Should Christians Celebrate Christmas? by Ron Saladin
Christmas has quite a checkered history pertaining to its observance, even being banned at times here in early America. Support for or opposition to Christmas has taken on an added component in the last few years here in the U.S., becoming part of the conflict in our society between religious expression and atheistic and/or secular opposition to such expression, seemingly mainly targeted at anything perceived as Christian. As the battle over personal rights of expression granted by the First Amendment and misused references to separation of church and state become the focus, lost is the original issue which has separated many Christians down through the centuries at this time of year: should Christians celebrate Christmas at all? Over the years, and especially this year, I have spent many hours researching the birth of Jesus, Christmas, and the reasons presented for the season. What follows are some reflections from those efforts.
I say reasons for the season because the Christmas celebration is obviously propelled by more than a pure dedication to Christ. Some people do celebrate Christmas with a deep appreciation for the incarnation of the Son of God. Others celebrate, but really aren’t interested in Jesus or His message of salvation. Some people don’t celebrate Christmas at all, uncomfortable with aspects of it, yet still profess a firm faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Sometimes hostility is detectable between believers who celebrate the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25th and those who don’t, accompanied by sarcasm and partial truths emphasizing their particular viewpoint. Such behaviors are not a positive witness to the maturity of those involved in them, but do demonstrate there is plenty of controversy to be found.
The incarnation is of such momentous importance to mankind, the observation, study, discussion and focus on it would impact people, no matter what day might be selected for its observance. There are many traditions associated with Christmas which are quite pleasant: the smells, special foods, some of the most beautiful music ever written, family reunions, gift giving, and even good charitable efforts done in the name of Christ all seem to provide positive enforcement to honor the great gift the Father gave to mankind of His Son. It is with good intentions many people celebrate Christmas.
Others, with equally good intentions, point out truth matters, especially in matters concerning Him who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”(John 14:6a). It is an accepted fact by the majority of biblical scholars there is very little chance Jesus was actually born on Dec. 25th. There are some which try to make a convincing argument for this date or some other, but the hard evidence simply isn’t there. The best arguments I have seen come apart with careful research and analysis. I can say with conviction and confidence, information accurately and firmly pinpointing the time of Christ’s birth is simply not available to us at this point in history.
Also difficult to pin down is exactly why Dec. 25th was selected for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. In 274 AD the Roman emperor Aurelian chose Dec. 25th to honor the birth of the “Sun” god and in 354 AD Bishop Liberius of Rome set Dec. 25th as the birthday celebration for the “Son” of God. Why Liberius did this is not known for sure. Some think he was attempting to counter the pagan celebration by introducing a Christian celebration along side of it. Others think Liberius may have simply been recognizing a growing Christmas celebration already in progress by some professing Christians. There do not seem to be any conclusive records available from Rome which state clearly why Liberius chose Dec. 25th as the date to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It does seem a bit odd though, that three important festivals set by the Catholic church have ended up coinciding in time with competing pagan festivals. Easter, All Saints Day, and Christmas all have some traditions which have no biblical basis and seem to bear shadowy resemblances to non-Christian sources.
Another question concerning the timing of the birth of Jesus comes from the New Testament accounts of His birth in Matthew and Luke. The birth date is conspicuously missing from both records. Even the detail-conscious, thorough Luke, respected by both secular and non-secular authorities as being a first-class historian, leaves this “detail” out. This is significant for any Christian who believes the Bible is a supernatural book inspired by the Holy Spirit. If the Bible is not inspired by God, leaving out the birth date of Jesus could be a cultural oversight; the early church was not big on birthday celebrations. However, if the Bible is the inspired word of God, it is obvious God did not want that date known. It was not an oversight on His part; for whatever reason, God appears to have carefully hidden the timing of the birth of His Son. For the thoughtful, sincere Christian, that deserves some contemplation. It is commendable to search out a truth hidden in scripture, but to assume an answer which appears to be purposely not provided is another matter altogether.
It is this presuming about the birth of Jesus that makes some people uneasy with Christmas. Throw in questionable traditions and the materialistic pressure of the season, and a number of people have bailed out of the celebration altogether.
Nevertheless, it’s not ever desirable to throw the baby out with the bath water. Both Matthew and Luke give detailed accounts of the birth of Jesus which were intended to be studied as scripture inspired by God. The incarnation is to be rejoiced in; it is incredibly good news for those who belong to God. Without the entry of Jesus into the world as a human baby, there would be no propitiating sacrifice, no atonement and no resurrection for a redeemed mankind. It is an event to be remembered, not avoided or ignored.
This then is the conundrum which divides many sincere Christians. To celebrate Christmas or not to celebrate Christmas is the question and some celebrate to honor Christ, while others don’t celebrate to honor Christ. I think there are people on both sides of this question which deserve some commendation. Many of these Christians are really concerned as to what is appropriate reverence for Christ. That is a valid consideration or Christmas is nothing more than a winter festival with Christ’s name carelessly attached to it.
Interestingly, I happened across some scriptures which may give some important insight into the issue. It’s a passage most Christians probably would not think of in this context. In the 7th chapter of Zechariah a delegation is sent to inquire of God if certain observances should be continued or stopped. The Jews had, at this time, festivals which were given specifically by God and some which were not, certain observances solely instituted by the people. This inquiry in Zechariah was of the latter, certain days which God had not specifically endorsed. The question from the people was if they should continue to observe these days. God, like Jesus did so often in the New Testament, answered a question with a question. Were these observances being done for God or for their own purposes? Then the answer goes on to emphasize a theme which appears in other passages also: any holiday, given by God or not, means nothing if the person observing it is not living right before God. “Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in his heart” is the way the King James reads in Zechariah 7:9-10.
If we are going to observe any date in the name of Christ we need to walk worthy of that name every day or simply sever our celebration from being identified with Him. And in all fairness, many of us who homeschool go to a lot of effort and expense because we desire to walk worthy of His name.
We also need to consider though, the principle behind God’s question: If we observe the birth of Jesus, are we doing it for Him or for us? Birthday parties should be fun for all, but I have never been to one in which gifts were exchanged among the guests and the person being honored was the lesser focus. I am all for gift giving, but if we observe a birthday celebration for someone, it seems reasonable the gifts should all be directed to that person. A common complaint concerning Christmas is the commercialization of it and the spending spree many people feel obligated to do. If enough Christians would simply make Christ the main focus of their giving at Christmas time, think what an impact that would have for “the widow, the fatherless, the stranger and the poor” around the world. Such a move done by enough people would definitely be economically felt and noticed since so many commercial enterprises rely on Christmas spending for a huge part of their profits. In fact, it would be a tremendous shock to our economy and would undoubtedly be a more powerful witness to truth and the sincerity of Christians than the celebration of Dec. 25th is now.
As the author of this article, I feel I should be open about where I stand. Although I may participate in some good charitable efforts going on at Christmas time, I don’t observe the Dec. 25th birth date anymore. I believe the most convincing arguments for a season of Christ’s birth point to the fall of the year. That’s my personal opinion. As a family we aim at the autumn to remember and review the scriptures concerning the first coming of Jesus and this fall we offered Him a gift through the ministry of “Shoeman”, a ministry dedicated to drilling wells in some of the most desperate areas of the world, providing clean water for the poorest of the poor.
That is what we as a family do, but I am not anticipating much of an endorsement of our position. However, we that homeschool are pretty independent thinkers (thank God), and I think the majority of Christian homeschoolers can agree on this: adding the name of Jesus Christ to any celebration is a game-changer. Our obligation then becomes to honor Him in that celebration in appropriate ways acceptable to God. That is something I believe we would all do well to remember regardless of what we celebrate.
To celebrate or not to celebrate Christmas has to be a personal choice based on each person’s conviction. I believe there are issues all around us which are more important; issues of freedom, truth and morality which the Bible speaks clearly to. As Christians, we are called to take a stand in a hostile society and we need to be very careful as to what we allow to damage our relationship with each other. We are called to discern between right and wrong but judging the heart of another is not our right. I like how James Moffatt translates what Paul wrote in Romans 14:5&6, “Who are you to criticize the servant of Another? It is for his Master to say whether he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Master has power to make him stand. Then again, this man rates one day above another, while that man rates all days alike. Well, everyone must be convinced in his own mind;”.
Just thinking about Christmas. What do you think?
Christmas has quite a checkered history pertaining to its observance, even being banned at times here in early America. Support for or opposition to Christmas has taken on an added component in the last few years here in the U.S., becoming part of the conflict in our society between religious expression and atheistic and/or secular opposition to such expression, seemingly mainly targeted at anything perceived as Christian. As the battle over personal rights of expression granted by the First Amendment and misused references to separation of church and state become the focus, lost is the original issue which has separated many Christians down through the centuries at this time of year: should Christians celebrate Christmas at all? Over the years, and especially this year, I have spent many hours researching the birth of Jesus, Christmas, and the reasons presented for the season. What follows are some reflections from those efforts.
I say reasons for the season because the Christmas celebration is obviously propelled by more than a pure dedication to Christ. Some people do celebrate Christmas with a deep appreciation for the incarnation of the Son of God. Others celebrate, but really aren’t interested in Jesus or His message of salvation. Some people don’t celebrate Christmas at all, uncomfortable with aspects of it, yet still profess a firm faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Sometimes hostility is detectable between believers who celebrate the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25th and those who don’t, accompanied by sarcasm and partial truths emphasizing their particular viewpoint. Such behaviors are not a positive witness to the maturity of those involved in them, but do demonstrate there is plenty of controversy to be found.
The incarnation is of such momentous importance to mankind, the observation, study, discussion and focus on it would impact people, no matter what day might be selected for its observance. There are many traditions associated with Christmas which are quite pleasant: the smells, special foods, some of the most beautiful music ever written, family reunions, gift giving, and even good charitable efforts done in the name of Christ all seem to provide positive enforcement to honor the great gift the Father gave to mankind of His Son. It is with good intentions many people celebrate Christmas.
Others, with equally good intentions, point out truth matters, especially in matters concerning Him who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”(John 14:6a). It is an accepted fact by the majority of biblical scholars there is very little chance Jesus was actually born on Dec. 25th. There are some which try to make a convincing argument for this date or some other, but the hard evidence simply isn’t there. The best arguments I have seen come apart with careful research and analysis. I can say with conviction and confidence, information accurately and firmly pinpointing the time of Christ’s birth is simply not available to us at this point in history.
Also difficult to pin down is exactly why Dec. 25th was selected for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. In 274 AD the Roman emperor Aurelian chose Dec. 25th to honor the birth of the “Sun” god and in 354 AD Bishop Liberius of Rome set Dec. 25th as the birthday celebration for the “Son” of God. Why Liberius did this is not known for sure. Some think he was attempting to counter the pagan celebration by introducing a Christian celebration along side of it. Others think Liberius may have simply been recognizing a growing Christmas celebration already in progress by some professing Christians. There do not seem to be any conclusive records available from Rome which state clearly why Liberius chose Dec. 25th as the date to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It does seem a bit odd though, that three important festivals set by the Catholic church have ended up coinciding in time with competing pagan festivals. Easter, All Saints Day, and Christmas all have some traditions which have no biblical basis and seem to bear shadowy resemblances to non-Christian sources.
Another question concerning the timing of the birth of Jesus comes from the New Testament accounts of His birth in Matthew and Luke. The birth date is conspicuously missing from both records. Even the detail-conscious, thorough Luke, respected by both secular and non-secular authorities as being a first-class historian, leaves this “detail” out. This is significant for any Christian who believes the Bible is a supernatural book inspired by the Holy Spirit. If the Bible is not inspired by God, leaving out the birth date of Jesus could be a cultural oversight; the early church was not big on birthday celebrations. However, if the Bible is the inspired word of God, it is obvious God did not want that date known. It was not an oversight on His part; for whatever reason, God appears to have carefully hidden the timing of the birth of His Son. For the thoughtful, sincere Christian, that deserves some contemplation. It is commendable to search out a truth hidden in scripture, but to assume an answer which appears to be purposely not provided is another matter altogether.
It is this presuming about the birth of Jesus that makes some people uneasy with Christmas. Throw in questionable traditions and the materialistic pressure of the season, and a number of people have bailed out of the celebration altogether.
Nevertheless, it’s not ever desirable to throw the baby out with the bath water. Both Matthew and Luke give detailed accounts of the birth of Jesus which were intended to be studied as scripture inspired by God. The incarnation is to be rejoiced in; it is incredibly good news for those who belong to God. Without the entry of Jesus into the world as a human baby, there would be no propitiating sacrifice, no atonement and no resurrection for a redeemed mankind. It is an event to be remembered, not avoided or ignored.
This then is the conundrum which divides many sincere Christians. To celebrate Christmas or not to celebrate Christmas is the question and some celebrate to honor Christ, while others don’t celebrate to honor Christ. I think there are people on both sides of this question which deserve some commendation. Many of these Christians are really concerned as to what is appropriate reverence for Christ. That is a valid consideration or Christmas is nothing more than a winter festival with Christ’s name carelessly attached to it.
Interestingly, I happened across some scriptures which may give some important insight into the issue. It’s a passage most Christians probably would not think of in this context. In the 7th chapter of Zechariah a delegation is sent to inquire of God if certain observances should be continued or stopped. The Jews had, at this time, festivals which were given specifically by God and some which were not, certain observances solely instituted by the people. This inquiry in Zechariah was of the latter, certain days which God had not specifically endorsed. The question from the people was if they should continue to observe these days. God, like Jesus did so often in the New Testament, answered a question with a question. Were these observances being done for God or for their own purposes? Then the answer goes on to emphasize a theme which appears in other passages also: any holiday, given by God or not, means nothing if the person observing it is not living right before God. “Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in his heart” is the way the King James reads in Zechariah 7:9-10.
If we are going to observe any date in the name of Christ we need to walk worthy of that name every day or simply sever our celebration from being identified with Him. And in all fairness, many of us who homeschool go to a lot of effort and expense because we desire to walk worthy of His name.
We also need to consider though, the principle behind God’s question: If we observe the birth of Jesus, are we doing it for Him or for us? Birthday parties should be fun for all, but I have never been to one in which gifts were exchanged among the guests and the person being honored was the lesser focus. I am all for gift giving, but if we observe a birthday celebration for someone, it seems reasonable the gifts should all be directed to that person. A common complaint concerning Christmas is the commercialization of it and the spending spree many people feel obligated to do. If enough Christians would simply make Christ the main focus of their giving at Christmas time, think what an impact that would have for “the widow, the fatherless, the stranger and the poor” around the world. Such a move done by enough people would definitely be economically felt and noticed since so many commercial enterprises rely on Christmas spending for a huge part of their profits. In fact, it would be a tremendous shock to our economy and would undoubtedly be a more powerful witness to truth and the sincerity of Christians than the celebration of Dec. 25th is now.
As the author of this article, I feel I should be open about where I stand. Although I may participate in some good charitable efforts going on at Christmas time, I don’t observe the Dec. 25th birth date anymore. I believe the most convincing arguments for a season of Christ’s birth point to the fall of the year. That’s my personal opinion. As a family we aim at the autumn to remember and review the scriptures concerning the first coming of Jesus and this fall we offered Him a gift through the ministry of “Shoeman”, a ministry dedicated to drilling wells in some of the most desperate areas of the world, providing clean water for the poorest of the poor.
That is what we as a family do, but I am not anticipating much of an endorsement of our position. However, we that homeschool are pretty independent thinkers (thank God), and I think the majority of Christian homeschoolers can agree on this: adding the name of Jesus Christ to any celebration is a game-changer. Our obligation then becomes to honor Him in that celebration in appropriate ways acceptable to God. That is something I believe we would all do well to remember regardless of what we celebrate.
To celebrate or not to celebrate Christmas has to be a personal choice based on each person’s conviction. I believe there are issues all around us which are more important; issues of freedom, truth and morality which the Bible speaks clearly to. As Christians, we are called to take a stand in a hostile society and we need to be very careful as to what we allow to damage our relationship with each other. We are called to discern between right and wrong but judging the heart of another is not our right. I like how James Moffatt translates what Paul wrote in Romans 14:5&6, “Who are you to criticize the servant of Another? It is for his Master to say whether he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Master has power to make him stand. Then again, this man rates one day above another, while that man rates all days alike. Well, everyone must be convinced in his own mind;”.
Just thinking about Christmas. What do you think?
A “Heretic’s” View of Christmas by Ron Saladin
Heretic - “one who holds opinions that differ from established beliefs, esp. religious beliefs.” American Heritage Dictionary
This time every year I am reminded how different I am from most of Christendom with which I have so many other positive connections. I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, I understand salvation is totally a work of God and not mine, and I believe in the inerrant inspiration of the scriptures in their original form, but each December I am brought up against the fact my turning away from a Christmas celebration makes me a heretic in many peoples’ view.
I wasn’t always a heretic. I grew up with Christmas. I love the smell of evergreens in the stores, even as I lament the cutting of these beautiful trees. Some of the most beautiful music ever written is played at Christmas, if you can filter out Grandma got run over by a reindeer and the one about Rudolph’s prominent nose. But I reject Christmas. Why?
In a word, syncretism.
Syncretism is what got Israel into trouble with God over and over. Syncretism is the mixing of the worship of the true God with ideas and practices which are offensive to God. Just putting the name Christ on Christmas doesn’t make it Christian. The day clearly and historically documented has strong ties to those who were opposed to the God of the Bible. December 25th can’t be “taken back” because God never lost it, nor can Christ be put back into Christmas because He never was in it to begin with.
A blatant example of trying to cover wrong behavior by putting God’s name on it is in Exodus chapter 32. It’s the episode of the golden calf party which Aaron proclaimed was a feast to the LORD. If you’re interested, read it for yourself.
Another thing to consider is from 1 Chronicles 13. I’ve heard a famous evangelist I really like and respect say something like, “don’t look at the pagan ties, look at the intent.” I am very aware God looks at the heart, and I am very grateful for that fact. However, that does not always justify doing the wrong thing.
I Chronicles 13 is a short chapter and again I would suggest it to be read, if you are still with me in this article. Verse 8 shows David and his companions with great good intent, but doing something in a wrong way in which God was very displeased. The Ark of God was not to be transported on a cart, not even a new one. What’s not said here is the Philistines (1 Samuel 6:7) had sent the ark back to Israel on a new cart. Perhaps that’s where the idea came from in David’s case. We don’t know. What we do know is God had told Israel specifically how the ark was to be transported and they were responsible for that knowledge. Their good intentions did not neutralize God’s displeasure.
We know Christmas has many shadowy ties to things which are not traditions God has established.
We also know Christmas is not Christ’s birthday in spite of some weak attempts to try to make it so. We also know the Bible does not instruct us to observe Christ’s birthday, but rather to observe His sacrificial death, resurrection, position of First of the firstfruits, Head of the Church, coming Judge, Our Atonement, the Husband of the Church, and the One to whom all power in heaven and earth has been given, He of which all creation waits, who, along with those born into God’s family, will rejuvenate the universe. In other words, we are told to observe the Holy Days of Leviticus 23 which are types of Christ and His work, given, it says in Leviticus 23:1, by God, the LORD - not Moses.
My family is not Jewish, and we don’t observe Jewish festivals such as Purim and Hanukkah. Nothing wrong with those days, and I could join in with Jewish friends in observing them, but they really don’t apply so much to me. But the Holy Days of Leviticus 23 apply to Christians. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul instructs the Corinthians church, a Christian church with many non-Jewish members, a church so devoid of legalism and focused on freedom as to be lax in the judgment of what was right and wrong to them, Paul says, “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the Feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Here the non-legalistic Apostle Paul is telling a non-legalistic Corinth church, some 30 years after the sacrifice of Christ, to keep the feast, the Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately following the Passover.
Increasingly, Christians are coming to recognize these days are very instructive and relationally valuable in their connection to Christ. I encourage all to take a look at the Holy Days of the Bible.
I know many people I love and highly respect who celebrate Christmas. I hope from my heart those who celebrate Christmas with the right intent find their observance acceptable to God in the day we meet Him face to face. I, however, am not comfortable with Christmas. I feel much more secure and satisfied in observing holidays God Himself identified as His. To them I will look, remember, and celebrate and gladly bear the label “heretic” until Jesus Himself returns and tells us what His preference is. Zechariah 14:16 identifies one of those future millennial holidays, the Feast of Tabernacles, celebrated in the fall of the year, and which many people think was the real time of the birth of Jesus. We simply don’t know for sure when that birth was because the Bible seems to carefully and purposely hide that information.
A valid question is . . . why?
Heretic - “one who holds opinions that differ from established beliefs, esp. religious beliefs.” American Heritage Dictionary
This time every year I am reminded how different I am from most of Christendom with which I have so many other positive connections. I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, I understand salvation is totally a work of God and not mine, and I believe in the inerrant inspiration of the scriptures in their original form, but each December I am brought up against the fact my turning away from a Christmas celebration makes me a heretic in many peoples’ view.
I wasn’t always a heretic. I grew up with Christmas. I love the smell of evergreens in the stores, even as I lament the cutting of these beautiful trees. Some of the most beautiful music ever written is played at Christmas, if you can filter out Grandma got run over by a reindeer and the one about Rudolph’s prominent nose. But I reject Christmas. Why?
In a word, syncretism.
Syncretism is what got Israel into trouble with God over and over. Syncretism is the mixing of the worship of the true God with ideas and practices which are offensive to God. Just putting the name Christ on Christmas doesn’t make it Christian. The day clearly and historically documented has strong ties to those who were opposed to the God of the Bible. December 25th can’t be “taken back” because God never lost it, nor can Christ be put back into Christmas because He never was in it to begin with.
A blatant example of trying to cover wrong behavior by putting God’s name on it is in Exodus chapter 32. It’s the episode of the golden calf party which Aaron proclaimed was a feast to the LORD. If you’re interested, read it for yourself.
Another thing to consider is from 1 Chronicles 13. I’ve heard a famous evangelist I really like and respect say something like, “don’t look at the pagan ties, look at the intent.” I am very aware God looks at the heart, and I am very grateful for that fact. However, that does not always justify doing the wrong thing.
I Chronicles 13 is a short chapter and again I would suggest it to be read, if you are still with me in this article. Verse 8 shows David and his companions with great good intent, but doing something in a wrong way in which God was very displeased. The Ark of God was not to be transported on a cart, not even a new one. What’s not said here is the Philistines (1 Samuel 6:7) had sent the ark back to Israel on a new cart. Perhaps that’s where the idea came from in David’s case. We don’t know. What we do know is God had told Israel specifically how the ark was to be transported and they were responsible for that knowledge. Their good intentions did not neutralize God’s displeasure.
We know Christmas has many shadowy ties to things which are not traditions God has established.
We also know Christmas is not Christ’s birthday in spite of some weak attempts to try to make it so. We also know the Bible does not instruct us to observe Christ’s birthday, but rather to observe His sacrificial death, resurrection, position of First of the firstfruits, Head of the Church, coming Judge, Our Atonement, the Husband of the Church, and the One to whom all power in heaven and earth has been given, He of which all creation waits, who, along with those born into God’s family, will rejuvenate the universe. In other words, we are told to observe the Holy Days of Leviticus 23 which are types of Christ and His work, given, it says in Leviticus 23:1, by God, the LORD - not Moses.
My family is not Jewish, and we don’t observe Jewish festivals such as Purim and Hanukkah. Nothing wrong with those days, and I could join in with Jewish friends in observing them, but they really don’t apply so much to me. But the Holy Days of Leviticus 23 apply to Christians. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul instructs the Corinthians church, a Christian church with many non-Jewish members, a church so devoid of legalism and focused on freedom as to be lax in the judgment of what was right and wrong to them, Paul says, “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the Feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Here the non-legalistic Apostle Paul is telling a non-legalistic Corinth church, some 30 years after the sacrifice of Christ, to keep the feast, the Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately following the Passover.
Increasingly, Christians are coming to recognize these days are very instructive and relationally valuable in their connection to Christ. I encourage all to take a look at the Holy Days of the Bible.
I know many people I love and highly respect who celebrate Christmas. I hope from my heart those who celebrate Christmas with the right intent find their observance acceptable to God in the day we meet Him face to face. I, however, am not comfortable with Christmas. I feel much more secure and satisfied in observing holidays God Himself identified as His. To them I will look, remember, and celebrate and gladly bear the label “heretic” until Jesus Himself returns and tells us what His preference is. Zechariah 14:16 identifies one of those future millennial holidays, the Feast of Tabernacles, celebrated in the fall of the year, and which many people think was the real time of the birth of Jesus. We simply don’t know for sure when that birth was because the Bible seems to carefully and purposely hide that information.
A valid question is . . . why?
