Why should we celebrate Christmas?

Ron,

If Christmas is not Christian in your home, you need to change how your home celebrates Christmas.

The world can only take Christ out of your Christmas if you allow it to.

Christmas does not have to be about lavish gifts. My daughter's boyfriend is a P.K. (preacher's kid). He told her that for about four years they didn't even exchange gifts. They took what money they could, bought food for other families and gave it to them. My family was dirt poor as I was growing up. Our gifts were never lavish, but there was a ton of love in every one of them and we knew it. Christmas is going to be very lean at my house this year, and we've all already discussed the fact that we don't care. My "big gifts" to my kids are journals I've written to them. They include memories, family receipes, scripture, answers to some biblical questions like "how do we know Christ is the Messiah"?

 

Ron,

There is a young man that I witness to who is Jewish. His family never observed Christmas when he was growing up.

He was totally closed to any message of salvation. UNTIL - he approached me about Christmas. He started out speaking of being a child and feeling envy for Christians and their Christmas. He was speaking materialistically. I took the opportunity to explain to him the history behind the various traditions, and then, WHY the gift exchanges are NOT the beauty of that day.

I personalized Christmas for him.

At first I thought I'd thrown seed on rock and salt. However, a few days ago he came to me with a long,long,long list of questions about Christ, the Torah, and things he'd discovered on Christian chat sites he was reading on line.

The Lord is using Christmas as a tool.

Never underestimate God's power.
Never over estimate the world's power.

 

Your concern should be how does your family celebrate christmas. There can only be a christless christmas if you allow it that way.
Each of us are accountable to God on how we treated christmas. Ignoring it is not the answer.

 

I disagree with the statement that there is nothing Christ-mas about December 25th.

Look at popular Christmas Music over the decades.
"Silent Night" - The story of the virgin birth.
"O Holy Night" - The night of His birth.
"Do You Hear What I Hear?" - The shephards.
"Go Tell It On The Mountain" - "That Jesus Christ is Born."


Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas - all based on the actions of a Christian man who wanted to help a poverty striken family.

The Candy Cane - A shephard's crook, red to represent the blood of Christ, white to represent the spirit of Christ.

The Christmas Tree - Martin Luther's tribute to Christ, topped with the star of Bethlehem.

The Poinsettia - Red to represent Christ's blood. Pointed leaves - a reminder of the crown of thorns.

Holly - Legend says the berries were yellow until it was used as part of the crown of thorns, and that Christ's blood turned it red.

Gifts - Remembering the Magi as well as the gift God gave to us in His son.

 

It seems the early church was much more focused on recognizing the resurrection of Christ, than the birth of Christ. Don't get me wrong, the virgin birth and deity of Christ are central doctrines of the Christian faith, but I am not sure how much focus was on celebrating our Lord's birth.

If I remember my church history right, the celebration of Christmas on December 25th was introduced by Constantine in the 4th century. Most of the Roman army recognized "the unconquered sun" as god. "the unconquered sun" had a "birthday" of December 25th. Many Romans also worship the Persian goddess of light (Mithra?), who also had a birthday of December 25th. (I guess these "birthdays" had something to do with the seasons: It was close to the beginning of winter or something like that.)

Constantine sort of adopted December 25th as Jesus's birthday, since the celebrations were already on-going, to try to "Christianize" them. This would be in keeping with the Roman practice of just adding new gods to the many already worshipped.

Scripture is silent as to the exact day of our Lord's birth, but I believe most scholars rule out December since the shepherds were still in the fields with the sheep.

peace to you

 

Canady,

You are correct regarding the date. They think since shephards generally stay in fields during birthing, and lambing is generally in the Spring, that Christ was more likely born in the Spring.

 

This comes up every year on the BB.

And we usually just agree to disagree.

My point - why not? Take back the day from the world and use it as a platform to preach the Gospel.

 

Ron,

Don't be a grinch. Christmas makes people turn their minds toward the Christ child. Yes, we spend too much money. If we did not spend it at Chrismas we would still make Walmart the wealthiest retailer in the world.

I have spent the last eleven years of my life on a foreign mission field. I am not ashamed to tell you I miss the Christmas spirit. There is none where I live. None at all!

Yes, it is way over commercialized. Yes, the ads come on way too soon. Yes, the world celebrates it as a pagan holiday maybe. You and I do not have to though.

 

Another point to make - is the best Christian response to the world's attaack on Christian celebrations to cease those celebrations? Or is it to put Christ back into the celebrations?

 

ooops, sorry about the double post.

 

Ron,

Please don't get too upset if my family celebrates the birth of Christ this season. We won't have extravagent gifts under the tree, but we will decorate a tree, put lights on the house, not to worship the tree or worship the house, but to enjoy the "tradition" that we have enjoyed from years past.

We'll go to a midnight service on Christmas Eve, and we'll fellowship with our church brothers and sisters, we'll praise God and worship with our family and friends the joyous occasion of the birth of our Lord and Savior.

 

Indeed there are two "Christmases" in America:

Secular and Christian.

Actually the secular does have a positive aspect to it:

It has to do with the economy and also the opportunity to be a light in this world of darkness.

We are a capitalist and free-enterprise nation.
The secular and $$$ aspect of the secular celebration of "Christmas", whether we like it or not, approve of it or not, is a "shot in the arm" of our economy and will "prime-the-pump" for the coming secular/economic new year.

Secondly, it is an opportunity for us to talk about the advent of Jesus Christ (the Word made flesh) where folk are much more at ease about hearing it and not thinking of us as being overly aggressive or even "fanatical".

As an example, my wife and I are thinking about inviting some friends, a young muslim couple, over on Christmas Eve to have dinner (no pork of course) and explain why we celebrate the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (whom they believe is a prophet) in the way that we do.

Our Church has a Christmas pageant/program.
The local secular community (of which many are AWANA "unchurched" parents for instance) will be invited, and all will hear the Gospel.

As a Christian, my celebration is done in faith with perfect peace. Besides being a family event, I look forward every year to being able to help (in a special way) the needy of our community as well as those in need on a world-wide basis though the church or worldvision for instance.

HankD

 

One indeed judges one day above another; but another judges every day the same. Let each be fully assured in his own mind. He that regards the day, regards it to the Lord; and he that does not regard the day, to the Lord he does not regard it.

 

How about doing as my family did last year. Shortly before Christmas we helped a family who was without money. Her husband left her for another woman and took all the money. They filed bankruptcy and their home was foreclosed on shortly before Christmas.

You could help out a missionary or pastor of a small church. There are loads of things you could do without patronizing a single store.

You could have foreigners, students or other people who have nowhere else to go, over to your home. It is a rather lonely time of the year for foreign students and for those whose home is far away. It is also a lonely time of year for those who have no family or who have lost a spouse during the year.

 

Why would you not want to celebrate the birth of the man who gives eternal life to those who believe in him.

 

We began our Advent festivities here Sunday at Church by beginning services from a Reading of Isaiah 60:1-3 and the lighting of the Purple Advent Candle was truly moving and I am preaching through Psalm 2 during Advent on the topic COME AND ADORE HIM.


The burning of the Candle reminds us,

John 1:3-9 (NIV)

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [4] In him was life, and that life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

[6] There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. [7] He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. [8] He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. [9] The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.


The lighting and burning of the Advent Candle testifies symbolically to the truth that Christ is the light of the World and in Him is no Darkness. It was a great service. We are sending Christmas cards to Prisoners in Persecuted countries to encourage them plus the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. (If you are SBC you know what that is)

It addition to that we are having a Special Christmas Prayer Saturday December 10 for the lost in our community. We are also going door to door December 17 giving out Christmas cards as well as a booklet entitled THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS which is Luke 1-2. On December 24 we have Christmas Eve services plus Christmas Day services on December 25.

Tell The Good News!!!!

Have a Blessed Advent