How Should I Celebrate Christmas?
In just 5 days, Christmas will be here. This holiday is celebrated a variety of ways, so it is appropriate to consider how those who want to be faithful to God should do so.
The Lord's Birthday?
It is commonly taught in the religious world that December 25 is the birthdate of Jesus Christ. Thus you will hear it said that we need to 'keep the Christ in Christmas.' But, if we want to follow what God's word says, we will not celebrate December 25 as Jesus' birth.
We cannot know for sure when Jesus was born, but it is safe to conclude that it was not in December. In Luke 2:8, we read:
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
No shepherd, interested in the welfare of his flock would be out overnight with them in December. Temperatures are a few degrees above freezing. It is more likely that Jesus was born between late April and early October.
Those who observe Christmas as a religious holiday do so without authority (Colossians 3:17). It is a manmade holiday, foreign to the Bible, and religious keeping of it is lawlessness (Matthew 7:23).
Santa Claus & Gifts
This commercialization of Christmas is often spoken against by those who are advocates of the religious observance of Christmas. If it is not Biblical for us to celebrate Christmas as Jesus' birthday, is it right for us to take part in the Santa and gifts aspect of the holiday?
The Santa Claus tradition seems to have a variety of sources. Among them are Bishop Nicholas of Myra, famous for bearing gifts, especially among the poor. Some parallels exist between Santa and the Germanic god Odin, who rode on an eight-legged horse through the sky. Children would leave their boots with treats for Odin's horse near the chimney, and he would reward them with gifts or candy. These, mixed with more recent folklore in various countries result in the Santa Claus figure widely known today.
“...if we want to follow what God's word says, we will not celebrate December 25 as Jesus' birth.”
Santa Claus is a fantasy, no different from (though certainly more popular than) leprechauns, the Easter Bunny, Frosty the Snowman, or a number of other characters. The fact that a portion of the origin of Santa can be traced to paganism may disturb some, and if it is an issue for you, then certainly you should have nothing to do with Santa. But, an association with paganism does not make a thing inherently wrong.
Consider that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth about eating meats which had been sacrificed to idols. He said,
...concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. ...Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; for 'the earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness.' (1 Corinthians 8:4; 10:25-26)
Though the meat had been on an altar to an idol, there was nothing wrong with the meat. The idol does not exist, and so long as the one eating understood this, then it was fine to eat. But, if an individual could not eat without thinking of the idol to which it was offered, then he should refrain rather than violate his con-science (Romans 14:14, 23; 1 Corinthians 8:10).
If when you see Santa you are caused to think of Odin or some other pagan god, then certainly, do not violate your conscience. If your mind is not drawn to honour an idol, then there is no issue with having Santa decorations, seeing the Santa Claus parade, etc.
I would caution parents though, do not lie to your children. As fun as the Santa tradition is, children ought to know that he is not real, just as they should know that the Easter bunny, or any other fictional character is not real. No lie is justified. Why put your soul in danger (Revelation 21:8) just to maintain before your children that their gifts did not come from you, but from a chubby white bearded fella in red?
The same principles apply to any other Christmas time activity. Do not hold to that which makes it a day of religious significance, for this is contrary to the will of God. And yet we have the freedom to participate in and enjoy cultural or secular activity linked with the season. Those who are religious, but without knowledge will be offended by such (Romans 10:2). Perhaps we can use the Christmas season as an opportunity to teach those who are in error the way of truth more perfectly.
Enjoy the holiday season!
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Answering The Atheist
Complaint:
Did Mary Magdalene recognize Jesus when He first appeared to her? Matthew 28:9 says she did, John 20:14 says that she didn't, and Luke 24:23 says that He didn't appear to her, but had a vision of angels who told her that He was alive. Is there a contradiction?
Response:
Indeed, in John 20:14, Mary did not know that it was Jesus whom she saw. It was not until Jesus addressed her by name that she realized it was the Lord.
In Matthew's account, after Jesus spoke with the women, they "came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him." That agrees with John's account. After Jesus spoke, Mary knew that it was the Lord.
Does Luke 24:23 reveal that Mary and the other women did not see Jesus? Starting at verse 13, we read about two disciples and Jesus talking together as they journeyed to Emmaus. Jesus asked why the disciples were sad. In their explanation, they told Him about His own death and now missing body. It was this pair of unbelieving disciples who said the women saw angels in a vision. Luke simply reports to us what they said, but they were blinded by a lack of faith, just as the context shows (Luke 24:11, 16, 25).
There is no contradiction.
This article is in response to Skeptic's Annotated Bible