This week I
read a couple of blogs on Christmas, one by a retired pastor Don Watson on the
Adventist Today website, and another by Andrew
Willis from the Voice of Prophecy in the United Kingdom. Here I want to share a few highlights
for a simple reason: because there is so much confusion about it and it is one
of seasons that pushes even Christians to be at odds with one another.
Is the
celebration of Christmas on December 25 really a pagan custom that early
Christians borrowed, or is it a good evangelistic opportunity?
Here is an
interesting historical background. The
earliest evidence of Christians celebrating Christmas comes from around A.D.284,
where Donatists celebrated the birth of Jesus on December 25. Who were Donatists? The most strict Christians ever! During the
Diocletian persecution many Christians compromised and renounced their faith. When things got easier many wanted to return
back to the church. The question arose: should
those Christians who gave up their faith under duress be allowed back? Could
the leaders who left be allowed to take office again? Following their Savior's example, majority of
Christians said "yes," giving them the chance to start over. But a
movement in North African church rejected this idea, believing that if members
who'd turned their back on their faith were allowed back, it would contaminate
the church. They were concerned with the purity of the church and wanted to
avoid any pagan influences. Led by Donatus, this group became known as the
Donatists. Interesting, isn’t it that
the most studious group in their avoidance of anything that even resembled
compromise with the world or hint of paganism, was remembering Jesus on
December 25.
There is no
record of pagan celebrating Sol Invictus
on December 25 until AD 354/362, much later than the Christian celebration. And
then it was only in the 17th and 18th Centuries that secular enlightenment
scholars started to suggest that Christianity had borrowed the date of
Christmas from pagans. Question to the
critics of Christmas – did you check your sources? Christian believers during
the first two centuries knew the date of Crucifixion as March 25, and connected
it with the day when Angel announced to Mary her pregnancy. Nine month from there – December 25 was
suggested….
The word
Christmas itself has nothing to do with Roman Catholic mass either. The word comes from Latin root “dismissal”
which literally means “to send.” The
idea of the Mass comes from understanding that at the end of each church
service we are being sent on a Mission.
Christmas means being sent by Christ to carry Christ into the
world. To celebrate Christ-mass then, is to be constantly aware that we have been
"sent" to reveal God's love as Jesus did when He came into the
world. Apostle Paul writes "God, in
Christ, reconciled the world to Himself, not counting men's sins against
them.We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his
appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to
God." (2nd Corinthians 5:18-20) That's the meaning of Mass! We have
been dismissed, sent out, from the celebration of Calvary [where
we are reminded that we have been reconciled, forgiven, accepted, justified,
saved - unconditionally loved!] as His Ambassadors to "Implore" people
on Christ's behalf, "Be reconciled to God."
Christmas is God’s invitation to us to become partners with Jesus in saving
the world by His Love, by His Faith, by His Promise. It is an annual invitation to everyone to
take Christ’s birth personally. Jesus is
alive and He wants you to know (not only ancient shepherds, or Peter, James and
John, you!) "For unto YOU is born this day in the
city of David, a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord."
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