CHRISTMAS
By David J. Riggs
Intro.
A. As another year draws to a close, we face the holiday season
known as Christmas.
1. We all are affected in one way or another by the events
surrounding this day.
B. Since Christians are desirous of serving the Lord, naturally
questions arise as to their relationship to this supposed
birthday of Christ.
1. In this study we want to show that Christians should not
observe this day as a religious holy day.
2. In doing this, we reveal why there will be no special
services before, during, or after this day at this building.
3. In our study, we will be saying things concerning Christmas
that would not be allowed in nearly all the denominational
churches in our country.
I. FALSE REASONS FOR NOT CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AS CHRIST'S BIRTHDAY.
A. We do not celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ because we
do not think the birth of Christ is important.
1. Since his birth is recorded in the Bible, it is important.
2. As the result of his birth, the whole plan of God was
unfolded, and the blessings were provided. Matt. 1:20-21
B. We do not celebrate Christmas because we don't want to honor or
remember Christ.
1. We wear His name and no other. Acts 11:26; Rom. 16:16
Denominations cannot make this claim.
2. We honor and remember Him by adhering to the only memorial
that He left.
a. The observance of the Lord's Supper upon the first day of
the week is the only memorial that He left. 1 Cor.
11:23-26; Acts 20:7
b. Many things were accomplished by His death.
(1) Abolishment of the Old Law. Col. 2:14-16
(2) Atonement. 1 Pet. 2:24
(3) Establishment of the New Covenant. Heb. 9:15-17
c. Such things are blessings that come as the result of His
death. They were not given at His birth.
(1) Thus, Christ only ordained a memorial to remember His
death.
(2) Man, while emphasizing His birth, fails in his
respect toward Him because they do not do only as He
ordained.
II. THE REASONS WE DO NOT CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AS CHRIST'S BIRTHDAY.
A. The Bible does not give the actual date of Christ's birth.
1. It only says that He was born in the days of Herod. Matt.
2:1
a. It shows the general time in which John the Baptist began
His work. Luke 3:1-3
2. Many different dates have been suggested by men through the
years.
a. The Eastern Orthodox church celebrates it on Jan. 6th,
others on Jan. 19th, March 25th, etc.
3. Dec. 25th is not a logical date for the birth of Christ.
a. Read Luke 2:7-18. Those knowledgeable of the Bible lands
tell us that shepherds brought their sheep into the
sheepfolds in the winter; thus, the birth of Christ was
not in the winter.
b. Read Matt. 2:1-11. They were already away from the
stable; however, the nativity scene has the shepherds and
the wise men together in the stable.
(1) Those who have the nativity scene (the little statues
or images) in their homes are practicing idolatry.
Ex. 20:4-5
(a) Two things were forbidden with regard to idols:
"shalt not make..." and "shalt not bow down..."
(b) We need to heed the admonitions of 1 Cor. 10:14;
1 John 5:21.
4. Since we are not told the day of the year when Christ was
born, and not told how to celebrate His birth, we must
conclude that Christ does not want us to commemorate His
birth.
B. We do not celebrate Christmas as Christ's birthday because
doing so violates many divine principles.
1. Since it is not in the Scriptures, it is not a good work. 2
Tim. 3:16-17
a. The good works that please God are those ordained of God.
Eph. 2:10
b. Those not acting according to the law of God will be told
to depart. Matt. 7:23
2. It causes one to not have God. 2 John 9
3. It is presumption. Psalm 19:13
4. It is of man. Matt. 15:9
5. It is adding to the Word of God. Rev. 22:18
6. It is another gospel. Gal. 1:8
C. We do not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday because it
is of human origin, namely the Roman Catholic Church.
1. Any reliable encyclopedia will give the true origin of
Christmas.
The Encyclopedia of Religion by Fern: "According to
authentic records, no church festival was held in
celebration of Christ's birth, until the first half of the
forth century."
The World Book Encyclopedia: "Bishop Liberious of Rome in
354 A.D. ordered that December 25th be adopted as the birth
date of Christ."
The Britannica Encyclopedia: "Liberius gave this reason for
having Christmas: 'We have a Mass for every Saint, but there
is no Mass for Christ'."
a. From the above came the name "Christmas" -- "Christ &
Mass."
2. It was borrowed from paganism.
The Lincoln Library of Essential Information: "December
25th was already a festive day for the sun god Mithra and
appealed to Christians as an appropriate date to commemorate
the birth of Jesus, the 'Light of the World'."
Time Magazine (An article on "Christmas," Dec. 10, 1965):
"Christmas never completely belonged to the church. It
began as a pagan festival and it has slowly been changing
back into one for the past half-century. Long before the
birth of Christ, Dec. 25 was celebrated in pagan societies
as the day on which the sun began its yearly rebirth
(astronomically they were only three days off)...When the
Christian missionaries began to comb the countryside for
converts, they found that few were willing to give up their
pagan rites. Figuring that pragmatism was called for, they
combined the two holidays into the mixture of religious
customs that remain today."
The New Chaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge
(Vol. 3, p. 48): "The pagan festival (Brumalia, Dec. 25)
with its riot and merrymaking was so popular that
Christians were glad of an excuse to continue its
celebration with little change in spirit or in manner.
Christian preachers of the West and the nearer East
protested against the unseemly frivolity with which Christ's
birthday was celebrated, while Christians of Mesopotamia
accused their Western brethren of idolatry and sun-worship
for adopting as Christian this pagan festival. Yet the
festival rapidly gained acceptance and became at last so
firmly established that even the Protestant revolution
of the sixteenth century was not able to dislodge it..."
a. The reformation was not able to dislodge it, but the
restoration was.
3. Our denominational friends say, with the best of intentions,
"Let's put Christ back into Christmas."
a. However, they need to realize that Christ was never in
Christmas.
III. WHAT ABOUT THE NON-RELIGIOUS ASPECT OF CHRISTMAS?
A. Christmas is both religious and secular in nature.
1. The same is true with Halloween and Valentine's day.
2. Even our days of the week once had religious significance
(Sun Day, Moon Day, Thor's Day, Saturn's Day, holiday - holy
day).
3. The Sabbath, or Saturday, once had religious significance
and still does to many, e.g., Jews and Adventists.
B. In this regard, Christians can do certain things of a secular
nature on Christmas day.
1. It is a time when most have a day off and a good time to
visit friends and relatives. For family enjoyment with the
Children, Christians can put up a tree and exchange gifts if
they wish.
2. Those with knowledge who understand there is no religious
significance to these secular things can do them if they
want.
3. This same principle was stated regarding meats sacrificed to
idols. 1 Cor. 8:4-8
a. Those with knowledge could eat meats that had been
previously dedicated to an idol in the market places and
not sin.
b. Those who ate it as a thing offered to an idol sinned.
C. Christians must be careful not to attach any religious
significance to Christmas.
1. It isn't religious until made so by the participant. This
is true of Easter, Thanksgiving, St. Valentine's Day, etc.
2. We must be careful not to be part of any religious services
in observances of it -- candlelight services, religious
plays, etc.
a. We must be alert to school activities because they will
have our children participating in religious things
before we realize it.
3. We must be careful not to leave an impression of believing
it to be Christ's birthday.
a. In sending religious greeting cards. If one wants to
send cards, he should send the non-religious type.
b. In singing the religious seasonal songs (God Rest
Ye...vs. Jingle Bells).
c. In decorating with religious ornaments (stars, angels vs.
pixies and candy canes).
d. Also, there is considerable danger in going all-out for
the decorations outside the house, a Santa Clause on the
roof, a tree in the window, etc.
(1) As we have said, we can have decorations, exchange
gifts, etc., for the enjoyment of our own families
who understand their significance, but we need to be
careful lest we leave the impression on others that
we are observing it as Christ's birthday.
(2) As always, as we have opportunity we need to teach
our friends and neighbors the truth on this and all
other Bible subjects.
Concl.
A. We can do the non-religious things on Christmas if we so
desire.
1. Even in the non-religious things, we need to be alert to
wrong impressions, and walk wisely before God and man.
B. If we practice the things of Christmas to commemorate the birth
of Christ, we do so without Bible authority, and this brings
the curse of God.
1. It is wrong to do even the non-religious things if we do
them to commemorate Christ's birth.
2. Let us be content to observe the Lord's Supper on the first
day of the week as Christ ordained. Thereby, we demonstrate
that we truly love and respect Him. John 14:15,21; Matt.
15:9
Chart
MANY THINGS WERE ACCOMPLISHED BY HIS DEATH
The Law Abolished - Col. 2:14
The Atonement - 1 Pet. 2:24
The New Covenant Established - Heb. 9:15-17