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The Truth About Christmas

Do you find yourself entrapped and weighed down by the burden of Christmas? Does the commercialization of the season distress you? Is it a time of joy or a crippling debt load? Why is a jolly fat man riding on a sleigh through the air worshipped? Why do parents dangerously lie to their children about this fictional character, pretending he is real? Is Christmas a time of hope or deception? You need to know the Truth about Christmas.

Can we strip away the paganism and find the real meaning of Christmas? Or should we even try? Isn’t Christmas just returning to its pagan roots? Maybe we should jettison the whole idea and return to pure Christianity. Read to the end to discover the truth about Christmas that you need to know.

The Apostles Focused On Easter

Some Christians believe that Christmas should not be celebrated because it is never mentioned in Scripture. The apostles focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not His birth. To them, His birth seemed simply a necessary step to the most crucial event in history. His birth would be meaningless if not for His death and resurrection. Why should we focus on something the apostles did not?

Christmas has become the most celebrated event of the year, overshadowing Easter. This is because the birth of Jesus has a universal appeal. A person does not have to be a Christian to appreciate the story of a cute baby born to humble parents Who became the central figure of human history. We don’t have to go deep; we can skate on the surface and enjoy the idea, the gift-giving and the traditions. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ forces us to acknowledge our sin nature and need for a Saviour. It is a subject sure to offend those who have not accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour. If not for a family gathering and turkey dinner, probably no one else would be interested in it!

The Truth About Christmas Not Being Mentioned In The Bible

For Christians, Easter should always be more important than Christmas, but does that mean it is wrong to celebrate Christmas because it is not mentioned in the Bible?

To answer this, let’s look at the Feast of Hanukkah. In the years between the Old and New Testaments, Israel was invaded by an evil man and his army. He desecrated the Temple by offering a pig on the altar; he launched a campaign to destroy the Scriptures, and he tortured and killed anyone who followed Jewish law in Israel. The Jewish Maccabees led a revolt against him and, against overwhelming odds, defeated him. In 165 BC, they rededicated the Temple, which is what is celebrated in the Feast of Hanukkah.

What does this have to do with Christmas? The Feast of Hanukkah is not mentioned in Scripture. If it is wrong to celebrate events not mentioned in Scripture, then Jesus sinned because He celebrated Hanukkah.

At that time the Feast of the Dedication [Hanukkah] took place in Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area, in the portico of Solomon. John 10:22-23, NASB

Jesus was in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Hanukkah.

Another example would be the synagogues. Nowhere in the Old Testament are synagogues established or even mentioned. They were a development from the Babylonian Captivity when the Temple was destroyed. Yet Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles frequently taught in synagogues, showing that they were legitimate even though they were not mentioned in Scripture.

The entire idea that because something is not mentioned in Scripture, it is not legitimate is based on the humanistic positive law system. We examine this in detail in another article, but for now, we must realize that God’s system is a negative law system. Basically, that means if something is not forbidden in word or principle, it is permitted.

While we may choose not to celebrate Christmas, using the reason that it is not mentioned in Scripture is not valid.

The Truth About Christmas And Christ Mass

Some Protestant Christians reject Christmas because of the word “Christ Mass,” which they associate with the Catholic Mass. Then, they conclude that Christmas is a Catholic celebration, which they should avoid. The truth is that the word Christmas did not come from the Catholic Mass, but both words had a common source. They come from the Latin word “Missa.” Initially, this word meant a “dismissal,” but Christians adapted it to mean “send out on a mission.”

The Truth About Christmas And Xmas

Similarly, some Christians object to the word Xmas as taking Christ out of Christmas. If that is the intention of those who use Xmas, then the joke is on them. X is the Greek letter “chi,” which is the first letter in “Christos.” In some early New Testament manuscripts, it was the practice to shorten sacred names to their first letter, which was capitalized. So, to take Christ out of Christmas and replace it with an X is to put Christ back into Christmas!

The Truth About Christmas And Pagan Festivals

Perhaps one of the greatest objections that is presented is that Christmas was taken over from a pagan holiday. If it has pagan roots, then it is a corrupted celebration and should be avoided. There are two questions we must ask ourselves. First, is Christmas really based on a pagan holiday? Second, does it matter?

To answer our first question,

“Many Christians think that Christians celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25th because the church fathers appropriated the date of a pagan festival…it is perhaps interesting to know that the choice of December 25th is the result of attempts among the earliest Christians to figure out the date of Jesus’ birth based on calendrical calculations that had nothing to do with pagan festivals.” William J. Tighe in Touchstone Journal

There was a Roman winter solstice festival dedicated to the deity Saturn, but it was held on December 17 - 23, not on the 25th. Most often, Christians are accused of turning the Solis Invicti (Day of the Birth of the Unconquered Sun) into their Christmas celebration. The Solis Invicti was celebrated on December 25th.

But what came first, Christmas or the Solis Invicti celebration? Solis Invicti was re-established by the Emperor Aurelian in AD 274. The Christian Bishop Hippolytus of Rome mentioned in his Commentary On Daniel, written in AD 202, that Christians were celebrating Christmas on December 25th. There is a real possibility that Emperor Aurelian chose his date to take away from the Christian celebration.

Does It Matter?

As for our second question,

The Greek and Roman mythologies and gods have influenced our Western Society in many ways that do not bother us. Most of the names of our weeks and months come from pagan gods, yet no one seems to be objecting. Midas was the name of a Greek god, but it doesn’t stop Christians from going to Midas for an oil change. This can be extended to include Nike, Amazon, Mars [chocolate bar] and a host of others.

If Christians did turn a pagan festival in our Christmas celebration, although that is unlikely as we have seen, would that not be redeeming something evil and turning it into something good? Isn’t that what God does for us? He takes us in our wicked, sinful nature, redeems us, and, through Jesus Christ, turns us into Godly people. Our enemy has no problem in reversing this. For example, he stole the rainbow, which has been a symbol of God’s faithfulness for about 4,000 years, and turned it into a symbol of proud defiance against God. The origin of Christmas should not be as concerning as how we celebrate it now. Does our current celebration glorify God or the world?

The Truth About Christmas Symbols

A related problem is our traditional Christmas symbols, such as the Christmas tree, mistletoe and even large family dinners. Are these based on ancient pagan ideas that we are allowing to corrupt our Christian celebration of the birth of Christ?

“Most people assume that our current Christmas customs come down from pagan history, passed down from generation to generation with their origins being lost in the mist of times…However, what few Christians seem to appreciate is that almost ALL of our modern day Christmas traditions only came into existence in the 19th century when Queen Victoria brought her new German husband, Albert, to England…Thus mistletoe, holly, ivy, wreathes, etc., all within just a decade or two, were deliberately chosen as Christmas “symbols” and accepted by the public just because they gave the feeling of antiquity (and authenticity). In fact, an argument can be made that it was only later on that some scholars made a connection between these symbols and how some ancient pagans might have used them. But the connection is tenuous at best; it is simply inaccurate to say that somehow these customs originated in ancient pagan religion and survived down into the present time. In reality, they were not a common part of Christmas celebrations until the late 19th century! Thus our modern celebration of Christmas has NO direct connection with ancient pagan religion or their symbols because most of what defines a “traditional” Christmas was in fact deliberately and self-consciously created by the Victorians!” The Reverend Brian M. Abshire, Ph.D. in Essays On Celebrating Christmas

For example, those who have read Charles Dickens’ famous book The Christmas Carol have noticed the absence of many symbols of our current celebrations. They were not a part of Christmas when he wrote the book, although movie versions have added them because the public expects it. This is not to say that all these traditions are good. [Should we kiss people other than our spouses under the mistletoe?]. It is only to say that these symbols are not based on ancient pagan rituals.

The Truth About Christmas And The Date Of December 25th

Was Jesus really born on December 25th? To be honest, we have no way to know for sure. We know that Christians were celebrating Christ’s birth on this day as far back as AD 202. It seems likely they arrived at this date because it was believed that Jesus was conceived on the same day that He was crucified. Nine months after the date accepted for the crucifixion would be December 25th [Western Christianity] or January 7th [some Eastern Orthodox Churches], depending on the calendar type used.

Some Christians have calculated a date in early September based on the time of Zechariah’s likely service in the temple and the relationship between John the Baptist’s birth and Jesus’ birth. Others arrive at the same September date based on their idea that Jesus was conceived on December 25th.

One popular reason people argue against December 25th being the actual date of Christ’s birth is that it would be too cold for sheep and shepherds to be out in the fields all night. This highlights one of the dangers of Western Christianity. We like to import Biblical historical stories into our culture and circumstances instead of studying to understand the times and culture in which they were written.

While it may be cold in some places in the world in December, it is not that cold in Palestine! December is a rainy month, and snow rarely ever occurs. Shepherds and sheep would have no difficulty being out all night.

Jewish Scholar Alfred Edershiem adds additional insight to this: ordinary shepherds were required to stay with their sheep in the wilderness areas. The fact that these shepherds were near Bethlehem and less than 6 miles from Jerusalem reveals that they were special shepherds. It was their job to watch over the sheep destined for sacrifices in the Temple. They were in the field all year. This may reveal why they were chosen to be among the first witnesses of the birth of Jesus. The shepherds of the sacrificial lambs were given the honour of seeing the Sacrificial Lamb.

Alfred Edershiem also sees no difficulty with December 25th being the date of Jesus’ birth. Again, we have to ask, does it really matter? We are celebrating the birth of the Saviour of mankind. What is vital is the fact that the Father sent His only begotten Son into the world to save us, not the exact date He arrived or when we choose to celebrate it.

The Truth About Christmas And The Danger Of Santa Claus

While we may go into the origin of Santa Claus in another article, it is vital to point out that Santa Claus - if used in Christmas celebrations - should never be presented as a real person with a flying sleigh, etc. The Santa Claus lie has an expiry date. At some age, everyone learns the truth. If Santa Claus and Christ have been intertwined in the Christmas celebration and one is exposed as a lie, the other may also be disbelieved. If presented, Santa Claus should be shown as a fun fictional character to add a little spice to the holidays.

The Truth About Christmas Celebrations

Christians should celebrate Christmas with joy that the Father sent the Son into the world to save the world. This was the plan before the dawn of time. Two thousand years ago, we saw God in the flesh, walking among us, living our life without sin, and dying in our place. The true story is amazing! God loves celebrations, and we should enjoy this one.

Christians who are unsure if they should celebrate Christmas should refrain from the celebrations. Paul states in Romans 14, verse 23:

“Everything that does not come from faith is sin.”

If you cannot join in the Christmas celebrations with a clear conscience, then you should avoid them. However, you should not judge others for their liberty in Christ. Likewise, if you have friends who cannot celebrate Christmas with a clear conscience, you should respect their conviction and treat the situation with sensitivity. The key is mutual respect and brotherly love, not who is right and who is wrong.

May this season truly be a season of joy for you and your family. Don’t be afraid to start new traditions or to jettison ones that are inappropriate for Christians. Christ is the center. Don’t be whipped down the whirlpool of commercialization. If you give gifts, have a budget and stick to it. Don’t let Christmas become a burden or a time of embarrassment. Laugh, enjoy, celebrate and help lift the spirits of others. Christ Is Come.

Research Sources

The Life And Times Of Jesus The Messiah, Alfred Ederhsiem

Why December - Creation Ministries International

Celebrating Christmas - Creation Ministries International

Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?

Are We Celebrating Jesus Birth At The Wrong Time?

https://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=16-10-012-v&readcode=&readtherest=true#therest [link in article]

https://web.archive.org/web/20110912092314/http:/christian-civilization.org/articles/essays-on-celebrating-christmas/#_Toc185677424 [link in article]

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