On Thursday I was given the honor of participating in a video program that is being produced and hosted by Samuel Omaka, a preacher in Nigeria and friend of Kyle Campbell. Samuel sent me five questions, which I share below. I hope the material answers some questions you may have.
What is Christmas?
The simple definition is that it is a festival, observed each year on December 25th, intended to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is observed by billions of people the world over, many religiously. However, many secular people and even some who claim to know Christ, do not celebrate it religiously. They may, however, use it as a time to be with family, eat together and exchange gifts.
What is the Origin of Christmas?
The festival originates with the Catholic church. It is a part of their liturgical (worship) calendar. Other mainstream denominations have appropriated the holiday, and also make it a part of their yearly calendar for worship services.
In saying that it is Catholic in origin, we maintain that there is no command, example or implication in scripture that New Testament Christians ever established or observed a feast day to commemorate Christ’s birth. They certainly did to observe Lord’s death (cf. Matthew 26:26-30; Acts 2:42; 20:7). They did nothing like that for His birth.
The date of December 25th was taken by the Catholic church as an adoption of the day used by Romans (pagans) in celebrating the winter solstice. (This is the day when the sun is in the sky for the least amount of time). This is a common practice of Catholicism, in appropriating pagan holidays and practices as a means of incorporating Catholic teaching into the pagan cultures. The spread of the Catholic church over the centuries show the effectiveness of this practice. It is, however, done without the approval of scripture or of God.
The first year that the Catholic church celebrated Christmas on December 25th was in 336 A.D. Other religious groups throughout history have observed His birth on other days, but December 25th remains the most popular day.
Can Christians Observe Christmas as Christ’s Birthday?
Clearly, there is no objection to be raised in expressing our joy over the birth of Jesus. After all, the heavenly host did just that! “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:13-14). I can remember, rejoice in and celebrate God’s gift to man any day and every day.
However, that is not the true question before us. Any festival or feast day that the Lord’s church observes as a memorial should have its origin with God. Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Our purpose is to express and submit to His will, not to establish practices according to our own preferences.
Anyone who considers a religious practice should remember Jesus’ interaction with the Jewish leaders who demanded He show authority for his teaching and healing. He said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know” (Matthew 21:24-27).
The question is a legitimate one. Is it from heaven or from men? If it is from men, (which it is), it should be rejected. The religious observation by Christians of Christmas is not authorized by God. “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men’” (Matthew 15:7-9).
What Does the Tree Symbolize about Christmas?
Actually, there are many parts of Christmas that have been adopted for religious purposes. The nativity scene; the colors, red (blood of Christ); green (eternal life) and gold (royalty); poinsettia plants, holly and mistletoe.
The tree had its origin in Germany in the 16th century as a Lutheran practice, and has gradually been adopted. Though the pagans worshiped trees and even used evergreen boughs as a part of their worship, there does not seem to be direct evidence of an early adoption of the tree.
One tradition is that the triangular nature of the typical Christmas tree represents the Trinity, the top points directly to heaven, and the evergreen branches signify eternal life through Jesus Christ. Again, these are merely traditions and have no origin in scripture. Whether pagan or Lutheran, venerating a tree as a religious symbol is without authority. It is self-imposed religion and as Paul stated in Colossians 2:23, is “of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
If a Christian Decides to Celebrate Christmas Secularly, Has He Sinned?
The simple answer is no. There is no principle in scripture that would preclude the giving of gifts and expressions of love on December 25th, or on any other day. We simply must differentiate between the religious and the secular. (As we do with Halloween and Thanksgiving).
There is, however, one other thing to consider. Might my exercising my liberty to observe Christmas become a stumbling block to a brother in Christ who does not have my knowledge?
Both 1 Corinthians 8 and Romans 14 deal with such issues, and should be consulted here. In the end, my actions should have the same motivation as those of the apostle Paul. “And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble” (1 Corinthians 8:11-13).
