Christmas

Dear Brethren,

What exactly is wrong with Christmas?  What is the problem with the celebration of Christmas?  The entire world thinks Christmas is a pretty good idea!  Shouldn't Christians "Keep Christ in Christmas"?  Isn't Jesus the "Reason for the season"?  Don't the beautiful lights, decorations and music stir some of the fondest memories of youth?  As the song says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"  It can't be wrong - can it?  The answers may surprise us.

The most typical Christmas scenes contain Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, three wise men, and animals - with the focus on Mary, and Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes.  Multiple millions of times, on every continent, statues of the mother and child are displayed, paraded, worshiped and prayed to.  Christmas forms a powerful religious picture of a Christ-child and Madonna in the minds of those who celebrate it.  The problem is that it is a false picture of Jesus Christ.  Jesus never intended to be depicted in that way.  Christmas presents an image of God that is not correct.  God the Father and the Family of God are misrepresented in the celebration of Christmas.  God warned His people not to adopt this ancient heathen practice of mother and child worship.

"When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations." (Deuteronomy 18:9)

"Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them..., and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise." (Deuteronomy 12:30)

Some people would remark, "The Bible tells the story of Christmas in the birth of the baby Jesus."  Matthew and Luke give us all the details we have surrounding the birth of our Savior.  Those specific details were not recorded in Scripture for the purpose of establishing a Christ-child worship system.  The well known December 25 celebration of Christmas has its origin in the pagan festival of Saturnalia.  There is nothing Christian about it.  Christmas then, contorts the Biblical account of Jesus into a false concept of Almighty God.  It is not simply the wrong timing of the birth of Jesus or the incorrect number of shepherds which makes Christmas detrimental to the True Faith.  It is the fact that Christmas has nothing at all to do with what God is accomplishing in true Christians.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2)

Jesus Christ came to this earth to provide salvation for all mankind.  Yes, Jesus was born humbly in the flesh - but not for the purpose of being worshiped as a little baby.  (1 John 4:3)  The incarnation of Jesus, His sinless life and resurrection have made possible our salvation.  Immanuel means "God with us."  Jesus Christ is the glorious and all powerful God of the universe.

Our loving and compassionate God the Father - the father of Jesus Christ - is ignored and rejected in the story of Christmas.  On the other hand, Mary is elevated in the Christmas-time story to the divine position of "Mother of God."  Mary it is claimed, was preserved from all stain of sin from the moment she was conceived.  Of course, the Bible clearly shows that all have sinned - with the only exception being the spotless Lamb - Jesus.  This Christmas worship of goddess mother and child extends back in history some 4000 years, well before the birth of Jesus, to the days prior to the patriarch Abraham.

All of the pageantry and celebration of Christmas only blur the reality of the plan of God in which God is bringing many sons to glory.  It is our incredible human potential to become Children of God as full fledged members of the Divine Family of God.  The Christmas story denies this truth.  That is why God forbids the adding of worldly festivals to His Feast days.

"What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." (Deuteronomy 12:32)

Christmas is Satan's substitute feast that diverts worship away from the true Deity to a counterfeit Queen of Heaven with her ever-infant god-child (Jer 44:17-25).  Christmas encourages an atmosphere of selfish getting, rather than promoting a selfless giving and serving Christian attitude.  It is nothing short of blatant disobedience to God - that is why God hates Christmas.  Everyone knows that Christmas is a pagan festival - rooted in idolatrous practice.  But, they will excuse themselves by saying, "It was changed into a Christian festival to observe the birth of Jesus." 

"Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen..., For the customs of the people are vain." (Jeremiah 10:2-3)

"Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"  (Matthew 15:3)

God has given us His Feast days which tell of His wondrous plans.  Only within the plan of God are we able to realize the hopes, dreams and destiny of mankind.  Jesus Christ is coming back as King of kings, Lord of lords, to establish the Kingdom of God over this entire earth.  Jesus Christ will return in full glory and great power.  He will not come as a little baby, and He is not coming back on Christmas day.

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Sermon:  "Birth of Jesus"

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