Was Christ Actually in

WAS CHRIST ACTUALLY IN CHRISTMAS?

By Pastor Chrishando Smith, Yada Ministries Pretoria

There is a raging debate, whether you are aware of it or not, regarding Christmas. Not only regarding the name “Xmas” but whether Christmas should be celebrated by Christians altogether. You may be oblivious to the fact but there are vehement opinions in the debate. We don’t have the opportunity to explore all the arguments and details but this is a quick overview of what we need to hold onto and consider.

So, what does the Bible have to say about all of this? The word Christmas is never mentioned in the Bible and we are not called to celebrate our Saviour’s birth inasmuch as we are to celebrate His death.

Under the Old Covenant, various feasts were instituted by God and celebrated by the people and these were a symbol of things to come. In Hebrews 10:1 (NLT) it says “The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves…” Even the celebrations were a symbol. For example, Passover which was one of the main feasts celebrated, where a lamb was slain and the blood smeared on the doorposts and lintels to protect the Israelite sons from impending death, were a symbol of the blood of Jesus, the Lamb slain for the sins of the world, that covers us and protects us from eternal death.

So, the feast of Passover was then instituted by God and is thus fulfilled in Christ who institutes a new celebration or commemoration and that being the Last Supper. Now in the New Covenant, we see that focus changes: the Passover was celebrated once a year and should be done in a particular manner, but now Jesus says to us to do it in the manner that He did – by taking the bread and drinking of the cup. Where the Passover was only celebrated once a year, Jesus said we can celebrate this “feast” as often as we can.

The two Christ-ordained ordinances established within the church, the New Covenant, are the Last Supper and baptism. The birth of Christ, however, is not mentioned in the same light in scripture but this doesn’t mean it is wrong to celebrate Christ’s birth in the same way many of us celebrate Ascension Day. This leads us to ask the question: When was Christmas first celebrated?

In an old list of Roman bishops, compiled in A.D. 354 these words appear for A.D. 336: “25 Dec.: natus Christus in Betleem Judeae.” December 25th, Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea. This day, December 25, 336, is the

first recorded celebration of Christmas. Why did they not celebrate Jesus’ birthday from the start? That boils down to the fact that birthdays were not celebrated for the first three hundred years of the church’s existence. Celebrating birthdays in themselves were often seen as a pagan practice in certain areas.

There is argument around the origin of Christmas and the date on which it is held. Some are of the opinion that it was birthed out of a pagan festival. December 25th was the winter solstice as well as the feast of Sol Invictus, a sacred day in the religion of Mithraism. Mithraism was an Iranian religion centering around the worship of Mithra, the god of war, sun, contract and justice. This is a popular theory as to how that date was selected but there isn’t enough hard evidence that this coincidence influenced Christians.

I am not too concerned around the exact date, but rather that Jesus is celebrated.

My heart regarding the matter is that if you feel there is importance in celebrating Christ’s birth and want to do so, just remember why you are doing what you have decided to do. Romans 14:5 (NIV) “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.”

What I like about Christmas time is the fact that the world chooses to celebrate Christ and we have an opportunity to make His name renowned. It is an opportunity to have a conversation about Jesus and to bring Him to the fore wherever we go, but we need to use the opportunity presented. Our fault often lies in the fact that we get so caught up in materialism and consumerism that we end up losing sight of what the day should mean and how we can take it as an opportunity to share the Gospel.

If you do choose to celebrate this year, be mindful of how you celebrate and why you do what you do. Christmas has been marred by a wrong focus and caused many debates and arguments among Christians. Many have shifted the focus off Christ’s birth and onto “Father Christmas”, presents, decorating the homes, which has turned into a moneymaking deal, kids have become dictators of what they expect as gifts on Christmas, people have become crazed with living beyond their means during this time. This is what has caused the “Christmas argument” among Christians and this is why many feel that it is no longer a Christian celebration.

So, if you decide to celebrate this year, please ensure you put Christ back in Christmas!

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