Five Facts About Christmas You Probably Didn’t Know

Five Facts About Christmas You Probably Didn’t Know

There is a great deal of misunderstanding regarding the Bible and Christmas.

Let’a turn our attention to the subject and open our Bibles to study. I want to share five facts with you about this holiday.

Fact One: Jesus Christ Was Not Born On December 25th

There are several factors which show us that Jesus was NOT born during the winter season. Let’s notice two in particular, and then observe what the Bible teaches regarding WHEN Jesus was actually born.

The Census

Luke 2:1-3-1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

The census was a matter of registration for taxes and military service.

“In the Roman Empire periodical censuses were taken with the double object of assessing taxation and of discovering those who were liable for compulsory military service. The Jews were exempt from military service, and, therefore, in Palestine a census would be predominantly for taxation purposes. Regarding these censuses, we have definite information as to what happened in Egypt; and almost certainly what happened in Egypt happened in Syria, too, and Judaea was part of the province of Syria. The information we have comes from actual census documents written on papyrus and then discovered in the dust- heaps of Egyptian towns and villages and in the sands of the desert. Such censuses were taken every fourteen years. And from AD 20 until about AD 270 we possess actual documents from every census taken.” (William Barclay, The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel Of Luke, 25 (Kindle Edition); Louisville, KY; Westminster John Knox Press)

Now, some object that Quirinus did not issue this census; and in fact that Sabinus did. We are told therefore that Luke got his records wrong.

The exact opposite is true.

“Firstly, we need to see who Luke’s Cyrenius was, what he was, and when he was active – which is easily achieved. We have his CV. His Latin name was Publius Sulpicius Quirinius. He was born (ca 45 BC) in the Italian town of Lanuvium, a fact of immense importance which will become very evident later. 2 Luke tells us that he was given high office in Syria by the emperor Augustus, and this is borne out by three contemporary inscriptions to that effect. 3 Clearly, he didn’t just come out of the woodwork. Quirinius had a long and distinguished career under Augustus, giving notable service both as a military commander and diplomat, these often being combined together in the one office. He also attained consular rank. In spite of two marriages, Quirinius was childless, and had his second wife of twenty years, Aemilia Lepida, condemned to death for trying to poison him. He died, immensely rich, in AD 21. Now, all this is very interesting, but it doesn’t answer whether Luke is correct or not in assigning an earlier census to Quirinius a little before both the birth of Christ and the death of Herod the Great. There was such a census, that much we know, but according to Josephus it was conducted by Sabinus, not by Quirinius. This is indeed a serious problem until we realise the plain and simple fact that Sabinus and Quirinius were one and the same person. Josephus himself tells us as much, albeit obliquely, though it is Suetonius and Tacitus who give us the real clue by telling us Quirinius’ birthplace. 4 Quirinius’ birthplace, which the critics have always remained silent about, was the Italian town of Lanuvium. It lies about 20 miles or so along the Appian Way to the south- east of Rome, and was inhabited by a Sabine population, the Sabines being an Italian tribe. Hence, Quirinius was himself of Sabine descent. But why should he not be known by Josephus at the time of the first census by his more famous name of Quirinius? The answer is simplicity itself. The Sabine god of war, equivalent to the Roman Mars, was called Quirinus after the Sabines’ favourite weapon, the spear, and the name Quirinius would have been bestowed at a child’s birth in honour of this god. 5 Now Herod and his Jewish subjects in whose time the first census was conducted would have had a problem with using the name Quirinius. They were forbidden by the Torah to ever utter the name of a foreign or false god. 6 Hence they would have referred to him – in derogatory fashion as the Sabine, and this is the name he was known by in the Jewish records consulted by Josephus for this first census. Josephus merely Latinises it and calls him Sabinus, not realising that it is Quirinius who is meant. 7 Josephus wrote his histories in Rome well after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, so he had no one to check his facts with, whereas Luke wrote his Gospel during the first half of the Eyewitness Period of AD 30- 70, and had a great many people to check his facts with. Moreover, Luke, being a gentile, would have had no problem in using the name Quirinius, whereas his Jewish contemporaries and their forebears certainly would have. Josephus, having no living eyewitnesses to confirm or explain what he was reading in his sources, understandably and simply repeated what he read, without being able to discern the differences and nuances between those sources. Hence he often writes about the same events and individuals twice without realising that they are in fact one and the same. 8 Thus, it is the inability of Josephus (and the critics) to distinguish between his sources and not any chicanery on Luke’s part which has caused all the confusion over the two recorded censuses of Judaea. The problems vanish, however, once the identity of Sabinus with Quirinius is realised. Luke was right after all. The only strange thing about the matter is that the critics so often forget to mention these things.” (Bill Cooper, The Authenticity Of The New Testament: Part One-The Gospels, 1724-1754 (Kindle Edition))

Herein lies the first problem with the notion that Jesus was born in December. Does it make sense that the Roman Empire, the great political and military power in the world, would order a census to be taken during a time when it would be so very difficult for citizens to travel?

No, it really does not.

Even Jesus acknowledged this principle, when He later told His disciples to pray that their journey would not be in the winter because there were such difficult traveling conditions during that time:

Matthew 24:20-And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

The Shepherds.

Second, notice the location of the shepherds.

Luke 2:8-Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

“It is probable from this that our Saviour was born before the 25th of December, or before what we call “Christmas.” At that time it is cold, and especially in the high and mountainous regions about Bethlehem.” (Albert Barnes).

Well, when exactly WAS Jesus born? The answer is found in the Gospel of Luke, in two references:

Luke 1:5-There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

Again:

Luke 1:36-Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

Notice that John the Baptist was six months older then Jesus; and that we are told Zechariah’s father was of the “division of Abijah.” This actually breaks down the specific month Jesus was born. Chuck Missler has written:

“At this point, the circumstances surrounding the birth of John the Baptist provide some help. Elisabeth, John’s mother, was a cousin of Mary and the wife of a priest named Zacharias who was of the course, or priestly order, of Abijah (Luke 1:5; 8-13; 23, 24). During the reign of King David, the priests were divided into twenty-four courses and each course officiated in the Temple for one week, from Sabbath to Sabbath. The course of Abijah was the eighth course, according to 1 Chronicles 24:10….The Talmud and Josephus both record that the Temple was destroyed by Titus on August 5, 70 A.D., and the first course of priests had just taken office. Tracking backwards, Zacharias would have ended his duties on July 13, 3 B.C. If the birth of John the Baptist took place 280 days later (normal gestation time for a child), he would have been born on April 19-20, 2 B.C. (which was Passover of that year). Assuming John was born on April 19-20, 2 B.C., his 30th birthday would have been April 19-20, 29 A.D., in the 15th year of Tiberius. Numbers 4:3 tells us that the minimum age for the ministry was thirty. So John began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, 28 A.D….The Apostle Luke records that Mary went “with haste” to visit Elisabeth—who was then in the first week of her sixth month, which was the fourth week of December in 3 B.C….If Jesus was born 280 days later, it would place the date of his birth on September 29, 2 B.C. That would have been on the day of the Feast of Trumpets in that year.3 We realize all these things are speculative but they are intended to stretch the imagination away from the traditions. What’s the correct date? No one knows for sure.” (Chuck Missler, The Christmas Story: What Really Happened,124-171 (Kindle Edition); Coeur d’Alene, ID; Koinonia Institute)

Another clue is from the writing of the Apostle John:

Revelation 12:1-5-Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2  Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. 3  And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4  His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.5  She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

The word “sign” here actually had reference to star constellations:

“In this section the author skillfully introduces the protagonist and the antagonist of this mythological narrative in a parallel manner by presenting them as two astrological signs or constellations. The woman and the dragon are each introduced as a σημεῖον, “constellation,” that “appeared in heaven”; each is described using a rich and complex set of traditional symbols.” (David E. Aune, Word Biblical Commentary: 52B-Revelation 6-16), 13699 (Kindle Edition); Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan)

The constellations here described occurred on September 11, 3 B.C.:

“The idea that the woman is a constellation is made plausible when one looks closely at the text. The description that the woman was “clothed” with the sun is stock astronomical language for the sun being in the midst of a constellation. While the sun is in the woman, the moon is at her feet. For this situation to occur, the constellation of the woman must be, in astronomical language, on the ecliptic, the imaginary line in the sky that the sun and moon follow in their journey through the zodiac constellations….The detail that the moon was located under the feet of the woman (Virgo) must not be forgotten in all this. The sun must be in the Virgin constellation while the moon is simultaneously at her feet for John’s vision to be accurately interpreted astronomically. Because of the moon’s “behavior” relative to the ecliptic and Virgo in any given year, the twenty-day window narrows to a roughly ninety-minute period in which to astronomically pinpoint the birth of the child….The preceding signs are those described by John. Their occurrence together is not rare, though there were only a handful of dates in real time that can accommodate the events of New Testament chronology for the birth of Jesus. Those dates narrow to one date once other astronomical events that occurred at the same time—but which are not noted in Revelation 12—are added to the celestial profile. One of these extra events is the leading candidate for explaining the movement of the star seen by the Magi in Matthew 2….This combination of astronomical signs produces a unique set of circumstances that can only be accounted for by one date (and in point of fact, a ninety-minute window on that date). This date, as we will see momentarily, has dramatic significance in the Jewish calendar. According to these signs in the heavens, the date of Jesus’ birth was September 11, 3 B.C.[ 116] Jupiter is also important because it is the best explanation for the “star” whose movement was tracked by the Magi. Jupiter is well known for “retrograde motion,” the appearance of movement back and forth in the night sky. Jupiter’s first conjunction with Regulus began on September 14, 3 B.C., and continued through September 11, 3 B.C. On December 1, 3 B.C., Jupiter stopped its normal course through the fixed stars and began its annual retrogression or “backward motion.” In doing so, it once again headed toward the star Regulus. Then on February 17, 2 B.C., the two were reunited. Jupiter continued on in its motion (still in retrogression) another forty days and then it reverted to its normal motion through the stars.[ 117] The timing is right, as the Magi embarked on their journey a year or so after Jesus was actually born….The astronomical context of John’s description of what he saw in the heavens in Revelation 12 puts the birth of Jesus on September 11, 3 B.C….Incredibly, the astronomical reconstruction of the circumstances of Revelation 12: 1–7 that produces a birth date for the Messiah of September 11, 3 B.C., was also the beginning of the Jewish New Year in 3 B.C. (Rosh ha-Shanah)—Tishri 1, the Day of Trumpets….The Feast of Trumpets/ Tishri 1 was also the day that many of the ancient kings and rulers of Judah reckoned as their inauguration day of rule. This procedure was followed consistently in the time of Solomon, Jeremiah, and Ezra.[ 120] This is a powerful piece of evidence for the astronomical reading of Revelation 12: 1–7 as celestial signs of the birth of the messianic king. Jewish tradition also held that the Day of Trumpets commemorated the beginning of the world—the very first “first day” of the human calendar. As Jewish historian Theodor H. Gaster writes, “Judaism regards New Year’s Day not merely as an anniversary of creation― but more importantly― as a renewal of it. This is when the world is reborn.”[ 121] Although it might sound odd, this tradition is part of a matrix of ideas that link Tishri 1 to the sin of the Watchers, the Flood of Noah, and the Nephilim….The math is transparent. Barely over a year after the Flood began, Noah and his family left the ark in the second month of the year. Noah had turned 601 by the time he left the ark. Why is this noteworthy? Because Jewish tradition took this chronology to mean that Noah’s birthday was Tishri 1. This is the same day as the birth of the Messiah, Jesus, if we take Revelation 12 as indicating the celestial signs present at his birth. A messiah born on Tishri 1 would inevitably have created mental and theological associations between Noah and Jesus. There are other details about the chronology of the Flood that, given the idea that Jesus and Noah shared a birthday, would have moved ancient Jewish readers to associate the Messiah with the prologue to the Flood story, Genesis 6: 1–4….The theological messaging is startling. A messiah whose birth on Tishri 1 was followed in the next month by the rising of the Pleiades-Orion would have signaled the arrival of Yahweh’s shepherd-king. The following month, the second month of the year when Noah and his family emerged from the ark, marked the judgment of God upon the Nephilim. But we know from Genesis 6: 4 and other passages that the Flood wasn’t the permanent cure for the Nephilim and the effect of the sin of the Watchers in human history. What was needed was a new Noah. And so on Tishri 1, the traditional birthday of Noah, the heavens telegraphed the identity of the better Noah, Jesus of Nazareth, born as He was from Noah’s own bloodline (Luke 3: 36). The permanent reversal of the ancient pact sealed on Mount Hermon had begun.” (Dr. Michael Heiser, Reversing Hermon: Enoch, The Watchers, & The Forgotten Mission Of Jesus Christ, 1031-1218 (Kindle Edition))

With this information in mind, Jesus was born sometime during the month of September.

Fact Two: The Early Church Did Not Celebrate The Birthday Of Christ As An Official Holiday

It surprises many people to realize that the early Christians did not celebrate the birthday of Jesus. In fact, if the only day that the New Testament teaches Christians to hold in a special sense is the Lord’s Day, or “Sunday.”

Acts 20:7-Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

Revelation 1:10-I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

Since Jesus arose from the dead on the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1-3; Mark 16:1-3; Luke 24:1-4; John 20:1-18), it makes sense that the church gathered together on this Day (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Fact Three: The “Church” Chose December 25th As The Birthday Of Christ To Appease The Pagans

The recognition of December 25th as the “birthday” of Jesus came much later than the time of Jesus and His Apostles. It was actually an attempt by the Catholic church to “convert” the pagans.

“Factually, celebrations at Christmas coincide with the early Roman festival Saturnalia which was celebrated during the 17 th to the 24 th December. Since winter solstice meant that the sun stood still during the coldest season of the year in Europe , the feast was instituted to honour Saturn, the god of harvest, and Mithra , the god of light. Many people yearned for the coming of the light and it is said, the people made fire, exchanged gifts, visited relations & friends to mark this event. Years later, the date marked as the re- birth of the Sun God , which fell on the 25 th of December, was identified as the date of the birth of the Son of God , Jesus Christ. Historian Williston Walker gives an account in his book A History of Christian Church how the Christian church adopted early traditional values to their own. “December 25th was a great pagan festival, that of Sol Invictus , which celebrated the victory of light over darkness, and the lengthening of the sun’s rays at the winter solstice. This assimilation of Christ to the sun god, as Son of Righteousness, was widespread in the fourth century….” (Preethi Von Den Driesch, Origins Of Christmas Traditions, 45-56 (Kindle Edition))

“In the early part of the fourth century, Christians in Rome began to celebrate the birth of Christ. The practice spread widely and rapidly, so that most parts of the Christian world observed the new festival by the end of the century. In the fourth century the controversy over the nature of Christ, whether He was truly God or a created being, led to an increased emphasis on the doctrine of the incarnation, the affirmation that “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14 HCSB). It is likely that the urgency to proclaim the incarnation was an important factor in the spread of the celebration of Christmas. No evidence remains about the exact date of the birth of Christ. The December 25 date was chosen as much for practical reasons as for theological ones. Throughout the Roman Empire, various festivals were held in conjunction with the winter solstice. In Rome, the Feast of the Unconquerable Sun celebrated the beginning of the return of the sun. When Christianity became the religion of the Empire, the church either had to suppress the festivals or transform them. The winter solstice seemed an appropriate time to celebrate Christ’s birth. Thus, the festival of the sun became a festival of the Son, the Light of the world.” (Fred A. Grissom, “Christmas,” Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary,10133-10138 (Kindle Edition); Nashville, TN: Holman Reference)

In like manner, Easter is based upon pagan traditions and festivals.

Fact Four: Some Of Our Christmas Traditions Have An Interesting Background

The Christmas Tree.

“The Christmas tree originated in Germany. It actually begins with St. Patrick. St. Patrick’s Day originated in Ireland, but contrary to popular belief, St. Patrick wasn’t Irish. He was a Scottish man who went to Ireland as a missionary and was considered to be the greatest evangelist of his day. A contemporary of St. Patrick who lived in another part of the world was Boniface. Boniface was a great missionary in the ancient world. Boniface was from Great Britain and was called by God to Germany where he had a love for the people. He was having a very difficult time communicating to the German people about the Gospel. He was laboring hard for the Lord without much success. At that time, the people were worshipers of Odin. Odin was a combination of Jupiter and the sun god and was considered the supreme god. It was believed he established the laws that governed the universe. He created the first man and woman and controlled human destinies. His wife was Frigg, and his children included Thor, Balder, and Tiw. The people would worship Odin by holding a feast for him in front of great oak trees. Boniface wasn’t doing that well. He only had a couple of converts after living for three years in Germany. But in the third year, the holy angel of God came upon him on December 22nd. You could say he got down- right mad! (Have you ever seen someone filled with the Spirit of God and get as angry as Jesus did when He cleaned out the temple from the money- changers?) On December 22nd, there was a great feast in the honor of Odin. People bowed before the oak tree in worship to this god. On one of these occasions, Boniface was watching and suddenly jumped in the middle of their worship, cut down the tree, and threw it into the fire. The people gasped. They knew he would be struck by lightning because of Odin’s fury against him (who was also the god of lightning). But nothing happened to Boniface. It was much like the story in the book of Acts when Paul was bitten by the snake and the people just watched and waited for him to die. As we know, Paul didn’t die, but was able to preach the Gospel effectively because of this act of faith. When nothing happened to Boniface, the people sent up a great cheer. The rest of the day, he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them and it is said that he won three or four thousand people to the Lord on that day, December 22nd. The revival continued and he preached every day. On the 25th of December, Boniface took a fir tree and placed decorations on it. He actually used the fir tree as a prop to illustrate how Jesus was hung on the cross and how He bore their sins and pains. As he preached the Gospel, more people gave their lives to the Lord. By the end of the day, people were bringing personal items of value and hanging them on the tree as a remembrance of their newly acquired salvation. Boniface himself put a cross on top of the tree. This incident is the first recorded Christmas tree and has become one of the world’s most beloved traditions as it is passed from generation to generation. The Christmas tree portrays the goodness of God. The Christmas tree had been a German tradition, but came to the Western world in 1840 by Queen Victoria through her marriage to Prince Albert, a German prince. Because of the great power of the English empire, it wasn’t long before the Christmas tree was seen all over the world.” (Tom Barkey, Ph.D., Christmas: The Origin Of It’s Traditions, 191-214 (Kindle Edition))

The Candy Cane

This was made specifically for the purpose of honoring the Lord. The shape, viewed from one angle, is a “J.” Viewed from another point of view, it represents the crook of a shepherd’s staff. The “white” of the cane represents purity, and the red stripes represent the stripes that Jesus received in His scourging.

Mistletoe

This plant was used by the pagans long before Christ. It is called “The Thief On The Tree” because it is a parasitic plant that sucks the water out of other plants. The ancient Druid priests would encircle the oak trees which bore the mistletoe and sacrifice two white cows during the Winter Solstice ceremony. People who gathered together for the ceremony were given a branch of mistletoe as a fertility charm. One tradition which came about in the Catholic church was that the Cross of Christ was made of mistletoe, and that all mistletoe after His death was cursed to be parasitic.

Fact Five: Christians May Observe Holidays If They Wish (Provided They Do Not Bind Them upon Others)

Throughout the New Testament Scriptures, we see that one of the greatest struggles of the early church dealt with the relationship between the Old and the New Testaments. The Old Testament made it clear that there were seven appointed “feasts” or “holidays” which the people had to participate in. One author has written:

“As we now examine the Feasts of Israel, these HaMoyadim , we again recognize there are seven appointed times. The first three are in the spring; the Passover Feast, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Firstfruits. They all occur in the first month of the religious year, Nisan. Shavuot , The Feast of Weeks, falls by itself in the summer, 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits. The final three appointed times are held in the fall during the month of Tishri; the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Three feasts fall in the first month of the religious year, three in the seventh month, and the Feast of Weeks sits right in between. These are the Seven Feasts of Moses.” (Chuck Missler & Dan Stolebarger, The Feasts Of Israel, 227-234 (Kindle Edition); Coeur d’Alene, ID; Koinonia House)

Throughout the Old Testament, holidays were grouped together as yearly festivals, monthly festivals, weekly festivals, and daily festivals.

1 Chronicles 23:30-31-and at every presentation of a burnt offering to the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons and on the set feasts, by number according to the ordinance governing them, regularly before the LORD; 32 and that they should attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, the needs of the holy place, and the needs of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the work of the house of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 2:4-Behold, I am building a temple for the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to Him, to burn before Him sweet incense, for the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the set feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.

2. Chronicles 8:13-according to the daily rate, offering according to the commandment of Moses, for the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the three appointed yearly feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

2 Chronicles 31:3-The king also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons and the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD.

Nehemiah 10:33-for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.

The Apostle Paul, in describing how the Cross of Jesus took away the requirement of the Old Law, used the same pattern:

Colossians 2:16-17-16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Colossians 2:16-17 (CEV)-16 Don’t let anyone tell you what you must eat or drink. Don’t let them say that you must celebrate the New Moon festival, the Sabbath, or any other festival. 17 These things are only a shadow of what was to come. But Christ is real!

He makes it clear that all of the holidays of the Old Law (yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily) were abolished when Jesus died at Calvary.

When the Jewish Christians demanded that people keep the Old Testament Law and its’ various holidays, Paul rebuked them:

Galatians 4:10-11-10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain

However, when Christians wished to observe a personal day of devotion between themselves and God, Paul made it clear that this was permissible. In describing these conscience issues, Paul wrote:

Romans 14:5-8-5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 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. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

Conclusion

To summarize:

1). Jesus Christ was not born on December 25th. Instead He was born sometime in September (probably September 11, 3 B.C.). 2). The early church did not observe the birth of Jesus as a day of worship. The only day which they distinguished was Sunday, the Lord’s Day. 3). The acceptance of December 25th by the Catholic church as the birthdate of Christ was done in order to try and “draw in” the pagans to Catholicism. 4). Many of our Christmas traditions are based on paganism. 5). The Bible condemns the forced celebration of holidays, but allows Christians to observe religious holidays if they so choose, provided that they do not force such on other Christians.

I love the birth of Christ, and I believe it is good to celebrate this-not just on December 25th but always. But we also remember that it is mainly about the Cross. Jesus was born…to die. He came to this world to save us from our sins (1 Timothy 2:6). Why not today believe in Him, repent of your sins, confess your faith in Him as the Son of God, and be baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:37-47; 8:37)? When we fall away as Christians and sin, God promises forgiveness if we will repent and pray to Him (1 John 1:7-10). If I can assist you in any way, pleas call upon me.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.