Why Christians should NOT celebrate Christmas. Every year at this time, I get inundated with emails that read like 40 page doctrinal dissertations on why a Christian should NOT celebrate Christmas. They make very good arguments about the pagan celebrations at this time of year, the evils of the Christmas tree, lying to children about Santa Claus, how Jesus was not born on December 25th, and many other reasons why a Christian should not celebrate Christmas. To those people I have only one thing to say....BAH HUMBUG!
Listen, everyone understands that Jesus was not born on December 25th, but according to most scholars, sometime in the spring. I have yet to meet anyone that worshipped their Christmas tree, only decorated it. If you are old enough to be able to read this, you are old enough to know that there is no Santa Claus. And yes, there are many pagan celebrations that occur at this time of the year, and the Bible does not have the word Christmas in it. However, there is only ONE REASON that we celebrate Christmas, and that is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Christians SHOULD celebrate the birth of Jesus! It is right, and good that we take time each year to remember that blessed event. It was foretold by the prophets of old. It is a well documented historical event chronicled in the Gospels and supported by the historians of that day. After His death and resurrection, it is easily the GREATEST EVENT IN HUMAN HISTORY! Think about it. God Himself, the Creator of the heavens and earth, came to this earth as a mere man to live with His creation. He came as a mere baby, born of a virgin in a humble manger in an obscure little town. He would grow up to die on a cross as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Three days after His death, God would raise Him from the dead as a sign to this lost and unbelieving world that He was exactly who He claimed to be...the SON OF GOD! His life would literally transform the lives of every man, woman, and child for the rest of human history. THAT is why we celebrate Christmas. THAT is why as Christians, we SHOULD celebrate Christmas.
I love you and care about you so much. I realize that people who say not to celebrate Christmas mean well, and are trying to live their lives in a way pleasing and acceptable to God. I know they are well intentioned, and many of the things they point out about Christmas are true. But they have missed the point of Christmas. Christmas is about only one thing, celebrating the birth of Jesus. It is one of those times of the year that we gather with family and friends, and share our faith in Christ. Christmas is also VERY BIBLICAL. Luke chapter 2 gives us the account of His birth. That was the very first Christmas. Of course Mary was there, as was Joseph. We also read about several shepherds that God spoke to who were part of that first Christmas. Now, some 2,000 years later, we will set aside time in the coming days to do what they did at that first Christmas....celebrate the birth Jesus!
I pray today that you will never forget what Christmas is really about, and why we celebrate this holiday. Of course, anything that the world gets involved with becomes perverted. The world has taken this sacred time of the year and turned it into a time of commerce. We must never allow ourselves to get so caught up in the parties, the gifts, the food, and all of the other things associated with the Christmas season, to forget what it is about....a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. THAT is what Christmas is really about, and THAT is why as Christians, we SHOULD celebrate this wonderful event!!!
In his love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller
The bible tells us specifically what to celebrate about and remember about Christ: His death. Not his birth nor his resurrection.
The problem with modern society is that they have abandoned the holy days given by God and created their own. If it were simply a matter of Christmas being a day to celebrate Christ's birth IN ADDITION to observing the biblical holy days it would probably be okay. Chanukah is an example. It was not ordained by God, but was created by Jews in respect of God. Thanksgiving is another one. It was created to give thanks to God.
The problem with Christmas though is deep. It is an example of syncretism:
Syncretism is the process by which elements of one religion are assimilated into another religion resulting in a change in the fundamental tenets or nature of those religions. It is the union of two or more opposite beliefs, so that the synthesized form is a new thing. It is not always a total fusion, but may be a combination of separate segments that remain identifiable compartments. Originally a political term, "syncretism" was used to describe the joining together of rival Greek forces on the Isle of Crete in opposition to a common enemy.
This is what happened to Christianity when it attempted to meld pagan practices with Christianity.