Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “The Days After Christmas”.
There is no mention in the New Testament of the disciples and followers of Christ ever celebrating or commemorating His birth. Sometime after all the scriptures had been written, some in the Church who had the authority and influence approved setting aside a day to celebrate and recognize the birth of Christ.
While some settled on a day in January, others set the day as most people recognize it today on December 25th. It has proven regrettable that this day was chosen. Seeing that the actual date of His birth is unknown, every one of the 365 days was a likely candidate.
These officials choose a day near the end of a month that was already filled with pagan beliefs and traditions especially around light, darkness, life and death. Maybe the thinking was to introduce a Christian holiday to challenge directly the holidays, festivals and other traditions directly in an effort to replace pagan thought and practices with worship of the One true God in Christ.
Or maybe many of the Christian worshippers refused to stop the practices and traditions they were doing before they became Christians so the thought was if we can’t beat them, then let’s join them. Or maybe it was for some other reason that December 25th was selected as the day to celebrate the birth of Christ.
No matter what the reason was the result has been a blending of pagan and worldly practices that has overshadowed the spiritual and social impact a day dedicated just to commemorate and celebrate Christ’s birth could have on both believers and nonbelievers.
The Christian message that Christmas represents is like a store item competing for shelf space and attention among competing brands shoppers can choose from. Or it is like a frosted 3-layer cake in which people enjoy and eat all the frosting but leave the cake behind. Could those who made the decision to place the celebration of Christ’s birth on December 25 not see this possibility nor consider it? And if so, why would they take the risk of it being corrupted as it has become?
The observance and celebration of Christmas would be so much different if it had only been placed in a different month not already jammed with pagan superstitions and traditions especially around the issues that Christianity addresses. Yet, regardless of the reason or causes here we are today like someone yelling in a noisy and festive crowd look at what God has done and being drown out as we attempt to get people to pay attention.
If Christmas remains on December 25th, the message of life, hope and salvation in Christ will continued to be muted, sidelined and sidetracked by entrenched commercial interest and traditions. The Christian Church is beginning to be caught up in a similar situation as Christmas itself.
Christianity is no longer the main and accepted idea and worldview of the masses that it once was. It is being increasingly challenged by others as a belief on par with many others and with no more of a claim to truth as many others. This is why it matters what we do the day and days after Christmas.
If we do as the world and unbelievers are doing, then we have surrendered December 25th to the merchants and others who use Christ’s name to peddle their wares to whoever will buy them as we buy in along with all the trappings, trimmings and traditions of holidays and practices rooted in paganism and superstition in the month of December.
As difficult as it is, we must contend to keep Christmas relevant and meaningful just as we must do to keep Christianity itself the same way and from being perceived as something other than the true message of salvation from the One who made and created us and entered this world to save us.
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Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School study. Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below. As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
