Christmas is a season of mixed emotions--Robert Lynd observed that "There are some people who want to throw their arms round you simply because it is Christmas; there are other people who want to strangle you simply because it is Christmas." (The Concise Columbia Dictionary of Quotations, Columbia University Press, 1990)
For some, it is a very fleeting and mostly materialistic season--a season for shopping, buying, and giving; for trying to find the perfect presents for those you love; for laughing, and merrymaking, and perhaps an especial time of kindness; but a materialistic season nonetheless.
Throughout much of the world, though, we find that at least in some way, many people are acknowledging the birth of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. In fact, some have tried to call back those who have fallen prey to that worldly spirit during this season by saying that, "Jesus is the reason for the season"; that they ought not to get caught up in this idea of having to give and get just the right things, but to remember what Christmas is all about--the birth of Jesus.
And yet--can we say that Jesus truly is the "reason for the season"? That's what we will consider this morning: what I believe is the real reason for the season.
Anything we find in scripture is important, and the birth of Jesus is certainly no different. His birth was foretold by the prophets in ancient times. Most people are familiar with the passage in which Matthew quoted the prophet Isaiah (in Mt 1:23), predicting the Christ's miraculous birth to a virgin: "'BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,' which translated means, 'GOD WITH US.'"
But some may not be familiar with how the scriptures also told what city He would be born in: "'...YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL'" (from the book of Micah, quoted in Mt 2:6). In fact, there were two towns called Bethlehem at the time, and the passage in Micah specified which it would be.
The prophets also foretold how there would be great sadness when King Herod would kill children in an effort to strike at the young Jesus, as we see when Jeremiah is quoted in Mt 2:16-18.
More than these predictions that pointed to Jesus as the Christ, the true significance of his birth can be found in Mt 1:20,21, where we find Joseph is thinking about what to do about the woman he was going to marry, but who now appears to be carrying someone else's child. There we read, "But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.'"
In some ways, Jesus' birth is especially significant, in that it was the way in which the Savior of all mankind would be introduced into the world.
Interestingly enough, while there are many things that scripture does teach about His birth, one thing it is not specific about is when it occurred. It only says that He was born in the days of Herod (Mt. 2:1), and during the time of a census (Lk 2:1).
We could, perhaps, narrow it down to a particular season of the year if we looked at the events that surrounded his birth; specifically, what Luke records in 2:8: that, at the time of his birth, "In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night." It was Jewish custom that from spring until late October or early November, the shepherds would watch their flocks by night and day in the open country; but afterward, during the winter, they would not. (Barnes, Clarke, JFB) This passage, then, would indicate that Jesus was certainly not born in the winter!
Now, God could certainly have specified a date; for instance, we read in Lk 3:1,2, "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness." We have, in this passage, five benchmarks of when John the baptizer began his work; and it's recorded in one of the two gospels that give the account of Jesus' birth.
If the season of Jesus birth is in some way particularly special to God, it seems strange that we know far less about when it actually occurred, than when John was called to begin his work.
If we don't know much about the time of Jesus birth from the Bible, how is it that this particular season came to be chosen? If we want to know more about the origin of Christmas, we have to look to secular writings. Charles Panati, in his book Extraordinary Origins of Ordinary Things, tells us that even at the time of the founding of Rome over 700 years before Christ (753 BC), feasts and parades were a part of the celebration of the "Birthday of the Invincible Sun God", Mithras. In fact, it was so popular by the year AD 274, the Emperor Aurelian proclaimed Mithraism to be state religion. Not much later, In the early 300's, some even thought that it seriously threatened Christianity. So in an effort to give competition to this feast, the "church" in that time began to celebrate Jesus' birth on December 25th. One individual wrote around AD 320, "we hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of him who made it." Finally, Christmas took hold in AD 337 when Constantine was baptized and Christianity was made the state religion.
You might think to yourself, "surely that's not true!" Look it up for yourself; other sources will reveal the same thing. Even the Catholic Encyclopedia admits, "the well-known solar feast, however, of Natalis Invicti [i.e. the birthday of the sun god], celebrated on 25 December, has a strong claim on the responsibility for our December date."
It's a sad fact--the Christmas season is a melding of the truth of God with pagan worship. Interestingly enough, these same pagan festivals gave rise to many of the traditions that surround Christmas, as well: kissing under mistletoe, holly, exchanging presents--even Santa Claus himself appears to be a mixture of fact and pagan tradition.
Even with all this that we have discussed, many are likely to wonder to themselves, "So what? What does it matter if the Christmas season started that way? I don't want to have anything to do with the birth of some Roman sun god; I want to celebrate the birth of the real Son of God, Jesus." While we might approach some things in life that way, we can't do that with the worship of God. We can't simply say I want to worship God in this way, so that's what I'm going to do. Remember, as we read in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."
One reason that all this matters is that the God of Heaven has always abhorred the worship of false gods, and has never been pleased when his people tried to combine that worship with worship to Him. For instance, when Moses was repeating the Law to the children of Israel before they entered into the promised land, he warned them in Deut 12:28, "Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God." He continued in v30, by commanding them, "do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?' You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods." God didn't take kindly to the thought of his people mimicking the other nations while trying to worship Him. They committed sin in their supposed worship, even sacrificing their children; and God wanted none of it.
Now, it may be that you would think that this passage doesn't really apply; after all, "I'm not planning on any child sacrifices," you might say to yourself. But that brings us to a second point: let's continue reading what Moses said, in v32--"Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it."
This command is one that is re-echoed throughout all of scripture--we have no right to try to improve upon God's revelation, and in this case, no right to try to improve upon His worship by adding to or taking away from what we see in scripture.
Since the celebration of Jesus birthday cannot be found in the Scriptures, it is not authorized by God; and it is a dangerous thing to worship God in an unauthorized way. Remember what Jesus Himself said in Mt 7:21-23: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" These were people that thought they were doing great things for Christ, even saying that they were acting in His name, or by His authority; but Jesus said they practiced lawlessness, and they were not able to enter into Heaven.
God did record in scripture a memorial that we should observe, though it doesn't commemorate Jesus' birth; it is a remembrance of His death. In 1 Corinthians 11, we have a record of the Lord's supper, and it's significance. We also find in Acts 20:7 the example that it was to be taken every first day of the week (i.e., Sunday). When we take part in the Lord's supper, we remember His death, and all that was accomplished in it: the fulfillment of the old Law, atonement for our sins, and the establishment of the new covenant. All these things came as a result of His death--not His birth.
If God had wanted us to celebrate Jesus' birth, He would have told us when and how to celebrate it, in the same way that He told us when and how to take part in the Lord's supper; but since we are told neither when Jesus was born, nor how to celebrate His birth, we have to conclude that we weren't intended to commemorate His birth.
Jesus' birth was a significant event; that cannot be denied. Yet, God left us no record of when it occurred--and the time in which it is celebrated now, and in fact, many of the traditions that surround it, are really of pagan, not Biblical origin. Really, what scripture does teach is that it is wrong for us to introduce our own manmade ideas into worship--and celebrating Christmas as the birth of Christ is certainly a manmade idea. We need to remember Jesus, but we need to remember Him in the way that He wants us to: through the bread and the fruit of the vine found in the Lord's supper.
I think that if you look, you'll find that this season isn't because of Jesus; but we're the reason for the season. If we celebrate Christmas, it's because we want to celebrate it--whether or not it's something God desires.
