Some Christians may respond with, “Well, that’s a no-brainer; of course, Christians should celebrate Christmas.” To most of the body of Christ, Christmas and Christians go together like those little curly shoes on an elf. They’re inseparable! And yet, the deluge of social media posts around this jolly season is resplendent with other believers who are struggling with Christmas. They long to know if, in celebrating Christmas, they are pleasing Jesus, or, in actuality, are committing idolatry by worshiping a false god, which is truly something to be concerned about.
Christmas Past
The origins of Christmas and the symbols that are used in its celebration are hotly contested. Some claim that Christmas was a fabrication of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who replaced the worship of the sun god Mithra on December 25th with the worship of Christ. They’ll also point out that Christmas over the centuries has picked up festivities from other cultures, such as the exchanging of presents, the burning of a yule log, decorating an evergreen tree, and featuring the medieval Dutch Sinterklaas (Santa Claus)—all of which have nothing to do with the biblical account of Christ’s birth. And then, of course, today’s full-scale consumerism has poisoned much of the holiday’s meaning.
The result leads some people to conclude that, since there are so many former pagan elements used in Christmas, we should just forgo celebrating the holiday altogether. They make a compelling case.
Christmas Present
And yet, should we then drop Christmas? And what about Easter? Or Sunday worship even? Should we all go back to celebrating the Jewish feasts, as some concerned Christians have resorted to?
Well, let’s not give up on Christmas just yet, though, for I think those who are skeptical about celebrating Christmas have missed the whole point of what it means to be a Christian in this day and age—we are living under God’s grace.
What does this “living under grace” mean? Romans 8, Acts 15, and the whole book of Hebrews make it crystal clear that a definite transition occurred in how we obey God’s moral law since Christ defeated death on the cross. The Bible makes the case that believers are free from the 613 laws given to Moses, with their appointed feasts and ceremonial rituals, nay, even the 10 Commandments. How could that possibly be? Because that old Law existed to point out what is and isn’t sin. The Law could never cleanse one’s soul from sin because nobody could ever meet its standards of perfection. In this Age of Grace, the Mosaic Law has been replaced with the true meaning of the Law, as identified by our Lord: “love the Lord your God” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31).
For instance, take the Fourth Commandment about keeping the Sabbath. Because of God’s principle of grace, it is not merely one day we set apart for the Lord; to truly live out the Sabbath, worship becomes every minute of every day. Worship isn’t something we have to do at a set time and a set way, as the Law prescribes, but it becomes a state of being—a heart issue. How much better! Do you see how grace frees us from the Mosaic Law, yet enables us to fulfill it through Jesus Christ?
Christians today now live under “Christ’s law” (1 Corinthians 9:21), the “law that gives freedom” (James 1:25; 2:12), and no longer are burdened under the “law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). Bear in mind that we’re not free to sin (Romans 6:1-2), but because we are free to worship God in a relationship deeper than do’s and don’ts, we have been given the freedom to choose to celebrate certain holidays, or not to.
As to knowing when Christ’s birthday really was, say in the Fall or Spring and not on December 25th, does knowing the actual original day truly matter? Not to Paul, who in Romans 14 declared, “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike… Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord.” Living under grace gives us the freedom to give spiritual significance to any day we choose, or not to. And as Paul warned, we do not have the right to judge or condemn those who choose to give spiritual significance to different days.
Likewise, symbols have different meanings to different people. To a Christian, the rainbow symbolizes God’s promise never to destroy the earth again with water. But, in modern Western society, it is a symbol of the homosexual pride movement. Are we therefore to wash our hands of the rainbow and surrender it to the Devil? I don’t think so.
Just because the Romans feasted and exchanged gifts during the festival of Saturnalia does not mean Christians should disregard the example of the Wise Men who gave gifts to baby Jesus. Of course not! How many of you are thinking of Saturn in front of the plum pudding? No, you are thinking of Jesus. The worship is for Christ and Him alone.
Christmas Future
Let us not miss the point that, as Christians, we can celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25th and have a Christmas tree and all the festivities because of what we are doing—we are honoring God. It’s undoubtedly okay to celebrate Christmas, as it is a time set aside to remember Jesus’ birth and kingship. Christmas keeps us looking forward to the time when Jesus will return in great victory to set up His Kingdom. Christmas, Easter, and the Lord’s Day are all set-apart times of worship and remembrance for the Church. And just because that grinch Satan attempts to water down our honoring of God with frivolous distractions doesn’t mean we respond by throwing the entirety of Christmas worship away.
If Christmas is to you about celebrating our Savior, and you use the decorations and festivities for such a purpose, God knows that your heart and purposes are right with Him. For, in reality, to a Christian, it’s not just Christmas; every day has become a celebration of Jesus Christ. Why? “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:36).
