The best Christmas message! Celebrate Christ, not Christmas Was Jesus born on December 25, or in December at all? Although it’s not impossible, it seems unlikely. The Bible does not specify a date or month. A major problem with December is that it would be unusual for shepherds who heard the angel announce the birth of Jesus, to be “abiding in the field” at this cold time of year when fields were unproductive. The normal practice was to keep the flocks in the fields from Spring to Autumn. The early Christian church did not celebrate Jesus birth. It wasnt until A.D. 440 that the church officially proclaimed December 25 as the birth of Christ. The date was chosen by the Roman Catholic Church. Because Rome dominated most of the “Christian” world for centuries, the date became tradition throughout most of Christendom. This was not based on any religious evidence but on a pagan feast. Saturnalia was a tradition inherited by the Roman pagans from an earlier Babylonian priesthood. December 25 was used as a celebration of the birthday of the sun god. It was observed near the winter solstice. Therefore, the original significance of December 25 is that it was a well-known festival day celebrating the annual return of the sun; the birth of Sun God and not the birth of the only begotten son of God. As a matter of fact, these days we seldom give much thought to matters such as observing festivals, holidays and seasons. Candidly, we have accepted all these as being normal Christian practices and observances. However, at least some of you will be shocked to know that by simply accepting these cultural norms you may just be slipping away from God sufficiently enough to lose your own eternity. The Bible says: those who observe special days, months, seasons and years (including Christian holidays and festivals) have turned their back on God to follow the weak and worthless elementary principles of this world and are enslaved by the wicked powers of this world. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. -Galatians 4:8-11 ESV And now, with the above verses in your mind, think about Christian holidays and festivals. Even though Paul writes mainly to the Jews (even the converted gentiles in Galatia were asked to observe Jewish festivals by some Judaizers), one should note that since the New Testament and therefore, Christianity has its roots in Judaism and the Old Testament if Christians were forbidden by God to not to observe or celebrate even Jewish festivals, whats the logic (or Biblical reason by any slightest means) behind something that originated in paganism as being celebrated as a Christianized festival over the years. I would say it is like someone taking a practice from another idol worshiping, pagan religion and Christianizing it and their generations celebrating it as their day over the years. Or say, what if today someone Christianizes Halloween and after a 100 odd years Christians rename it as something like Hallowed and say it is celebrating Gods call to be holy? That Christmas is of pagan origin is an established fact. Moreover, Gods perspective doesnt Christianize anything of the devil or people. Bless you Dr. Manoj Kumar Khatore for shedding further light for the benefit of the true Christian CELEBRATE CHRIST, NOT CHRISTMAS!
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 16:47:40 +0000
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