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Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute.
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"Is Christmas Christian?" (an article from the President column of the Christian Research Newsletter, Volume 6: Number 5, 1993) by Hank Hanegraaff. The editor of the Christian Research Newsletter is Ron Rhodes. (Bold and italics are mine to make those sentences stand out :))
Note: This article may be reproduced only in its entirety for circulation as "freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this data file must contain the copyright notice. Please visit here for details.
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Imagine what it would have been like to be a resident of the
city of Jerusalem some 700 years before the birth of the Messiah.
No doubt you would have been terrified by the imminent threat of
destruction posed by the mighty Assyrian army that was mobilizing
against your city.
Yet, just when things looked bleakest, a man named Isaiah made
an outrageous prophecy. Not the sort of prophecy we hear from
modern-day soothsayers -- a prophecy like, "a beautiful woman will
come into your life" -- but a meticulously detailed prophecy that
literally put his prophetic credentials on the line.
Isaiah not only predicted that the city would be saved, but in
painstaking detail he predicted events through which God would
cause Sennacherib, the invading Assyrian king, to return from
whence he came. Astonishingly, Isaiah's prophecy came to pass with
total precision.
No doubt you would have been impressed and delighted with
Isaiah and his prediction. It would not have taken long, however,
before your support would have turned to skepticism. You see, the
same Isaiah who predicted that Jerusalem would miraculously be
spared from the Assyrians went on to prophesy that she would
miserably succumb to the Babylonians.
And your skepticism would soon turn to cynicism the day you
heard about Isaiah's most preposterous pronouncement of all. To
your utter astonishment, Isaiah claimed that a virgin (of all
things) would one day give birth to a son, and went on to refer to
this son as "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace" (Isa. 7:14; 9:6).
Today, one no longer need wonder whether Isaiah lost his
marbles some 27 centuries ago. History bears eloquent testimony to
the fact that Isaiah's prophecies have been fulfilled with
painstaking accuracy. Not only did Jerusalem fall to the
Babylonians precisely as predicted, but Jesus Christ -- Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace --
cloaked Himself in human flesh and came to live among us (John 1:1,
14, 18).
It would be difficult indeed for any open-minded skeptic to
seriously consider the prophecies concerning Christ without being
convinced of His deity. Yet, there are many people today who have
serious concerns regarding the _manner_ in which we celebrate
Christ's birth.
Each year around this time, letters flood in to CRI offices
containing various questions about Christmas that range in topic
from the practice of exchanging gifts to the possible connection
between Christmas and the pagan holidays of Rome. So let's take a
few moments to consider some of the more commonly asked questions
about Christmas.
*First, are Christmas trees a form of idolatry?* Interestingly,
this question arises out of a pronouncement made by the prophet
Jeremiah: "This is what the LORD says...the customs of the peoples
are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman
shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they
fasten it with hammer and nails so that it will not totter" (Jer.
10:2-4).
While at first blush this may seem to be referring to our
custom of decorating Christmas trees, a closer examination of
Jeremiah 10 reveals that God is in reality condemning the creation
of permanent wooden idols carved from the trees of the forest. In
the very next verse (vs. 5) God ridicules these idols because they
cannot walk or talk.
Historically the practice of decorating Christmas trees
originated in Germany some two thousand years after Jeremiah made
his pronouncement. It was the result of combining two distinctly
different Christian symbols.
The first was a "Paradise tree." It was decorated with apples
to symbolize the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. The second was
a triangular shelf that contained Christmas figurines and was
adorned by the star representing the one followed by the Magi. By
the 16th century, these two Christian symbols had been merged into
the modern-day Christmas tree.
Not only are Christmas trees spiritually symbolic, but they
represent a wonderful witnessing opportunity as well. In fact, the
next time a nonbelieving neighbor brings home a Christmas tree, you
might want to ask him or her if they know where the practice of
decorating Christmas trees originated.
Who knows! The Holy Spirit may well allow you to enjoy one of
the greatest Christmas gifts of all -- the gift of seeing someone
you care about receive everlasting life.
*Another common question involves Santa Claus. Is Santa a
hopelessly pagan concoction, or can Santa be saved?*
What few people seem to be aware of is that Santa is Christian
rather than pagan in origin. As a matter of fact, Santa Claus is an
Anglicized form of the Dutch name, _Sinter Klaas._ Sinter Klaas in
turn represents a Christian bishop of the fourth century named
"Saint Nicholas."
According to tradition, Saint Nick was not only kind and
generous towards children but he apparently attended the Council of
Nicea in A.D. 325, where he supported the biblical doctrine of the
Trinity.
While it is likely true that Saint Nick gave toys to tots, it's
obviously pure mythology that he presently lives at the North Pole
in a toy factory, knows if we've been bad or good, and flies around
in a sled pulled by reindeer.
In truth, Santa is not essential to Christmas -- but he does
represent an excellent opportunity for sharing Christ with your
kids. Why not ask them this Christmas if they know who Santa really
was. Perhaps not only Santa can be saved but so will one or more of
your loved ones.
*Still another common question CRI receives around Christmas
time involves the practice of giving gifts.* Jehovah's Witnesses in
particular are quick to assert that this practice not only leads to
commercialism, but can be tied to the pagan practice of astrology
as well. As they put it, the word "Magi" in the original Greek
refers to "astrologers."
History reveals, however, that the Magi were not singularly
stargazers but were schooled in the arts and sciences of their day
as well. Thus, the translation "wise men" makes a great deal more
sense than the transliteration, "astrologers."
It is also important to note what Scripture clearly says about
the Magi. Namely, the "wise men" were _led by God._ Both the star
that led them to Christ (Matt. 2:9) and the dream through which
they outwitted Herod (vs. 12) were used by God to guide and direct
them.
The Jehovah's Witnesses are quick to point out that the wise
men gave gifts _to Christ,_ not to one another. But that misses the
point entirely. Obviously our risen, reigning Redeemer doesn't need
a thing. However, when we give _to one another,_ Christ considers
that as good as giving _unto Him_ (Matt. 25:37-40).
Perhaps your ability to sensitively and effectively dispel the
Watchtower's mythology with regard to gift-giving will open a door
for you to discuss the deity of Christ with them as well. And
perhaps as a result of your discussion, the Jehovah's Witness may
receive the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses
can be reached, you know, and the Holy Spirit can use you as a part
of the process.
*A final question we are asked each year has to do with whether
or not the celebration of Christmas is rooted in a pagan
tradition.* Some people have made much of the claim that December
25 was supposedly the date of a pagan festival commemorating the
birthday of a false deity. This, however, does not in and of itself
make the celebration of Christmas pagan.
The real question that must be addressed is, What was the
church's _intent_ in choosing December 25 for the celebration of
Christmas in the first place? The answer may surprise you! The
early church chose this date to point to the _triumph_ that
Christ's birth represented over the pagan traditions of the Roman
empire. In other words, the church was not _endorsing_ a pagan
ceremony but _establishing_ a rival celebration. Today the world
has all but forgotten the pagan gods of Rome. But at least a
billion people on planet Earth celebrate the Christ of Christmas.
Now more than ever it is incumbent for believers to be ready to
give answers to questions concerning Christmas. For, indeed, the
true meaning of Christmas has become lost in our culture.
Multitudes tragically reinterpret the meaning of Christmas as
merely "good will toward men."
Of course, not to appreciate the human longing for love and
happiness would be a dreadful mistake. However, Christians should
help nonbelievers recognize that the true meaning of Christmas lies
elsewhere. When the angels announcing Christ's birth sang of "good
will toward men" (Luke 2:14), they were not singing about _men_
showing good will toward men, but _God_ showing good will toward
men. He did this through the singular act of sending His Son to us
as the Savior of the world.
By becoming a human being, dying on the cross for our sins, and
rising from the dead, Jesus Christ overcame sin, death, and the
grave. In short, Jesus was born to overcome the very things that --
left unchecked -- would destroy the human spirit of love, life, and
liberty. Jesus was born to give us the greatest gift of all -- _the
gift of salvation._
This year you can be an instrument of God's grace by sharing
with people around you the Good News of the greatest gift of all --
a gift that truly keeps on giving.
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Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - <i>Untitled Comment</i>
http://yestheyareallmine.wordpress.com
I would be more than happy to put a link to your blog showing where I found it posted!
Edited by Rhen on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 7:43 PM