Christmas
The Truth about Christmas
“After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me” (I Corinthians 11:25).
The long awaited Messiah was eventually born. The same way that he has prophesied of his own second coming, no one knew of the date, time nor hour of his actual birth. The only sign would be a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes laid in a manger (St. Luke 27). For reasons only known to God, Jesus’ birth date was not disclosed for us to know nor to keep. The importance of Jesus’ earthly ministry was his death and suffering. It is in his death that we obtained remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). This is also the reason Jesus commanded us to remember his death and suffering, hence: “do this in remembrance of me” (St. Luke 22:19). No commandment was given to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ birth is important as all prophecies were fulfilled, which identified Jesus as the only true Christ.
God did not intend for Jesus’ birth to be celebrated. Instead, God gave his people feasts they should celebrate. Christmas was not one of these feasts. What makes Christmas wrong, beside the fact that God did not command it, is its celebration of pagan gods and its adherence to pagan customs. Also, Christmas is based on lies and deceit. Lies and deceit are contrary to the nature and law of God. The True and Living God is the God of truth and without iniquity (Deuteronomy 32:4). We must not stop asking, by what authority are things commanded. The bible cautions us not to believe every spirit, but to try the spirits whether they are of God (I John 4:1). The only certified tool to try these spirits and doctrines if they are of God or not, is by using the word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17).
Christmas predates the birth of Christ
The origin of Christmas dates back before the birth of Jesus Christ. God warned the children of Israel about the customs of the nations they will meet in the promised land, “learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven…For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest…they deck it with silver and gold…they are upright as the palm tree…” (Jeremiah 10:1-5).
As we can see from this Old Testament scripture, Christmas was being observed many years before Christ was born, only under a different name. This scripture, describes the Christmas Tree. Tracing from history, Christmas originates from false worship of the hosts of heaven by nations which did not know the true and living God. They worshipped the hosts of heaven: the sun, moon, and the stars, which God commanded his people not to follow after this example of worship and unbelief (Exodus 20:3-6, St. Matthew 4:10).
The Prophecy about Christmas
The prophecy of the date of Christmas can be revealed in Ezekiel 8:12-18 where 25 men had “their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, and they worshipped the sun toward the east”. The number of 25 men facing the sun, correlates with the 25th day when Christmas is observed. As history rightly points out that Christmas originates from sun worship, hence the 25 men facing the east and worshipping the sun instead of God.
Thou Shalt not bear false witness
There are many lies which are told about Christmas. Children are lied to about the gifts they get. Believers are lied to about the real birth date of our Saviour and the purpose of this specific date. The truth is, like the Samaritan woman, those who observe Christmas do not know what they worship by observing this custom (St. John 4:22). In the present era the date is dedicated to Christ, but in the beginning it was not so.
It is not the worship God is seeking, the one which is based on lies and which comes from strange gods. God is seeking those who worship Him, to worship him in spirit and in truth (St. John 2:23-24). Jesus taught men the difference betweenGod’s doctrine and doctrine of men: “but in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men” (St. Matthew 15:9; St. Mark 7:7). Christmas does not come from the Lord, hence a “commandment of men”.
Moses was not coming back soon enough for the children of Israel. In their impatience, they told Aaron to make them gods to lead them in the absence of Moses. They took golden earrings and made a golden calf and proclaimed: Tomorrow is the feast to the Lord (Exodus 32:5). Even though this feast was dedicated to God, that did not make it acceptable to God. Their offerings and burnt sacrifices to the calf in the name of the Lord, did not make it less sinful. The same is Christmas. It is a feast made to pagan gods. Our proclamation and dedication of Christmas to Christ, won’t make it acceptable to God nor Christ.
As light has no fellowship with darkness, so also God will not share His glory with other gods (Isaiah 42:8), hence: “For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:5). The same Christmas which was observed to celebrate pagan gods, cannot be automatically acceptable when we bring it in the name of Jesus. Worship of other gods, is still contrary to the law and the will of God. God commanded, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness or anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:3-4).
Before you celebrate this Christmas, ask yourself this question: before Jesus was born whose celebration was it? who was being celebrated on 25th December? The idea of Christmas and Jesus’ birth date come from carnal understanding and carnal limitations (Isaiah 55:9). Jesus pre-existed his birth, hence he told the Pharisees, “before Abraham was, I am” (St. John 8:58).
The major purpose for Jesus’ earthly ministry was for our deliverance from sin through his death. Looking for Jesus’ birth date is ignoring the fact Jesus was that word which was in the beginning with God, and this word became flesh and dwelt among us (St. John 1:14) and that “all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (St. John 1:3).
Melchisedec is compared to Jesus Christ in this way: “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God…” (Hebrews 7:3). Let us therefore be content with what God has allowed us to know through the scriptures as it is sufficient to save us. It is obvious that Jesus’ birthday whether we know it or we do not has nothing to do with our soul salvation.
Jesus left it on record how we must remember him. It is important as it has significance to our soul salvation. Whilst this argument may not be sufficient to a curious and inquiring mind, let us have in mind these words: “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and unto our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).
Information from: Search the Scriptures: Sabbath School Manual and Study Guide.