Christmas: A Christian Celebration? IF THERE IS a time of the year when the activity level of millions of people around the world gets raised several notches, when their “to do” list becomes noticeably longer, it is the Christmas season. In the United States, it begins after the Thanksgiving holiday with its traditional turkey dinner. Then starts the countdown as to how many days are left before December 25th. As the days make that turn into the month of December, definite signs appear that show the yuletide season has indeed arrived and is fast reaching full bloom. Christmas trees for sale begin to populate supermarket fronts and empty corner lots. The greeting card section in stores are fully stocked with Christmas cards. Not far away would be the brightly colored wrapping papers and ribbons bearing the designs and symbols of the season. Christmas lights retired for months are now retrieved from storage, dusted off and hung on homes and landscaping. Mailboxes are stuffed with catalogs, and newspapers are jam-packed with sales ads. Shoppers are greeted in malls spruced up with all kinds of Christmas decorations, where it would not be unusual to see a white bearded figure dressed in a red and white suit, along with a line of little children ready to tell him what they would like to have for Christmas. Over the radio, the familiar tunes of Christmas carols are heard more frequently. And as the days draw closer and closer to December 25th, the air becomes filled with the sights and sounds of Christmas. To check off all the items in their “to do” list, people extend themselves well beyond their normal routine. Yet despite all the running around and the mad rush to get everything done, not to mention the spending that have people stretching their budgets, the feeling for many is that all the effort spent is worthwhile because Christmas, as a religious observance, is held in celebration of Christ’s birth. The underlying belief is that all the goings on that surround the Christmas celebration ultimately give honor to Christ. Add to that the widely held belief that this commemoration dates back to the Christians of the first century and has for its basis the teachings of the Bible, and people have more than enough reason to zealously carry on with its observance. In the minds of many, Christmas is as Christian as a Christian can get. This is why when those who have inquired into the Church Of Christ or the Iglesia Ni Cristo learn that the Church does not celebrate Christmas, they would exclaim! “What? How could you even say that you’re Christians when you don’t celebrate Christmas?” Indeed, such a discovery has for others elicited various reactions; some are even shocked. This prompts us to ask some important questions. Is Christmas a Christian celebration? Was this observed by the Christians of the first century? Do the practices and traditions that are associated with the Christmas celebration give honor to Christ? And does its observance have the authority of the Bible? No biblical mandate For a religious observance to have legitimacy before God, a commandment that specifically pertains to that observance needs to be issued first. In the case of those who will serve God, that commandment must originate from God. And for a commandment to be recognized as authentic, it needs to be found written in the Bible. God said: “‘Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it’” (Dt. 12:32, NKJV). In serving God, what needs to be observed is what He commanded. Anything added to what He commanded is extraneous and is, therefore, merely man-made. If in man’s worship or religious observance, what is being followed are the commandments made by men, such worship is in vain. Jesus made this clear during His public ministry when He quoted what God said: “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mt. 15:9, Ibid.). The main consideration then when it comes to whether a certain religious observance is to be done or not, is not popularity or public acceptance. Neither is it in how long it’s been around, nor for the reason that it may bring merriment to those who do so. Rather, the foremost requirement for any observance to become part of one’s religious life is if God commands man to do it and if it is written in the Bible. In the case of Christmas, this celebration has no biblical mandate. We find no specific instruction in the Bible, either from the Lord or from His apostles, that Christmas is to be celebrated. Consequently, in the absence of such a command, we also do not find in Scriptures any instruction as to the manner by which it is to be done. There is no scriptural command or prescribed procedure in connection to its celebration. Frank E. Gaebelien, contributing writer for Christianity Today, who himself embraces the Christmas tradition, acknowledges this truth: “Not only is there no biblical mention of the word Christmas, but the Bible gives us no mandate for celebrating Jesus’ birth” (p. 18). As far as any evidence that the Christians of the first century celebrated the birth of Jesus is concerned, Catholic theologian, John F. Sullivan, writes: “One would naturally think that the anniversary of so great an event as the birth of the Son of God would have been a day of religious joy from the earliest years of the Church; but it is clear that this was not the case. There is no mention of it in any of the oldest lists of Church festivals” (The Externals of the Catholic Church, p. 190). It was not until centuries after the time of the apostles, the fourth century to be exact, that the celebration of Christmas began: “When we see with what unanimity that great festival is celebrated at the present time, it is surprising to learn that it was probably not observed at all in the first three centuries, and came gradually into existence in the fourth. “In the part of the Church which follows the Latin rite the 25th December, the winter solstice, had for a long time been observed as the Natalis Solis Invicti, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun” (Ibid., p. 190). Robert J. Myers, coeditor of American Christmas and author of Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays gives a more precise date, stating that the: “…first mention of Christmas occurred in A.D. 336 in an early Roman calendar, which indicates December 25 as the day of observance” (p. 408). Pagan influence The exact date of Christ’s birth itself is not known, for it is neither given in the Bible nor found in any historical record. The selection of December 25 as the assigned date for the celebration of the birth of Jesus was the work of the Roman Catholic Church in the person of Pope Julius I. Francis X. Weiser, in His work Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, writes: “Soon after the end of the last great persecution, about the year 330, the Church in Rome definitely assigned December 25 for the celebration of the birth of Christ. For a while, many Eastern Churches continued to keep other dates, but toward the end of the fourth century the Roman custom became universal” (p. 60). M. Catherine Frederic, from her book, The Handbook of Catholic Practices, adds: “Formerly Christmas was celebrated on January 6, but Pope Julius I, at the beginning of the fourth century, changed the day to December 25, since the actual date is unknown” (p. 176). What many might not know about the date December 25th is what influenced its selection: “The choice of December 25 was influenced by the fact that the Romans, from the time of Emperor Aurelian (275), had celebrated the feast of the sun god (Sol Invictus: the Unconquered Sun) on that day. December 25 was called the “Birthday of the Sun,” and great pagan religious celebrations of the Mithras cult were held all through the empire. What was more natural than that the Christians celebrate the birth of Him Who was the ‘Light of the World’ and the true ‘Sun of Justice’ on this very day?” (Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, p. 61) It’s not only the date of the celebration that is associated with paganism but also the customs and traditions that are associated with Christmas. John F. Sullivan concedes: “When we give or receive Christmas gifts, and hang green wreaths in our homes and churches, how many of us know that we are probably observing pagan customs? We do not wish to assert that they are not good customs; but they undoubtedly prevailed long before Christian times. The Romans gave presents on New Year’s Day, and our bestowing of gifts at Christmas is a survival of that practice” (The Externals of the Catholic Church, p. 194). Frank Gaebelein concurs: “… Many of our cherished Christian customs have non-Christian origins. The merriment and giving of gifts, especially to children, may reflect the Roman Saturnalia, celebrated from December 17 to 24. As for the use of greenery and lights, this goes back to the celebration of the Kalends of January in ancient Rome” (Christianity Today, p. 19). But long before the modern Christmas tree became as a centerpiece in the homes of those who celebrate Christmas, Alexander Hislop notes that it: “…was equally common in Pagan Rome and Pagan Egypt. In Egypt that tree was the palm tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm-tree denoting the pagan Messiah, as Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith” (The Two Babylons or the Papal Worship, p. 97). And what about Santa Claus? Francis Weiser presents this historical profile: “Behind the name Santa Claus actually stands the figure of the pagan Germanic god Thor (after whom Thursday is named). “Here, then, is the true origin of our ‘Santa Claus’. It certainly was a stroke of genius that produced such a charming and attractive figure for our children from the withered pages of pagan mythology” (Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, pp. 113-114). The absence of a biblical mandate, the fact that its observance has no precedence in Apostolic times, along with a history that speaks of a man-made creation highly influenced by pagan customs—all show that Christmas is not a Christian celebration. It has nothing to do with honoring the Lord Jesus Christ but rather shares many practices adopted from the pagan world that were done in honor of pagan gods. As to where the Christian is to stand in the face of these revelations, the Bible teaches that those who have learned the truth in Christ (Eph. 4:20-21) must no longer live like the pagans do. As Apostle Paul declared: “I declare and solemnly attest in the Lord that you must no longer live as the pagans do—their minds empty, their understanding darkened. They are estranged from a life in God because of their ignorance and resistance” (Eph. 4:17-18, New American Bible). For all these reasons, the Church Of Christ does not celebrate Christmas. The significance of Christ’s birth The non-participation of the Church Of Christ in celebrations relating to Christmas does not mean that the Church has something against the birth of Jesus. On the contrary, the Church Of Christ acknowledges the most compelling reason to rejoice and be thankful that Jesus was born—the true meaning and significance to mankind of the birth and life of Christ. When the angel of God announced that Jesus was born, what is the significance of that event? “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 Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (Lk. 2:10-11, NKJV). Though born in a manger and unknown then to the rest of the world, the birth of Jesus was truly monumental because the one born is the God-appointed Savior—God’s gift to mankind so that man may be saved. But how will Jesus serve to save man? The Bible says that: “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law” (Gal. 4:4-5, Ibid.). The Savior would have to free man from the curse of the law, which demands eternal destruction upon the sinner. To do this, it was necessary for Christ to shed His blood and to die the death God had appointed. The Bible says that redemption and forgiveness of sins is through the blood of Christ (Eph. 1:7) and without it, there is no remission (Heb. 9:14, 22). Apostle Paul points out further the importance of the death of Christ: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having,now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Rom. 5:8-9, NKJV). Man’s salvation depends not only on the Savior being born, but also on Him giving His life. Truly, His birth is unparalleled. But more so was Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for it was then that Christ fulfilled His mission of redemption. But, how can man benefit from the death of Christ and the shedding of His blood? As man needs to believe in Jesus as the one given by God to be the propitiation for sins and to have faith in the power of His blood (Rom. 3:24-25) he also needs to make sure that he has been paid for by the blood of Christ. As Apostle Peter taught: “Remember, the ransom that was paid to free you from the useless way of life your ancestors handed down was not paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ” (I Pet. 1:18-19, The Jerusalem Bible). Does the Bible identify whom Jesus purchased with His blood? Apostle Paul identifies this unmistakably: “Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood” (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). The Church Of Christ stands as the beneficiary of the shedding of Christ’s blood and because of that, it is the Church that He will save: “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. “For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body” (Eph. 5:25, 23, TEV). The Church Of Christ has been charged, in fact, this article was written in its defense. The Church Of Christ should not be charged of not giving value to the birth of Jesus because it is that very life of Jesus which He willingly gave for His Church that brought about her redemption and salvation. More than Christ’s birth, what we celebrate is His life. And we do this by adhering faithfully to His word, and not to teachings or beliefs that take their roots from paganism. References Gaebelien, Frank E. “The Most Beautiful Story Ever Told”, Christianity Today, Vol. XXIII No. 27, Illinois: Christianity Today, Inc., 1979. Hislop, Alexander. Rev. The Two Babylons or the Papal Worship New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., 1959. M. Catherine Frederic. The Handbook of Catholic Practices. New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1964. Sullivan, John F. The Externals of the Catholic Church. New York: P.J. Kenedy & Sons, 1951. The Jerusalem Bible: New Testament. London: Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd., 1967. The New American bible. Nashville: Catholic Publishers, Inc., 1971. The World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 3 World Book, Inc. Weiser, Francis X. Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World Inc., 1963. Reference: inc.kabayankokapatidko.org/christmas-a-christian-celebration/ — with Chester Arias Kruskop, Jayson Bart Latoreno and JMeo Jnas De Rizal.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 00:40:58 +0000
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