Christmas Misconceptions: Legalism or Liberty?

Posted on by December 20, 2011
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Just as many misconceptions about Christmas abound, there are numerous misconceptions about the misconceptions as some people have gone too far in their desire to expose error.

Last year I ran a series on misconceptions that people have about the various traditions associated with Christmas and the biblical accounts of Christ’s birth. As we near Christmas once again, I have seen a number of false or misleading claims out there made by professing Christians attacking believers who choose to celebrate Christ’s birth at this time of year. So this blog post is going to focus on many of those unwarranted critiques made by those who claim it is wrong to celebrate Christ’s birth.

Examples of Misconceptions

Before dealing with those who go overboard on the subject, I want to briefly highlight some of the subjects I covered last year. In my first article, I addressed the location of Christ’s birth, showing that the traditional retelling is likely in error. This post also looked at whether or not the angels sang following their announcement of Christ’s birth to the shepherds and whether or not the magi arrived on the night of His birth.

The second and third articles actually dealt with some of the subjects that some people tend to go too far on. Are Christmas trees of pagan origin and is it okay to use x-mas instead of Christmas? Was Jesus born on December 25, and can Christians celebrate the birth of Christ?

Going Too Far

These final two subjects deserve some more attention because they seem to be the focus of many of the attacks upon Christians who celebrate Christ’s birth at this time of year. I have heard or read several people discussing how scholars have proved that Jesus could not have been born on December 25th, and that this date was really chosen as a day to worship a pagan sun god. So these folks claim that anyone who celebrates Christmas is actually worshiping the pagan sun god.  How legitimate are these claims?

While I can appreciate the desire to keep pagan ideas out of Christianity, these claims are without merit. First, scholars have not been able to show that Jesus was not born on December 25th. Although we don’t know if He was born on that day, it is just as likely as any other day of the year. My article from last year dealt with this in more detail, but the “order of Abijah” argument and the idea that it would have been too cold do not stand up to scrutiny.

Perhaps the most popular argument against the December 25th date is the claim that all of the major events associated with Christ’s life and work took place (or will take place) on the major Jewish festivals. After all, His Crucfixion and Resurrection took place on or around the Passover and Feast of the Firstfruits, respectively. So many people believe that He was born at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) and that He may have been born in one of these booths. They go on to say that the Rapture and His Second Coming must also take place on these major Jewish holidays. Last year, I responded to the claim that He must have been born at the Feast of Tabernacles:

Some point to John 1:14 which states, “And the Word [Jesus] became flesh and dwelt among us…” (NKJV). The word translated as “dwelt” can also be translated as “tabernacled.” Yet, this simply means “to dwell” or “to take up residence.” This verse teaches that Jesus (the eternal Word of God) took on human flesh and lived among mankind. It is not stating that He was born at the Feast of Tabernacles. Incidentally, this argument fails for another reason—He put on human flesh at the moment of conception rather than at His birth (so if He was born around September 25, which is when many of these folks claim, then He would have “tabernacled” around December 25. Ironic, isn’t it?).

So where did the December 25th date come from? The earliest known source for this date is found in the writings of Julius Africanus (early 3rd century). As far as we know, Julius had no way of knowing the exact date of Christ’s birth, but here’s the important point: he selected this date more than 50 years before Emperor Aurelius instituted the holiday known as Sol Invictus to honor the sun god (another holiday known as Saturnalia took place from December 17–23). So those who claim that this date was chosen to coincide with the worship of the pagan sun god actually have it backwards.

But what about this idea that celebrating Christ’s birth, especially at this time of year is sinful. Last year I had a conversation with one of these guys that went something like this:

Him: Anyone who celebrates Christmas is worshiping the pagan sun god.

Me: So is it possible to celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th?

Him: The Old Testament commands us not to be like the pagans, and since celebrating on December 25th has pagan origins, then it is sinful for Christians to do it.

Me: Please answer this specific question: is it possible to worship God on December 25th and to thank Him for sending His Son?

Him: That’s a loaded question.

You see, the person did not want to answer this very simple question because it would completely demolish his argument. First, the argument from the Old Testament fails because I am a Christian; therefore, I am not under the law. Galatians 3:19 states, “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made…” (ESV, emphasis added). The law was in effect until Christ fulfilled it. Now, we are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14).

Second, even if things like Santa, Rudolph, trees, etc., are wrong (which I’m not claiming they are good or bad, but if they detract from Christ then I’m not in favor of them), it doesn’t follow that every single Christian celebrates Christmas in that way. In fact, we do not put up a tree, nor do we teach our kids to believe in Santa or any of that other stuff. So am I not allowed to tell God “Thank You” on December 25th? From this guy’s perspective, it’s wrong for me to do it.

The Bible could really not be any clearer on this subject. Christians have the freedom to set aside a day (or multiple days) to celebrate the birth of Christ or for any other reason they may want to praise God.

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. (Romans 14:5–6, NKJV)

In other words, if you want to celebrate the birth of Christ, you have the freedom to do that on any day you want, including December 25th. You also have the freedom not to celebrate Christ’s birth on that day, or any other day. Whichever one you do, let it be according to your own conscience and celebrate (or don’t celebrate) “to the Lord.” If you feel conviction that you should not do it, then God bless you, don’t do it, and serve the Lord, but do not judge a fellow believer for celebrating on that day. In the verse just prior to these two, Paul asked, “Who are you to judge another’s servant?”

Well, someone might say (and they have) that my argument begs the question of whether or not it is okay to celebrate the birth of Christ in the first place. After all, the Bible never commands us to celebrate His birth, but it does tell us to celebrate His Crucifixion and Resurrection. They also claim that the Bible only mentions two birthday celebrations and they were for pagan rulers (Pharaoh and Herod), so it isn’t right to celebrate birthdays.

Actually, I’m not certain there is a direct command to celebrate or commemorate the Crucifixion and Resurrection, but Paul did say that as often as we take part in the Lord’s supper, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). So it’s certainly acceptable for believers to commemorate the Crucifixion and Resurrection. What about His birth? The fact that the Bible only mentions the birthday celebrations of pagan rulers does not mean that it forbids birthday celebrations. These were passages that simply told what did happen and there is no command in either passage telling us that we can’t celebrate birthdays. Look at what happened on the night Christ was born:

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. (Luke 2:8–20, NKJV)

The angels announced good tidings of great joy and praised God. The shepherds glorified and praised God. Mary treasured all the things she had seen. All of this was in response to the birth of God’s Son. What did they do? They celebrated! Although we are not commanded to celebrate His birth, we see clear examples in Scripture that some people and certain angels did celebrate this event.

Clearly, it is perfectly acceptable for Christians to celebrate Christ’s birth—unless they’ve been convicted that they should not. Let each one be convinced in their own mind, don’t allow your liberty to be a stumbling block to a weaker brother, and don’t judge fellow servants of the Lord.

President Obama Opposes the Apple of God’s Eye

Posted on by December 9, 2017
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Readers of this blog know that I usually avoid political subjects on here, but since this one crosses directly into the realm of theology, I feel compelled to write about it. We need to be respectful of our political leaders, even though so many of them lie to us repeatedly (this includes a large number of politicians of all stripes).

On Wednesday, November 30, President Obama told a Jewish audience at a fund raiser, “I try not to pat myself too much on the back, but this administration has done more for the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration.” This is a bald-faced lie.

First of all, a politician claiming that he or she doesn’t try to pat themselves on the back is absurd, since they regularly boast about their record (while often lying about it). That’s par for the course in politics today, since you need to tell people why you are the right candidate to choose.

Second, and most importantly, President Obama has a terrible record concerning the safety of Israel. Let’s take a look at some of the things he has said or done concerning Israel.

A few weeks ago (November 8), it was reported that French President Sarkozy and President Obama exchanged a few brief words about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Apparently, they thought their mics were turned off. They weren’t. Sarkozy is reported to have said, “Netanyahu, I can’t stand him. He’s a liar.” To which President Obama replied, “You are sick of him, but I have to work with him every day.”

While this incident was not an attack on the safety of Israel, it demonstrates the president’s disdain for our greatest ally in the Middle East. This is the same man who disrespected Prime Minister Netanyahu during a meeting at the White House earlier in the year. He has demanded that Israel stop building settlements in East Jerusalem. The Prime Minister replied, “Jerusalem is not a settlement. It’s our capital.” Can you imagine how we would respond if a foreign leader told us where we could and could not build, especially in our own capital?

In May, President Obama called for Israel to give up some of its land and return to pre-1967 boundaries. He also mentioned his desire to see a “contiguous” Palestinian state. This would mean that Israel would have give up the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and land in between the two so that they would connect. This would leave Israel virtually indefensible as it would be cut into a northern half and a southern half with a terrorist state in the middle.

I heard someone jokingly state after this that Prime Minister Netanyahu called for the United States to return to pre-1959 borders. This would mean Hawaii would no longer be a state, and since the president’s certificate of live birth gives his birth place as Hawaii, he would no longer be eligible for the presidency.

So how exactly do these things make President Obama the president who has done more for Israel’s safety? They don’t! He has done more to undermine Israel’s safety than any administration. Add to these the fact that these actions have emboldened the nations and terrorist groups that hate Israel and refuse to recognize her right to exist as a nation.

Has he done anything to help Israel? Perhaps indirectly. Under his administration, Osama bin Laden and other anti-Israeli terrorists have either been captured or killed.

So what does this have to do with the apple of God’s eye. Zechariah 2:8 states, “For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” In this passage God states that Israel (“Zion” in v. 7) is the apple of His eye.

One need only to read through the rest of Zechariah to see how God feels about those who attack Israel. The final three chapters describe the events in and around Jerusalem at the time of Christ’s Second Coming. The armies of the world will attack Israel, but they will not be able to finish their assault. Zechariah 14:3–4 states, “Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west…”

Notice where His feet will stand on that day? The Mount of Olives. And He will go out and fight against the nations and for Israel. By the way, when Jesus ascended into heaven, He left from the Mount of Olives, and the disciples were told that Jesus would return in like manner (meaning that He would return to that spot in fulfillment of Zechariah 14).

Take some time to read through Zechariah 12–14; Revelation 19–20; and Jeremiah 33 to see what God has said about the Jewish people and the future of Israel. Those who stand against Israel take a stand against what God has promised. We can come up with many good reasons why we should support Israel in the Middle East, but none are as important as this one.