Christmas as a holiday was not observed until well after the biblical era. The early church of the New Testament celebrated Jesus' resurrection, but not His birth. In fact, Christmas was not given any kind of official recognition by the church until the mid-fifth century. Christians today are generally not opposed to celebrating Christmas. The holiday itself is nothing, and observing it is not a question of right or wrong. As Paul wrote, "One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God" (Romans 14:5-6). In fact everyday including Christmas is a celebration for us who know and love Him. So how we observe Christmas is the central issue. We observe it for the Lord's sake not for our own self-gratification. Christmas is an opportunity for us to exalt Jesus Christ. We ought to take advantage of it. We celebrate Christmas giving presents or gifts to friends and family. Christmas is undoubtedly a good time for giving. After all, we are celebrating the greatest gift ever given God's Son, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). God's great Gift was first of all a gift of love to an unworthy world. He gave not because He had to, but because He loves us. And our giving should reflect His love. If we can keep that perspective, this can be one of the most blessed and enjoyable holidays. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. That baby is God in human flesh, voluntarily stepping down to live among humanity, as a servant, in order to take the burden of others' guilt and pay the price for it by sacrificing his life for them. That's what Christmas is all about, and December 25th is a good day to set aside a special celebration of it. "For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). The "peace on earth, goodwill toward people proclaimed by the angels is not merely about peace between nations and goodwill among people. It's about peace with God and grace from Him to us. That is the good news of great joy which will be for all the people.
In Christ,
Pastor Peter Suhn
