foundation and on occasion taught New Testament Greek at Moody Bible Institute, Northwest Extension for External Studies in Spokane, Washington. In August of 2001 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and on August 29th, 2002 he went home to be with the Lord.

Objection Number 1:

Christmas is Commercialised and Materialistic

It is said that because the birth of Christ has been commercialised and secularised the real meaning of the season has been lost. For the most part this is true. Even the story about the birth of Christ is often distorted, mocked, or misrepresented. The meaning of Christmas is said to be the spirit of giving. However, the giving of the Son of God who became the babe of the cradle that He might become the man of the cross, and one day reign on earth with the crown is forgotten, rejected, or ignored.

Answers and Considerations:

If we use this argument as a legitimate reason for discarding the entire celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas, it would follow that we would end up having to throw out everything—even our Bibles, and our wives or husbands. Why? Because Satan and man distort and ruin everything in life—the Bible, sex, marriage, the church, food—everything. Name one thing that Satan doesn't ruin. We don't throw things out just because the world misuses or distorts them.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Paul says, "abstain from every form of evil" (NASB). Because of the translation of the KJV, "every appearance of evil," some have taken this to apply to anything that even looks like it might be evil. As the NASB translation make clear, however, Paul's meaning is "to abstain from every genuine form of evil," not what might simply appear to be evil. We are to abstain from what is genuinely evil or wrong according to the index of the Word of God. To abstain from the mere appearance of evil would seem to contradict what the Apostle says in the second passage important to this discussion.

In Titus 1:15 the Apostle also warns against those who see evil in almost anything and condemn it. For these people, a lot of things have the appearance of evil, but purity is first of all a matter of the mind and conscience, not merely the external. "To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled." (NASB).

Just because the world distorts something, that does not make it evil if we avoid the distortions and use it as God intended or in a way that does not go contrary to God's character and holiness. A good illustration is the beauty of sexual love within the bonds of marriage.

Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. Titus 1:15 NLT.

Objection Number 2:

Scripture Doesn't Authorize It

The argument is that since we are not clearly authorized by the Bible to celebrate the birth of Christ during such a season, we should have no celebrations or even special services to commemorate the birth of Christ. On the other hand, Scripture does tell us to remember His death in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and we celebrate His resurrection by assembling on the first day of the week, but there is no precedent for celebrating His birth.

Answers and Considerations:

This is what we could legitimately call hyper-literalism in the use of Scripture. Such an approach completely misses the spirit and intent of the Bible. Hyper-literalism (or letterism) is an intense devotion to the details of the Bible in such a way that one misses the spirit and essential thrust of a passage. Mountains are made out of mole hills and the truth is missed. One is busy counting the number of letters in a sentence rather than listening to its instruction.

God who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.  2 Corinthians 3:6.

If we applied this argument consistently, we would need to discontinue the use of overheads, musical instruments, hymnals, chorus books, the church building, pews, Sunday school, Christian schools, and many other things. Further, there could be no special services or seasons to commemorate things God has done as with Thanksgiving or a dedication service for a new building. Why? Because the only illustrations of such things are found in the Old Testament and not the New Testament. If the New Testament had clearly spoken on this matter, this argument would be correct because the New Testament does take priority over the Old Testament. However, since it has not, the argument from silence is not sufficient reason.

Some would argue that the New Testament has not been silent, and this is the third argument we need to consider.

Objection Number 3:

Scripture Forbids It

So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.  Colossians 2:16-17.

Using this passage, it is claimed that Scripture actually warns and forbids the observance of any special months, seasons, days or religious festivals.

Answers and Considerations:

What Colossians 2:16-17 forbids is the celebration of religious seasons or holy days when they have been prescribed as religious duty and necessary for holiness or spirituality.

In this passage, the Apostle is talking about the Old Testament festivals which were shadows of the person and work of Christ—but Christ has now come. To continue to celebrate them is to dishonour the fact of His coming, or to act as though He were not enough for salvation or spirituality. Note what the Apostle says, "let no one act as your judge in regard to . . ." He is saying don't let anyone tell you these things are requirements for fellowship with God. They were only shadows of the person and work of Christ, and He has not only come and fulfilled those shadows, but He is totally sufficient.

Colossians 2:16 and 17 in no way forbids believers from commemorating something such as the birth of Christ if it is done out of love, devotion, and the joy the season gives when used as a way of focusing on the Saviour and not as a religious duty. The issue is not the observance, but the reason, the attitudes and the spirit in which it is done.

Furthermore, I believe there is scriptural precedent for commemorating and remembering the birth of Christ. This is in keeping with the events that occurred around the time of Christ's birth. These include:

1. The appearance of the angel of the Lord with the glory of the Lord to announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds (Luke. 2:10-12).
2. The response of the angels at the announcement of Christ's birth (Luke. 2:13-14).
3. The actions of the shepherds who left their flocks to go and see which was nothing short of a celebration (Luke. 2:15-20).
4.  And the arrival of the men from the east bearing gifts as much as a year to two years later (Matthew. 2:1-12).

There is, of course, the New Testament precedent for believers meeting together on Sunday. In essence this is a celebration of the Lord's resurrection. The early church automatically did this, but Scripture does not command us to do so. In fact, the early church at first met daily and took the Lord's Supper daily, but we don't do that today. Why not? Because these are not binding. We are not under the Law. Believers meet on Sunday because of its significance and because the early church set a precedent for it, but it was never commanded in the Bible. Believers did it out of love and adoration for the risen Saviour.

The point is this: If the early church could celebrate the resurrection without a specific command from God, only the spirit of legalism or the letter of the law would forbid the celebration of Christ's birth as a special season of joy and adoration. Ultimately, the issue is not the season; it’s the attitude and reason behind it and the distortion of it. Let's not throw out the baby with the wash.

Objection Number 4:

Christmas Traditions are from Paganism

Another argument against the celebration of Christmas as it has been done for years is the claim that many of the traditions found in the celebration of Christmas were brought over into Christianity from pagan practices. These include the yule log, the tree, special feasts or meals, and mistletoe. How can we justify these things? Isn't it just like celebrating Halloween? A number of Old Testament passages are sometimes used to condemn the use of Christmas trees such as: Jeremiah 10:2-5; Isaiah 40:19-20; 44:14-17. (See verses in the forward above.)

Answers and Considerations:

The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible says:

Gradually a number of prevailing practices of the nations into which Christianity came were assimilated and were combined with the religious ceremonies surrounding Christmas. The assimilation of such practices generally represented efforts by Christians to transform or absorb otherwise pagan practices.

The Feast of Saturnalia in early Rome, for example, was celebrated for 7 days from the 17th to the 24th of December and was marked by a spirit of merriment, gift giving to children and other forms of entertainment. Gradually, early Christians replaced the pagan feast with the celebration of Christmas; but many of the traditions of this observance were assimilated and remain to this day a part of the observance of Christmas. Other nations, the Scandinavians, Germans, French, English and others, have left their mark . . . as well (pp. 804, 805).

Concerning these ancient elements, The Christian Encyclopaedia says:

Various symbolic elements of the pagan celebration, such as the lighting of candles, evergreen decorations, and the giving of gifts, were adapted to Christian signification. Later as Christianity spread into northern Europe, the Celtic, Teutonic, and Slavic winter festivals contributed holly, mistletoe, the Christmas tree, bonfires, and similar items.

Finally, Unger's Bible Dictionary adds:

The giving of presents was a Roman custom; while the yule tree and yule log are remnants of old Teutonic nature worship. Gradually the festival sank into mere revelry . . . . The custom was forbidden by an act of parliament in 1555; And  the reformation brought in a refinement in the celebration of Christmas by emphasizing it Christian elements.

But what about passages like Jeremiah 10? Some believe this condemns the celebration of Christmas and especially the use of the Christmas tree. Is Jeremiah telling us to avoid the customs of the nations? No. Jeremiah 10 is a denunciation of the making and worship of idols and not the decoration of evergreen trees in the home.

• This passage is not a categorical denial of all the customs of the nations. It is only a command to avoid those customs that are contrary to the revelation of God to Israel. There were many customs that Israel and the nations had in common that were not wrong.
• This passage in Jeremiah and others like it in Isaiah had to do with idolatry. First, Jeremiah warns against astrological worship—the worship of the sun, moon, and the stars. Second, he warns against going into the forest to cut down trees to be carved into an idol in some form whether human or animal, and then worshipped and prayed to for guidance, for protection, and blessing (cf. Isa. 44:14-17).
• Some have tried to tie the reference to the green tree in Jeremiah 3:6, 13 to the reference in 10:3f to further justify condemnation of the Christmas tree, but this refers to the idolatrous groves of trees used as a place for idol worship and revelry.

(1) The pagan associations were lost long ago

The names of the days of our week also had their origin in pagan beliefs. Thursday originally stood for the Germanic god of the sky or of thunder. Tuesday stood for Tiw, the god of war. And Wednesday is derived from Woden, the chief god in Germanic mythology. Sunday and Monday were related somehow to the worship of the sun and the moon. Saturday is from Saturnus, or Saturn, and Friday comes from Fria, the goddess of love.

All of these ancient meanings with their beliefs and associations were lost long ago. When Friday roles around we don't think about Fria, the goddess of love. On Saturday we don't think about it as Saturn's day, but as our day off! The same applies to the traditions of Christmas. If one observed the days of the week or the Christmas season with their ancient associations in mind, certainly it would be wrong. But many of these things, as with our Sunday, have been given Christian connotations.

• The evergreen tree is a symbol of the eternal life which Christ, the Son of God, offers to man via another tree, the cross (Rev. 2:7; 22:2, 14).
• The presents under the tree can remind us of God's gift and our need to give of ourselves to others as those who have received God's gift of life through Christ.

Even without seeking special significance in the traditions of Christmas, you could still celebrate this season for the joy and family fun the season can bring.

I would like to suggest that believers can capitalize on the Christmas season as a family tradition and as a learning experience much like the Old Testament Passover was to be used by Israel. It all depends on the spirit and attitude in which it is done. We can be very negative and critical, or we can be positive and use the season as a time to remember and commemorate the birth of the Saviour. We can use it as a time to demonstrate love for others in a special way, and to be together as a family like we do on Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, or New Years. We can make something evil out of it or something good.

(2) Facts of Scripture Concerning the Celebration of Christmas

In view of what we have seen, the Bible is silent from the standpoint of our Christmas traditions. However, because of our freedom in Christ under grace, we are at liberty to celebrate Christmas. The important point is that the Bible simply does not condemn the celebration of Christmas even in the traditional form and we have liberty in Christ to choose to do so.

 Scripture does, however, set down principles which should affect the way we celebrate it. These principles warn and protect us from the distortions we find in the world.

• Today in many companies and offices, Christmas is celebrated with wild, drunken parties where there is no regard for the reason for the season—the birth of the Savior of the World. It becomes just a time of merriment and a time to tie one on.
• Today people often spend lavishly on gifts and go deeply in debt. They buy things they can't afford, which nobody needs, and sometimes can't even identify. The response is "Hey, thanks. What is it?"
• Children get caught up with the gifts and the toys and lose sight of the Saviour—or never hear about the Lord as God's gift of His Son that we might have life.
• Through the Christmas message, Parents often fail to teach the spirit of giving as an outworking of one's relationship with God through faith in Christ, God's gift to the world.
• Finally, some may observe the season as they would observe lent, as a religious holy day that must be observed to gain points with God, or to become more spiritual.
• But it doesn't have to be like this. Even the gift aspect can be done in such a way that it is instructive, meaningful, in keeping with one's budget, and in keeping with biblical teaching concerning Christian stewardship.

(3) Ancient traditions are often distortions of original revelation

Many of the customs of Christmas originated in ancient Babylonian paganism and were related in various ways to the mother-child cult. But an important concept is often missed here.

Originally, many of the ideas of these pagan practices may have had their roots in the truth of the Old Testament or divine revelation from God as:

• In Genesis 3:15, we have the promise of the Savior through the seed of a woman.
• In Isaiah 7:14, we have the promise that this Savior will come through the virgin birth.
• A number of passages use the symbol of a tree to point to the promise of life through the Messiah. Genesis 2:9: 3:17, 22; Revelation 2:7; 22:2, 14 all speak of a tree of life, some historic, some prophetic. Isaiah 4:2; 11:1; 60:21; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15 and Zechariah 3:8; 6:12 all speak of the branch of the Lord as the work of God.

These verses form a whole line of prophecies concerning the branch of the Lord, the shoot, that would spring forth and become a tree of life both to Israel and the nations. So, when we come to the New Testament, we find reference to a tree of life that is available to believers in Christ.

In view of these Old Testament prophecies, I believe four things are evident:

• These ancient customs of the nations were originally introduced into the religious life of the nations by Satan to distort the original promises and truth of God which these customs would portray. For instance, in the mother-child cult of ancient Babylon, the mother was the primary object of worship, not her son. This was a distortion of the promise of Genesis 3:15.
• These customs came from a basic need in man (one built in by God) for the truth and need of a Saviour. The practices, though in perverted form, did portray a deliverer, the provision of eternal life, the gift of God through the seed of a woman, a divine branch from heaven as the means of reconciliation to God.
• The principle is that these customs cast surprising light on the revelation of God's grace as they originally came from God in the beginning of human history. As with the story of the flood, the temptation, and the fall of man, they all became perverted from that which we find in the inspired Word. However, in many cases, they did point to original revelation from God and maybe even customs that were originally pure.
• Today, our Christmas traditions have lost their original pagan significance or connotations. In some cases, the distortions were corrected by the reformers over two hundred years ago, but they did not see fit to condemn the celebration of Christmas.

(4) The celebration of Christmas falls under the category of doubtful things.

It is argued that since Scripture does not clearly rule out the celebration of Christmas; its celebration falls under the category of debatable or doubtful things covered by the principles of Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 and 9. In summary, these passages teach us the following principles:

• Every believer must become convinced in his or her own mind (Rom. 14:5).
• We must not judge or look upon other with contempt who do not come to the same conclusion that we do (Rom. 14:3, 4, 13).
• Just as there is nothing evil in meat sacrificed to idols, so there is nothing inherently evil in the traditional Christmas with the tree, presents, carols, and decorations. Such things become what people make them by their attitudes and beliefs (Rom. 14:22-23; 1 Cor. 8:4-8; 10:19).
• The ultimate issue is our attitude, the reasons, and how if one decides to celebrate the Christmas season in some fashion.

(5) Some Options to Consider

• 
  
  If you have doubts or misgivings, do away with any observance of the Christmas season all together. But do not become a Scrooge and look down on those who do celebrate it (Rom. 14:-5).
  
  
• 
  
  Cut out some or all of the traditional elements like the tree, presents, etc., but spend the season reflecting on the birth of the Savior through the Word and the singing of carols.
  
  
• 
  
  Keep the season's traditions—the tree, presents, and decorations—but divorce them of any religious tones. Use this part of the season simply as a family tradition for fun and family togetherness. But remember the birth of Christ through carols, reading the Christmas story, and times with other members of the body of Christ.
  
  
• 
  
  Keep the Christmas traditions and use them to illustrate and focus on the truth of Jesus Christ. (1) The tree speaks of the Lord and the eternal life which He gives; (2) The presents speak of God's love and gift to us of His Son and of our love for one another. Make the emphasis more on giving rather than receiving. (3) The mistletoe speaks of the gift of God's righteous branch, and the kiss or hug stands for kissing the Son in faith—an expression of faith in Christ as God's means of salvation and reconciliation (Psalm 2).
  
  

The problem is that many believers are already carnal or marginal in their spiritual life and they get caught up in the rat race and secularisation of the season. People spend far more than they can afford. They seek relief from their burdens and seek happiness in the glitter and merry making of the holidays, rather than in the person of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. They look for the season to give joy, rather than the Person of the season. They expect from the season what only God can give. As a result, depression and suicide reaches its peak during the Christmas season and immediately following it.

Objection Number 5:

Uncertainty of the Date of Christ's Birth

As one who has specialized in biblical chronology, Dr. Harold W. Hoehner, professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote:

Jesus Christ entered into the history of our world, Christianity, therefore, has historical basis. The backbone of history is chronology. Whereas history is a systematic account of events in relation to a nation, institution, science, or art; chronology is a science of time. It seeks to establish and arrange the dates of past events in their proper sequence. Thus chronology serves as a necessary framework upon which the events of history may be fitted (BIB SAC, Vol. 130, # 520, Oct.-Dec., 1973, p. 338).

The argument is that Christ could not have been born on December 25 or even in the winter, so the entire celebration is wrong, even the time of the year.

Answers and Considerations:

1. By considering the chronological notes in Scripture such as Luke 2:1, "it seems that the evidence would lead one to conclude that Christ's birth occurred sometime in the winter of 5/4 B.C." (Hoehner, p. 350). Our concern here is not with the year, but with the month Christ was born—or at least the time of year, i.e., winter or spring. Is a winter date out of the question? Is it possible or maybe even probable?Hoehner points out that the traditional date for the birth of Christ as December 25th dates back to as early as Hippolytus (A. D. 165-235). In the Eastern church January 6th was the date used for Christ's birth. But this is still a winter date and not far removed from December 25th.
2. Chrysostom (A. D. 345-407) in 386 stated that December 25th is the correct date and hence it became the official date for Christ's birth except in the Eastern church which still retained January 6th.
3. One of the main objections has been that sheep were usually taken into enclosures from November through March and were not out in the fields at night. However, this is not as conclusive as it sounds for the following reasons: (a) It could have been a mild winter. (b) It is not at all certain that sheep were always brought into enclosures during the winter months. (c) It is true that during the winter months sheep were brought in from the wilderness, but remember, Luke tells us the shepherds were near Bethlehem rather than in the wilderness. This indicates, if anything, the nativity was in the winter months. (d) The Mishnah tells us the shepherds around Bethlehem were outside all year and those worthy of the Passover were nearby in the fields at least 30 days before the feast which could be as early as February (one of the coldest, rainiest months of the year). So December is a very reasonable date.

James Kelso, an archaeologist who spent a number of years living in Palestine and who has done extensive research there says this:

The best season for the shepherds of Bethlehem is the winter when heavy rains bring up a luscious crop of new grass. After the rains the once-barren, brown desert earth is suddenly a field of brilliant green. One year when excavating at New Testament Jericho, I lived in Jerusalem and drove through this area twice every day. At one single point along the road, I could see at times as many as five shepherds with their flocks on one hillside. One shepherd stayed with his flock at the same point for three weeks, so lush was the grass. But as soon as the rains stopped in the spring, the land quickly took on its normal desert look once again.

Since there seem to have been a number of shepherds who came to see the Christ child, December or January would be the most likely months (James Kelso, An Archaeologist Looks At The Gospels,

p. 23-24).

Objection Number 6:

The Timing of the Magi's Arrival

It has been claimed the Magi could not have arrived in Bethlehem at the time of Christ's birth. It would have taken months to travel to Bethlehem from the East. The family was living in a house when the Magi arrived, and Herod had children killed up to two years old when he heard about the child.

While none of this really affects whether one should celebrate Christmas, this argument is often used to throw further doubt and contempt for the entire tradition of celebrating Christmas.

Answers and Considerations:

The argument concerning the time required to travel from the East assumes a great deal. It assumes they were in the East when the star was seen, or even that God had not revealed information to them which could have caused them to begin their journey before the star was seen.

Let me just quote Hoehner from BIB SAC again (Vol. 130, # 520, p. 349).

The question arises whether Matthew is speaking of the same time as Luke or a later time. Madison attempts to demonstrate that the Magi visited Christ when He was about two years of age by noting that the Lukan narrative uses the term brephos (2:12) which is used to refer to an unborn, a newborn child, or an infant whereas Matthew uses the words paidion (2:8, 9,11, 13, 14, 20, 21) and pais (2:16) which are used of a child that is at least one year old rather than an infant. The fact that the wise men came to the house (in Matthew's account) rather than a manger (in Luke's account) would also indicate that Jesus was older when Herod slew the children. Thus Luke is talking about the time of Christ's birth whereas Matthew is talking about two years after Christ's birth.

However, the distinction is not so clear-cut as Madison would have one to believe. The term padion is used of infants (Luke 1:59:, 66, 76; John 16:21; Heb. 11:23) and brephos is used of a young child (2 Tim. 3;15). The word pais is used in the N.T. of a child six out of twenty-four times (the other eighteen occurrences speak of a servant). In the O.T. the meaning "servant" is almost unanimous. In Matthew 2:16 pais would fall into the same age category as paidion since the latter term is used nine times in the same context. Furthermore, to say that Jesus was no longer an infant because the magi visited Him in a house rather than a stable is quite weak. Certainly they would have moved to a house as soon as it was possible. Indeed the tone of Matthew 2:1 is that the Magi visited Christ soon after His birth. That Herod killed children up to two years old was only to be sure he got Jesus. This is not out of character with Herod. Therefore, the slaying of the children soon after Christ's birth is tenable.

Please note what Charles Ryrie has to say on Matthew 2:11 in his Study Bible, p. 1447.

 . . . into the house . . . the Child. These words need not indicate that the wise men came some time after the birth of Christ. The family would naturally have moved into a house as quickly as possible after Jesus was born, and "child" can mean a newborn (John 16:21). We do not know how many wise men there were, gold and frankincense and myrrh. These were gifts worthy of a king. The early church fathers understood the gold to be symbolic of Christ's deity; the frankincense, of His purity; and the myrrh, of His death (since it was used for embalming).

Objection Number 7:

Christmas means "Christ's Mass"

The name Christmas is objected to because it means Christ's Mass. This is supposed to be a reference to the Roman Catholic ritual involving the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper. Roman Catholic tradition holds that by the priest's consecration the bread and the wine are changed into the literal body and blood of Christ; that this consecration is a new offering of Christ's sacrifice, and that by partaking of the elements the communicant receives saving and sanctifying grace from God.

Answers and Considerations:

Christ + mass, can also mean "a large number or quantity." It can also mean simply a mass of religious services in commemoration of the birth of Christ. In other words, mass stands for festival involving a number of religious activities, and is not a reference to the Roman Catholic ritual of the Eucharist.

Further, even if the term originally referred to the Roman Catholic ritual of the Eucharist, it long ago lost that connotation and is really not an issue. (It is interesting to note that in other languages like, Italian and Maltese for example, the word Christmas is simply “Birth” Natale or “the Birth” il-Milied).

Objection Number 8:

What about Santa Claus?

Christmas can involve children in the belief of Santa Claus, a mythical figure, which detracts from the person of Christ. The objection is that the emphasis is turned from Jesus Christ to Santa Claus as the giver of gifts for good behaviour rather than God's gift of His Son by grace through faith.

Furthermore, young children sometimes confuse Santa with Jesus Christ since "he knows when you've been sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good . . .

The idea of gifts for good behaviour can connote a "reward for good deeds" mentality which is opposed to God's gift of His Son through faith. Scripture does promise rewards for obedience.

Answers and Considerations:

The Santa Clause idea originated with a man by the name of St. Nicholas who was the Bishop of Myra in Lycia in the area of present day Turkey. He went about, often at night, giving gifts to poor and needy children. He later became the patron saint of children in the Roman Catholic Church. From here the story grew and became legend in country after country with various details were deleted and added as the legend of St. Nick grew.

So, how should believers handle it? Santa may be taken as a fairy tale idea like Alice in Wonderland, or Jack and the Bean Stalk. Children normally understand that Alice in Wonderland is only make believe—a fairy tale. However, for many children Santa is real. In many ways it is probably harmless but because of the confusion between Santa and Christ, parents need to be careful in their use of this part of Christmas.

We also need to remember that Scripture does promise rewards for godly behaviour or faithfulness for believers in Christ. Salvation is a gift through faith alone in Christ alone, but crowns, metonomy for rewards, are promised for faithful and obedient living (1 Pet. 5:4).

Conclusion

As with all of these doubtful things, each family needs to make up their own minds. In my opinion parents can explain the traditions and have fun with them, but make sure your children understand the historical roots and use these things to teach the truth behind the traditions.

An interesting article on *Hanukkah in relation with Christmas written by Pastor Robert H. Kreger may be viewed at the following link:  http://www.angelfire.com/mt/tabor/hanukkah.html

*Hanukkah is a popular and festive holiday commemorating the struggle of the Jewish people against Syria for national survival and religious freedom.

A Final Word

Perhaps you are one of those who celebrate Christmas just for the sake of the festivities and do not look at the Christmas season as a time of personal involvement. It may startle you to know that the Christmas message still has the same personal application. “For unto YOU is born a Saviour.” You may feel this as embarrassing and even at Christmastime His mission as your Saviour unwelcome. But you have the choice that all have: you can accept or reject His gift of Salvation.

 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.  John 1:11-12.

Your need of God’s Saviour, Jesus Christ may not be apparent to you. But consider what He did on the cross in bearing the penalty of your sin. Consider too, Who He is: the Son of God.

Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:16.

Also consider that we all must appear before Him to give account of ourselves.

 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14:12.

So why not kneel before him and, like the Shepherds and wise men of old, give Him the personal homage of your heart that is His due?

This prayer, if said from your heart will help you express yourself to God as you ask Him to come into your life and make u a partaker of the New Birth:

Dear God,

I admit that I am a sinner. I have done many things that don’t please you. I have lived my life for myself. I am sorry and I repent. I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you died on the cross and shed your blood for me, to save me. You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and ask you to take control of my life, I give it to you. Help me to live every day in a way that pleases you. I love you, Lord, and I thank you that I will spend all eternity with you. Amen!

Please contact me http://www.cornerstone. org.mt/ 

if you prayed this prayer and need more help in growing as a New Born Christian.

Pastor Joseph Fenech Laudi.

You may purchas the excellent book entitled "The  Promised Savior" from Gospel Publishing House