It’s almost a cliché now. We talk about the busyness of the holidays so much that “normal life” is put on hold until after it’s over. ‘Can we get together?’ ‘Sure, but let’s wait until after the holidays.’ Hopefully, we remember about it four or five weeks later!
Somehow the point of the holidays has been lost. This is true for everyone. What used to be seen as a time to take a break and enjoy family has now become a time filled with generic holiday activities that put us on edge and, sometimes, cause family time to be less than stellar. Even more so for the Christian, we now have to encourage one another to “keep Christ in Christmas.”
Interestingly enough, this is a very modern problem.* The early centuries of the church didn’t have anything like a modern Christmas service. In fact, there was no service! The birth of Jesus was like any other event of his life. The emphasis was on his death, and even more significantly, his resurrection. In fact, celebrating Easter was so important that it caused a controversy in 155 AD. There was disagreement on when and how the event should be celebrated!
With the rise of Christian persecution, the church actually began celebrating the death of the apostles and later martyrs. The church father, Origen, even said celebrating someone’s birth was a pagan idea, coming from prideful hearts seen in the likes of Pharaoh and Herd. (So much for those extravagant birthday dinners!)
Yet, the birth of Jesus took on more significance when the heretic Arius had the bright idea that the way to defend God against the error of Sabellianism was to deny the full deity of the Son and Spirit. Jesus only became the son of God during the Incarnation. Thus, the Word was created by God and the phrase “there once was a time when the son was not” was used a trendy worship song. Athanasius famously, and successfully, argued for the Scriptural (and widely-held) belief that the Son was co-equal and co-eternal to the Father and the Spirit as part of the Trinue Godhead. At the Council of Nicea (AD 325), the Arian teaching was affirmed to be the heresy it always had been. After this, celebrating the birth of Jesus took on a greater significance in the church.
Yet, as the “mass of Christ” (= Christmas) grew in importance over time, it also dragged along other cultural celebrations. In the more Catholic and Orthodox settings, the celebration remained relatively unfazed. But in Reformation churches, it was so associated with “popish tradition,” that it fell out of favor. The Puritans even wanted Christmas celebrations banned for a while! Not because they hated Christ, but because they loved him. The Catholic celebrations had become an excuse for unbelievers to party hard, leading to drunkenness and lewd behavior. Hardly a time befitting the birth of our Savior! It was even a problem generations later, causing Spurgeon to be hopefully cautious about it.
Eventually, Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol reenergized the holiday for the wider culture and Christian churches. Though claiming to be a Christian writer, his Carol isn’t explicitly Christian but oozes Christian themes of sin, repentance, and redemption. The central figure which ultimately turns Scrooge’s heart is Tiny Tim—one who piously attends church and seems to live out sincere faith in Jesus. He famously brings the story to a close with the words, “God bless us, every one.” And while Dicken’s aim was a practical application of religion rather than an evangelistic one, emphasizing love, generosity, and care for others, it left a mark we still feel today. It moved people to think in more family-centric ways about Christmas. Suddenly, traditions like caroling, large dinners, sending cards, and more became increasingly important to many.
all of this leads us to the present day. Christmas has become a blend of cultural sentimentality rooted in charitable giving and time with family, Christian belief about the birth of Jesus, and an oppressive weight of commercialism. The result is that we feel the need to enjoy the season, remember it’s reason, and keep up with spending what is necessary for it all!
So, how should we think about these things? How can we, as Christians, navigate the season in a way that it’s good for us and honoring to God? Let me suggest three things.
First, Enjoy your freedom in Christ
Let’s be clear: nothing in Scripture mandates you celebrate Jesus’ birth in any specific, organized way. Does this mean it’s unbiblical to celebrate Christmas? Not at all! It can safely be put in the category of “helpful but unnecessary.” So, don’t let the traditions of one culture bind your conscience and drive you crazy. Paul is clear that every day is the same in Christ (Rom 14:5; Col 2:8–23). Feel free to go simple this year with your celebrations. Be free from guilt that you aren’t “making the most of the season.” It can be gift to do that! but it should never be a burden because Scripture doesn’t require it.
Second, Enjoy Christ Himself
If you’re going to celebrate Christmas, make it about Christ. This is the larger point Paul makes in Romans 14. The original issue was about the Sabbath. But a broader application can apply to Christmas as well. If you think it’s a significant day, then you must honor the Lord in celebrating (Rom 14:6). Celebrate Christ himself during the season. How can do we do this? There are many ways. In addition to listening to excellent Christmas hymns, the easiest way to do this is by reading and meditating over key passages related to Jesus’ birth—Matt 1:1–17; Luke 1:1–56; Matt 1:18–25; Luke 2:1–39; Matt 2:1–23; John 1:1–18. (A suggested order, following the chronology of events with commentary on all of it at the end.)
As you read and meditate, consider questions like: What stands out to me in a fresh way? Why did God order the events like this? How do I see God’s goodness at work? How do I see God’s fulfillment of his promises? How can I better appreciate Christ’s person and work?
And while we normally pray to the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit, considering praying directly to Jesus, praising his glory and humility, thanking him for his willingly to save, asking for hearts that love him more and lips that speak of him more boldly.
Finally, Don’t Be Afraid to Enjoy Culture under Christ
While certain practices associated with holidays are sinful (e.g. 1 Pet 4:3), there are many cultural traditions bound up with Christmas that are not sinful. In fact, despite years of myth-making, they aren’t pagan in origin. Feel free to hang lights, decorate trees, give gifts, and show charity to the poor. We honor Christ when we enjoy all good gifts by faith in him (1 Cor 3:21; 1 Tim 4:4–5).
Often these traditions take on a greater meaning for us as Christians as they help points us to Jesus. They can even be bridges to neighbors and family, allowing for gospel conversations. Jesus as the light of the world (John 8:12), the one who offers fruit from the tree of life (Rev 22:14), the ultimate gift from God (John 3:16), and more. Even Santa Claus can get you to conversations about the deity of Christ!
Always Devoted to Christ
Cards on the table—I love Christmas. Part of it is the nostalgia of the music, weather, and traditions with family. A much larger part is the deeply theological issues surrounding the Incarnation which cause my mind to wonder and heart to sing! But I’ve had to learn the hard way not to be bullied by the holiday or other’s ideas about how important it is or how to celebrate it. How I celebrate and the amount of time I give it varies from year to year because life always varies. The one constant is my devotion to Christ.
*A helpful article on these early centuries can be found in Oscar Cullman, “The Origin of Christmas” in The Early Church: Studies in Early Christian History and Theology (Westminster, 1956).
MAGNIFY CHRIST 