Category: Christmas

I get this question just about every year, and I know that some Christians do not understand it either. So, here is a simple, concise explanation.

We rejoice at the birth of our Lord. We think of it often, but do not set aside a special day of remembrance because Jesus did not tell us to.

Jesus did establish a memorial for His death, as recorded in Matthew 26, and we remember His death each first day of the week, following the example of the Christians in the first century (cf. Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34).

But to do something that has not been explicitly authorized by God is to presume to know His will when He has not revealed it to us. No one can rightfully do so. “…Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 11:2). In fact, we are told, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

So, to be clear, we do not in any way object to the birth of Jesus. It was a wonderful event, bringing joy to mankind (cf. Luke 2:13-14). However, we respect the mind of our God, and as a church (congregation) we refuse to speak or authorize a practice that He has not spoken on.

Christmas is a religious holiday started by men. It is not found in scripture. So, we pass.

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.

Continue reading “Five Questions About Christmas” →

I have answered the question many times — “What is your church (congregation) going to do to celebrate Christ’s birth on Christmas?” The answer never fails to surprise. “We are going to do nothing at all.” How can a group that claims allegiance to Jesus as Lord and Savior neglect to celebrate His birth on Christmas day?

The simple and concise answer as to why we do nothing special on Christmas day is because Jesus never indicated He wants us to! We are not so presumptuous to think that He desires it, unless He indicates such a desire in His will for us.

Continue reading “In the News: What are We Doing for Christmas?” →

Watching FOX News a few nights ago, I noted Bill O’Reilly’s editorial on what he calls the “War on Christmas.” He referred to one of a myriad objections being raised by segments of our society against the “Christian” aspect of Christmas observance. The attack against such religious observances is decades old. Whether it be a nativity scene on public land, or the large cross in San Diego, built 59 years ago at the Mt. Soledad Veteran’s memorial, which a federal judge ruled on Thursday must be taken down within 90 days. Many in America interpret the words of the first amendment “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” as precluding any religious observance in any public (governmental) circumstance. This interpretation would exclude prayer in school, a posting of the 10 commandments in a court of law, a nativity scene in a public park, or the national Christmas tree being displayed and lighted in front of the White House each year.

Continue reading “In the News: Attacks on Faith” →

In the last issue of the Electronic Gospel , Jeff Smith wrote about the practice of most Christian denominations to celebrate religiously the birth of Jesus on December 25th. The date is actually an example of the Catholic church appropriating a pagan celebration (the winter solstice celebration of the sun god). Jeff commented:

“It probably seemed logical to keep the holiday and dedicate it to the son of God instead, but a number of assumptions are necessary to add Christmas to a sparse biblical calendar.”

I like the phrase “sparse biblical calendar.” Jeff later pointed out, “The danger, then, is in going beyond what the New Testament does say, but also in minimizing the significance of the one ritual that really is on the church’s calendar. The first day of the week, without regard to season…”

God determined that we come together on Sunday to worship him. One Sunday is no more important than another, but they all are extremely important. It is on that day we celebrate the Lord, with a memorial feast commemorating his death. We do this because it is God’s will. The only authority for the elevation of some days above others, and the observance of Christmas day as the birthday of Jesus in particular, is the tradition of man. This is simply not sufficient (cf. Matthew 7:21-23).

Christmas approaches. We will soon hear the repeated admonitions to “Remember the reason for the season.” We will not belabor the simple point that Christmas is a man-made holiday. Jesus did not authorize the observance of a day to commemorate his birth.

However, it is appropriate here to admonish all, “Jesus is the reason for every season.” It is absurd for men to believe they honor the Son of God by taking time out once or twice a year to consider His gift to mankind.

As His disciples, we should be ever mindful not only of His birth, but of his perfect life, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection. These are the things that afford us life and hope. These are the things we ought to remember, and daily offer up praises and thankfulness to Him.

John Gibson, gutsy anchor of Fox News’ “The Big Story,” is to be commended for titling his latest book The War on Christmas, for as Gibson shows, the attempt by certain groups to prohibit Christmas displays is not simply an academic difference on how to interpret the Establishment Clause but a desire, by anti-Christians, to stamp out of society any reference to Christmas. To wit, proscribing the innocuous greeting “Merry Christmas!” or placing the word Christmas over December 25 in the school calendar.

Gibson’s book chronicles schools from Eugene, Ore., to Maplewood, N.J., that have not simply forbidden singing carols but even the reading of Dickens’ literary classic A Christmas Carol. Gibson illustrates that often these decisions are made not by secularists but by school officials warned by the ACLU that it will bring the school and its officials to court unless all seasonal Christmas symbols are expunged from the premises.

Continue reading “Anti-Christmas War Wages On” →

It is seldom that I utilize the Sunday before the Christmas holiday to speak out against the unauthorized religious observances that are practiced by most churches on that day. I have no problem with pointing out this error, but often have another more pressing message to share.

However, from time to time it is important to note that Christ does not authorize the religious observance of Christmas, and such is not acceptable before God. Though many churches are organizing and participating in Christmas plays, cantatas, Nativity scenes, parties, etc., here at West Side we are not. The reason is simple. If there is a divine connection between the holiday and the birth of Christ, we should be able to turn in our New Testaments and find it. We cannot.

The question arises, when did men first begin to observe December 25th as the birthday of Jesus? A quick look at any reference work shows the origin not to be from God’s word, but rather from the 4th century. For example, note the following from Hastings Dictionary of the New Testament, on the Christian Calendar:

“We do not read of either of these days (Christmas and Epiphany) being observed as festivals in the 3rd century. The first mention of such a commemoration on 25th December is in the Philocalian Calendar, which was copied in 354 A.D., but represents the official observances at Rome in A. D. 336. We find the entry: ‘viij kal. Jan. Natus Christus in Bethleem Judae.” It is not indeed absolutely certain that 25th December was at that date observed as a feast; but it is highly probable that this was so, as the other days, commemorations of bishops of Rome and martyrs, seem to be noted in order that they might be observed.” (vol. 1, pg. 261)

Also, there is a pagan festival that has its observance on the same day. The winter solstice, (December 21st on our calendar, but December 25th on the Julian calendar which predated our own) is the date when the days begin to lengthen in the Northern hemisphere. As such, it was recognized as a day of great import to the sun-worshippers in Rome during the 3rd and 4th century. Pagans referred to that day as the “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun.”

Note the following quote from Hastings:

“But it is quite possible that when, in the 4th cent., the Christians began to observe the Nativity as a festival, they seized on the coincidence between the day as calculated by Hippolytus and the heathen feast-day, and Christianizing the latter as the Birth of the true Sun of Righteousness, showed a good example to the pagan world by making the day a true holy day.” (ibid, page 261).

You may observe that Hastings considers the adaptation of the Pagan holiday as showing a “good example”, and assumes that God has given authority for Christians to “Christianize” and to establish for themselves true “holy day[s].” Here we find the problem with the religious observance of Christmas. Some, unwilling to limit themselves to the will of Christ expressed in the New Testament, have taken upon themselves to establish new acts and days of worship. Time has passed, and with such passage this usurping of Christ’s authority has taken on a patina of orthodoxy. People today call for Christ to be put back into Christmas, when in reality the observance of Christ’s birthday was not even considered until 300 years after Christ’s death.

This being true, it is not surprising that many other aspects of Christ’s birth are distorted as well. The date itself is suspect, as it is not probable that Shepherds would have had their flocks in the fields at that time of year. Indeed, the custom of the Jews would necessitate the event to have transpired sometime during the late spring or summer.

Traditional observance of the day has included nativity scenes showing three wise men (while scripture is silent on the number, tradition has gone so far as to number and name the men), who met the Christ child in the stable, as he lay in a manger (rather, scripture indicates a time frame possibly 40 days after Christ’s birth, in a house. cf. Matt. 2:11-12). Other distortions, as well as the pagan origins of the Christmas tree, with the so called “Star of Bethlehem” put on top, and other man-made traditions, show clearly that the entirety of Christmas celebration has its origin in the mind of men.

The point is this, if God desired for us to celebrate the birth of Christ, he would have let us know in His word. He desired such an observance of the death of our Lord, and established a supper to commemorate that death (cf. 1 Cor. 11:26). We must “speak as the oracles of God” (cf. 1 Peter 4:11). We have no authority to establish religious institutions or holy days on our own authority.

In this we are not saying it is wrong to culturally and secularly observe a holiday. We can do so not only with Christmas, but also Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving. So long as our observance is not religious, and our conscience is not violated, (cf. Romans 14:22, “Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves”), there is no sin in exchanging gifts, observing secular tradition, and visiting with family at these times. Just remember the law of love, that we do not, in this liberty, cause a weak brother to stumble. “It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God” (Romans 14:21-22).

Authority and Christmas
(The following short article appeared on the front page of the same edition of Reflections)

We often are asked why we do not, as a congregation, observe the birth of Jesus on December 25th. While many are calling to “bring Christ back into Christmas”, we have argued that Christ never belonged there in the first place.

Our problem is not with remembering with great appreciation the wonderful event. The Christ child’s entry into the world signified “good tidings of great joy” (cf. Luke 3:10). The angel said, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (vs. 11). This we do often, as we contemplate not only our Lord’s birth, but also his perfect life, sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension back to the Father. Our problem is with any man (or group of men) who would take it upon himself (or themselves) to establish a religious holiday (holy day). Nowhere in scripture is there any authority for such a practice. It finds its genesis entirely in the mind of man. The Pharisees were one time guilty of establishing their own religious tradition. In response to their arrogance, Jesus said:

“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).

Let us be willing to limit ourselves to worshipping God in ways revealed in His Will.