There seems to be a lot of worry lately, about Christmas
being under attack. Newspapers are full of stories this time of year, of
Nativity Scenes being ordered removed from town squares, and children not being
allowed to sing Christmas carols in school programs. Why should this surprise
or worry us? Christmas has always been under attack from this world, and from
it’s would be prince and ruler (Satan).
The gospel reports the first such assault on Christmas, when
King Herod vainly attempted to kill the Christ Child, by sending soldiers to
murder all of the male children of Bethlehem below the age of two (Matthew
2:16-23).
Keeping Christmas has always been controversial, ever since
the Roman emperor Constantine replaced the pagan winter festivals with holy
days commemorating the birth of Christ, around 320 AD. Because of this, many
sects or groups within Christendom have, over the centuries, objected to
celebrating Christmas, and many still do today. The Puritans certainly tried to
keep Christmas from coming. They banned the observance of Christmas outright,
in the colony of Massachusetts, from 1659 until 1681:
“For preventing disorders, arising
in several places within this jurisdiction by reason of some still observing
such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other communities, to the great
dishonor of God and offense of others: it is therefore ordered by this court
and the authority thereof that whosoever shall be found observing any such day
as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other
way, upon any such account as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall
pay for every such offence five shilling as a fine to the county.”
From the records of the general
Court,
Massachusetts Bay Colony
May 11, 1659
Certainly, an argument can and should be made, that
excessive revelry, and merriment should be avoided at any time of the year, as
well as at Christmastime. We should honor Christ by keeping his commandments
always. Statistics plainly tell us that all of the crimes of human weakness,
and all the measurements of human misery increase during the season of
Christmas, because we live in a world that is in rebellion against God. People
feel the pinch of sin in their lives at Christmas, if they have not reconciled
their lives to God, through Christian obedience. The Christ child reminds them
how far away from home they are, how far removed from God they are.
Christians should share the Puritan’s concern regarding
human avarice, vice and wickedness. We should be careful how we keep Christmas.
We should not allow ourselves to be dazzled or distracted by worldly splendors,
so that we forget the lowly estate of the baby born in a stable, and we should
never forget the poor and the poor of spirit who are always with us.
As to the concerns that all of the symbols of Christmas are
pagan, I would say this:
The lifeless gods of paganism never held any power. They
were hollow manifestations of false gods, created by Satan, to deceive and mock
mankind. If a decorated evergreen tree was a pagan symbol for fertility and
regeneration, so what? Did not my God create the evergreen tree? Does this
history so corrupt the evergreen that I am now forbidden to decorate a
Christmas tree? Did he not also create the holly and mistletoe? If the Germanic
people of northern Europe, and the druid Celts of the British Isles utilized
these as symbols in their animism and nature worship, may I not assign new
meaning to these as symbols of the passion of Christ and life everlasting
through him? Did not the apostle Paul tell us that all things are now clean,
regardless of their former affiliation with idols (Romans 14:14)? Did not the
apostle Peter receive revelation from God that he has made all things clean in
Christ (Acts 11:9)?
Some have objected to the celebration of Christmas, because
we are not directed to observe it by Jesus himself, or any gospel writer. It is
true that we are not commanded to observe or remember the coming of Christ, as
we are his death, burial, and resurrection, through the Lords Supper (Luke 22;
19). Does this mean that we are not permitted to rejoice at the coming of the
Christ Child? Would God deny us celebration for the coming of light into this
dark world? If so, why did he deliver to us his Word, with an account of
Christ’s birth that fills our hearts with such rapture? Centuries before Christ
came into this world, the prophets proclaimed his coming. The world had been
waiting a long time, like wedding guests waiting for the arrival of the
bride. Should we not rejoice at his
coming?
Does it matter to God on what date we celebrate the birthday
of his son? I think it would please him if we celebrated his coming every day.
Whether we celebrate in the Winter or Spring, Summer or Fall, every season is
God’s season. Every day in our lives should be Gods’ day. If anyone questions
you for celebrating Christmas on December 25th, ask him if he knows
the date of Christ’s coming. If he answers yes, ask him if he is a prophet. If
he answers yes again, he should be tested, as the New Testament instructs
(1John 4:1). If he answers no, then be assured, he knows nothing of this
matter, and you may safely disregard his question. What better time to
celebrate the coming of Christ, than in the dark days of the dead, cold, silent
winter? What better time to remember the words of the prophet Isaiah?
“The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light. They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death,
upon them have the light shined.”
“For unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:2, 9:6
Don’t worry about Christmas coming. If Satan couldn’t stop
it from coming, then the world can’t stop it either. No politician, or grinch
can keep it from coming. No school board, or city council, or cranky neighbor,
or miserable, wretched creature can keep it from coming. Nor can any cataclysm,
or catastrophe, or decree.
Christmas will come because He came. Christmas will come
because God loved us enough to send his only son into this world as a little
baby. Christmas will come because Christ chose to empty himself of all of his
heavenly glory, and abide with us. He chose to walk among us so that we could
know him, so that we could know that he understands what it means to suffer,
and work, and live in this world. He came here so that he could save us, by
paying our debt, a debt that could be paid only by him, a gift to the world,
from that little baby, born in Bethlehem. He came here to lead us home, to the
light of the home fire and hearth of that heavenly place that awaits us at the
end of our long cold journey, through the winter of life. That is why we should
remember his coming. That is why we should keep Christmas.
Christmas will come again this year, despite wars - pray for
peace, despite famine - pray for plenty, despite sickness – pray for healing,
despite hatred – pray for forgiveness, despite our woes and fears - pray for
his strength, and wait. It will come.
M.J.
Smith
12/21/04
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