I have been pondering lately what the Lord may think of Christmas especially since it was never mentioned in the Bible. Actually, historians state that more than two hundred years after Jesus’ birth, many Church leaders were against celebrating the birth of Jesus as they regarded birthdays as a pagan celebration. However, they instead celebrated the date of the death of the martyrs which they believed were the true birthdays. There is nowhere in the New Testament that points to December 25 being the birth of Jesus. Many historians don’t think this date would be correct as Jesus was born around the time of a census and being that it was winter when it would have been cold and wet in the region, that would not have been a good time to travel. In addition, Jesus was born six months after his cousin, John the Baptist, and with the clues given about John’s birth it has been calculated that Jesus’ birth would be around August.
One widely held belief of why Jesus’ birth is celebrated on December 25 is that there was a popular Roman holiday, which was “the day of the birth of the unconquered sun” and that date was being Christianized to become the day of the birth of the Son, Jesus. There are other perspectives on why this date was chosen and one is that it was nine months after the day believed to be creation which was March 25. Christmas became popular in the 9th century, and it wasn’t until the end of the 18th century that gift giving became a big part of the holiday, which was never really considered a biblical holy day. Frankly none of the traditions we have at Christmas are based on the Bible.
And if we look closer at the Scriptures, we will see that a lot of long held Christian Christmas beliefs are really not in the Bible. Some myths include the three kings who are often seen in nativity scenes. They were never at the stable. By the way, the stable was never mentioned in the Bible, even though Jesus was laid in a manger. The number of the Magi or wise men were never mentioned. But, they did bring three gifts, - gold, frankincense and myrrh to a house where Jesus and His family stayed and this was probably months after His birth.
The Bible also did not mention Mary riding on a donkey to Bethlehem or any innkeeper turning them away, although it does state that there was no room for them at the inn that can also be translated as “guestroom”, which could have been in their relatives’ house. All these myths that many people believe are biblical truth scares me because I realize I may be reading my Bible through the eyes of tradition rather than reading it for the truth. I don’t want to miss the truths of the Bible whether it pertains to Christmas or not because it is the truth that sets us free.
Many of the traditions of Christmas have trapped us and we have given into cultural conventions, which are not rooted in Christ. It is a time when so many overspend on things that are temporal and not eternal. It is estimated that persons in the United States spend $2.6 billion dollars on wrapping paper each year. A lot of that spending is at Christmas when they use 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper during the season, half of which ends up in landfills.
Charles R. Swindoll stated some dangers to dodge at Christmas, which includes
The doctrinal danger of substituting the temporal for the eternal
The personal danger of impressing but not imparting
The economic danger of spending more than you have
The physical danger of eating more than you should
The psychological danger of getting built up for a let-down
Please enjoy the time with family and friends while spreading God’s love to the lonely and the lost. But we should make sure that as Christians we don’t do this just as a once a year thing. We should practice pure and undefiled religion throughout the year by visiting orphans and widows in their distress, and by keeping ourselves from being unstained by the world. (See James 1:27) One of the best ways of doing this is by being firmly grounded in the Word of God and knowing what is tradition and what is God’s truth. As we celebrate Christmas let us keep in mind this Bible passage.
Let love of the brothers and sisters continue. Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever. Do not be misled by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. Hebrews 13:1-9
Comments