MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CHRISTMAS


INTRODUCTION-- This approaching season is like a juggernaut that is inescapable and inevitable. Every year, the world is smothered in sentiment, commercialism, mysticism, and revelry. There is no doubt that the traditions surrounding Christmas have become so deep-rooted that it will be impossible to uproot this celebration from our culture.
  1. Christmas has generated many artistic accomplishments.
    1. The virgin birth of Jesus has inspired countless paintings of the Madonna.
    2. Multitudes of musical pieces have been written to provide background for religious services.
    3. Novels, stories, movies and TV programs have been generated by the thousands.
  2. The tradition of gift-giving, inspired by the gifts of the Wise Men, has created a commercial frenzy that starts many weeks before the day, and lasts till long after. (Merchants credit Christmas sales as the measure of profit and loss.)
  3. Religious bodies use the season to mount huge expensive dramas and musicals, in order to attract visitors (who may become prospects for member-ship). The planning for the next show starts the day after Christmas.
  4. The announcement of the angel, who said, "Peace on earth," inspired gallant efforts to end little wars around the world, or at least to have an armistice.
  5. Sadly, the phrase "Joy to the world" has been misinterpreted to mean, "Let's Party," and drunkenness is rampant during the season.
  6. All of these things spring from misconceptions about Christmas.

     

LESSON-- What are these misconceptions.
  • The observance of Christmas is conceived as approved of God, but is not authorized in the Scripture.
    1. The Scriptures contain "all that pertains to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3), and reveal "every good work" to be performed by the child of God (2 Tim-othy 3:16-17), yet they do not command, or give an example of the celebration of the birth of Christ as a religious obligation.
    2. The ceremonies authorized in Scripture both have to do with the death of Christ, rather than His birth.
      1. The Lord's Supper is to "proclaim the Lord's death till He comes" again. 1 Corinthians 11:26
      2. Baptism is a likeness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Romans 6:3-4
    3. Christmas is a religious tradition.
      1. The earliest mention of any observance of the birth of Christ occurs about 100 years after the close of the New Testament revelation.
      2. The word Christmas is a shortening of the phrase Christes Mas, and applies to the ceremony of the Catholic churches of celebrating Mass.
      3. December 25 is mentioned as the date of Christ's birth first in 336 AD.
        1. Dissidents in the Catholic church chose January 6.
        2. Other dates have been mentioned at various times.
      4. Roman Catholic observance began during the time of the Pagan feast of Saturnalia, in order to compete for the devotion of people. (Saturnalia was observed by the Pagans during the same time frame, and was a time of feasting and revelry.) Many Catholic celebrations follow this pattern.
      5. Traditions that do not come from the teaching of Christ, or from that of His Apostles, is not to be observed. "Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:"(Colossians 2:8, ASV). The reason for this command is found in the next verses. "...for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:" (Colossians 2:9-10, ASV).
      6. The Apostle Paul wrote to some Christians who had subjected themselves to human traditions, and said, "Ye observe days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain." (Galatians 4:10-11, ASV).
  • The "Peace" proclaimed by the angels at the birth of Christ is conceived in political terms, and is perhaps the most destructive of misconceptions.
    1. The "peace offerings" of the Old Testament had nothing to do with political peace, but peace between the one offering and God.
    2. Peace of the sort Christ brings was prophesied in the Old Testament.
      1. Isaiah 9:6-7 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this."
      2. Zechariah 9:9-10 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off; and he shall speak peace unto the nations: and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth."
    3. One connection of this peace with the Old Testament is shown by Paul
      1. Isaiah 57:19-21 "I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."
      2. Ephesians 2:11-18 "Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands; that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in the flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace; and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and he came and preached peace to you that were far off, and peace to them that were nigh: for through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father."
    4. The New Covenant is a covenant of peace with God.
      1. The Gospel of Christ is called a "Gospel of Peace." Ephesians 6:15
      2. The peace we need is that preached through Christ (Acts 10:36).
        1. To His disciples, Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33, ASV).
        2. "For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in (Christ) should all the fulness dwell; and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens." (Colossians 1:19-20, ASV).
      3. Paul tells us who will have this peace.
        1. Romans 5:1 "Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;"
        2. Romans 2:6-11 "(God) will render to every man according to his works: to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek: for there is no respect of persons with God."
        3. Romans 8:5-7 "For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be:"